


Against the Odds

by princeharryfanfiction



Category: British Royalty RPF, Harry Prince of Wales - Fandom, Royalty RPF
Genre: F/M, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-29
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2017-12-27 23:33:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 123
Words: 543,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/984959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princeharryfanfiction/pseuds/princeharryfanfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexandra Morgan was a young newlywed when her husband was deployed to Afghanistan. Just having found out she was pregnant when she learned her husband had been shot down, she gathered her strength to raise her daughter, Emma, the best she could. But Alex’s life changes in ways she can never imagine when she meets Prince Harry. An instant attraction sparks between the two of them and they embark on a relationship that will not only test who they are, but will also give them both a chance at a love people can only dream about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Alex looked up from her computer at the knock on her doorway. There was a pretty brunette standing there with a briefcase, holding a small smile while she waited.

“Hello, can I help you?” Alex said politely.

The brunette stepped forward a touch into her office. “I’m looking for Alexandra Morgan. I’m Charlotte Blakely from the Prince’s Charity Office.”

“Oh, of course! Ms. Blakely, please come in. I’m so sorry; I was caught up in some paperwork. I am Alexandra, but please, call me Alex.” Alex stood up and came around her desk, holding her hand out for Ms. Blakely, which she took and shook firmly.

“Thank you, Alex. And please, call me Charlotte.”

“Pleased to meet you. Please, sit down. Can I get you anything to drink? Water?” Alex asked brightly.

“Water would be lovely,” Charlotte responded gratefully as she sat gracefully into one of the chairs in front of Alex’s desk. She accepted the cold bottle with a smile when Alex handed it to her from the small fridge hidden in her cabinet. “I didn’t know you were an American,” Charlotte remarked as Alex slid back into her desk chair and turned to her, glad to finally be meeting the woman she had corresponded with by email for the past two weeks.

“Ah, yes. Well, I am from America, but technically a British citizen now,” Alex said with a warm smile.

“Well, Britain is lucky to have you Alex. And really, thank you for letting us come in today,” Charlotte said. “We are really excited about doing an event here and so grateful that you are willing to share your work with us. The boss is running a few minutes late, a meeting ran over, but he should be here shortly.”

“Please, I’m honored that our tiny little organization was worthy. Having Prince Harry come and give us some support would do us so much good. Especially since he is a military man,” Alex said with a grin. Her big blue eyes were excited, not at the prospect of the Prince, but at the prospect of bringing some big attention to the organization she founded.

Two years ago Alex had stepped out on a limb, opening up weekly group meetings for men and women whose spouses had died while serving in the armed forces. After the first year Healing Families Through Friends expanded to children who had lost parents in the armed forces as well. Her tiny little weekly group meeting in a low rent part of London and grown enough and gained enough funding from the right sources that she had been able to rent a bigger space in a better part of London. Now she, as well as her three employees had actual offices and didn’t have to work part time jobs to survive in this ridiculously expensive city.

To Alex though, this wasn’t just something she did because she cared about people who had lost a loved one in a war, she was one of those people. Alex’s husband, John, was a member of the British Army who lost his life when the Apache Helicopter he was piloting went down five years ago. What she realized after a long period of depression and many appointments several therapists who were very nice, but didn’t seem to help, was that the only people who could really understand her were people who had been through what she went through. It was then that she decided to help people find people like her have access to the people who understood them.

Charlotte silently admired the young woman in front of her. When she had received the request from HFTF to be considered to have Prince Harry as a patron, Charlotte researched the organization and its founder and had immediately brought it to Harry. Harry had agreed to set up a meet and greet and an initial event, liking the goals it presented. During their correspondence, Charlotte had been very impressed with Alex’s concern for the privacy of her clients as well as protecting the integrity of her organization. The benefits of having Prince Harry has a patron would bring her opportunities for funding and resources she desperately wanted to be able to help more people, but she wanted to keep the small, comfortable feel for the people who visited she had managed to maintain. Charlotte had been fast to assure Alex that while any members of the organization could attend the event and have a chance to meet Prince Harry, only those who agreed would be on camera. In essence, there would be a public meet and greet and a more private one after with no cameras. Once Alex agreed, the ball was set in motion.

“We are very interested in what you have going on here. Prince Harry is very much looking forward to the event next week. This visit for us is really just to look around and get down some of the basics we don’t have yet…” Charlotte trailed off as her mobile rang, the ringtone indicating it was Harry. “It’s the boss, I have to answer. Do you mind?”

Alex shook her head. “Not at all, please do.”

“Sir,” Charlotte said as she placed the phone to her ear. “Yes, I am already here….yes…ten minutes? Fine, see you then.”

“Sorry,” Charlotte said as she hit the end button on her phone and placed it back into her bag. “He will be here in ten minutes. Are your employees here? We would like to meet them as well and I didn’t see anyone on the way in.”

Alex smiled and nodded her head, her light blonde locks bouncing on her shoulder. “Yes, they are here. They are all upstairs with groups. We like to keep the offices and meetings separate. It’s easier if the clients can meet us on the main floor and then go upstairs. We found people were more comfortable that way. Now, I’m sorry…who is your boss? You never mentioned who was coming with you today, you just said ‘the boss’.”

Charlotte raised her eyebrows, a small smile forming on her lips. “Yes, the big boss. Prince Harry.”

Alex look startled for a moment, but recovered quickly, instead looking somewhat impressed. “I’m sorry, I should have understood that,” she said with a laugh. “I just assumed you would come in, get all the information for him, and then he would come in next week for the event. I didn’t realize he would do the pre-visit with you.”

Charlotte couldn’t help but like the pretty blonde in front of her. Unlike most women her age, she hadn’t been once concerned about meeting Harry or even really asked about him other than to question just how involved he was with the charities he supported and to make sure that he would be able to give her organization proper support. And just now, she hadn’t blushed or immediately dived for a compact and lipstick to get ready for his arrival. She simply looked pleased he would be there to check things out. The funny thing was, Charlotte knew Harry very well, having worked with him for years, and she knew that Harry would take an instant liking to Alex with her light blonde hair, bright blue eyes, sweet smile, and warm personality. She hoped Alex would be able to keep Harry at bay. She suspected she would if it was for the good of her organization.

Turning her attention towards the task at hand, she smiled brightly at Alex. “Yes, Prince Harry is very involved. He always visits privately before a public visit. He isn’t fond of cameras and likes to get the feel of a place without them. Are you okay with meeting him today? Nervous?”

Alex laughed, waving her hand in the air. “Oh no, not at all. I’m fine. I’m thrilled he will get a chance to get a feel for us without the hoopla.”

“Great,” Charlotte said as she checked her watch. “Well, he should be here any moment. Shall we go greet him at the door?”

“Of course,” Alex said. She stood and motioned for Charlotte to lead the way. She fell in step beside the brunette on her way to the door. She genuinely liked Charlotte and the way she made her feel comfortable with the process. Although she had been nothing but professional, Alex had a feeling that Charlotte was a little more relaxed than she let on. If Prince Harry agreed to be a patron, Alex was going to like working with her.

The two women stepped out of the door of the office just in time to see the two black Range Rovers pull up to the curb. Security officers stepped from the passenger seat of each one, with the officer from the second one immediately stepping to open one of the back doors of the car.

Alex almost didn’t catch herself before she reacted to the man who stepped out of the car. Of course she knew who Prince Harry was, had seen the pictures. She knew he was handsome, but something inside her sparked when she saw him slide gracefully to his feet just feet from her. His red hair was tousled and dark aviator sunglasses covered his eyes for the moment. The dark blue suit he wore was perfectly pressed and immaculately tailored to his long, lean form and was paired nicely with a crisp white shirt and red and blue striped tie.

Alex quickly shook it off as he stepped over to them. Any woman would react that way to that man, she told herself. She pushed all of that away, concentrating on the task at hand, which was building support for the program she loved.

Harry walked quickly to Charlotte, leaning over to kiss her cheek in greeting. “Good morning, Charlotte,” he said.

“Good morning, sir,” she responded. She then turned to Alex. “Sir, please meet Alexandra Morgan. She is the founder of Healing Families Through Friends.”

Harry simply wasn’t prepared when he took off his sunglasses and turned and laid eyes on the stunning blonde in front of him. When she turned up her big blue eyes to him and extended her hand with a soft smile, he almost forgot who and where he was. Forcing himself to smile, he recovered himself within split seconds, reaching out to shake the offered hand. She slid her soft, warm fingers into his, and he was almost sure he saw something flash across her face, but if he did she hid it so fast he couldn’t be sure. He squeezed her hand slightly again before releasing it, hoping she would react again and he could get a read on her. Unfortunately for him, she just continued the small smile, never losing eye contact with him.

“Nice, to meet you Alexandra, I’m Harry,” he said softly but confidently.

“Pleased to meet you, Harry; and please, call me Alex,” she said. Her voice was sweet and melodic and he almost asked her to say his name again, just so he could hear it on her lips. He mentally shook his head. Good God, what in the hell was wrong with him? He didn’t say things like that, much less think them.

Charlotte watched the exchange with a smirk before suggesting to both of them that they should proceed inside. She could almost read his mind, and right now she knew exactly what he was thinking.

He was in so much fucking trouble.

**********

The walk through went wonderfully, even with Harry’s attention almost comically focused on every single word that came out of Alex’s mouth.

Alex, to her credit, although stunned by Harry and his deep, rich voice upon their meeting outside, quickly moved on, pushing that whole strange introduction to the back of her brain. When she got talking about her center she didn’t have room for anything else. She toured him around the offices and then upstairs where the meeting that was occurring adjourned so Harry could spend some time talking to people currently in the program and understanding how it worked for them. He talked to every single person, making them feel at ease with his questions and humor. He met the three associates that made up Alex’s team; Mia, who was a sort of administrative assistant; Duncan, who was the one licensed counselor she had on staff for really tough moments that needed a professional touch; and finally Sarah, who was the children’s program director. Alex almost rolled her eyes when young Mia dipped into curtsey upon being introduced to Harry, but he didn’t even bat an eye. He simply nodded to her and then shook her hand, asking him to call her Harry. She giggled but felt put at ease immediately.

After the tour Charlotte, Harry, and Alex all convened together in one of the empty meeting rooms. After pulling out a chair for Charlotte, Harry made sure to do the same for Alex and then took the seat directly across from her at the small round table. Charlotte almost laughed at his obviousness.

“So, Alex, we just need to discuss a few things before…” Charlotte groaned as her cell phone rang from her bag. She pulled it out, and seeing who it was, knew she had to answer. She looked to Harry and shrugged. “Excuse me for a few minutes. Harry, you know what to do,” she said, waving in his direction as she left the room.

Alex laughed as the door closed behind Charlotte. “She sure bosses you around, doesn’t she?”

“She’s known me forever and she keeps me in line. So yes, she is one of the very few people who boss me around like that,” he said with a grin.

“So what did you think of the place?” Alex asked hopefully, diving right in.

Harry, surprised at her ease in asking him what he thought, immediately felt more comfortable in the room with her. Usually it was him putting him everyone else at ease; it was nice to be on the other side for once.

“I am very impressed. I like that your program is based off of building friendships with people who can understand, rather than paying someone to listen to you. Everyone I talked to seems to love it here,” Harry told her.

She positively beamed at his words. “I hope so. Losing a spouse or a parent in war…it’s an issue I believe doesn’t get touched on enough. It’s definitely close to my heart.”

He tilted his head at her. “Close to your heart?”

She blinked at him. “Charlotte didn’t tell you?”

“Charlotte tells me a lot of things, but in this case I can’t think of one that fits this particular conversation,” he joked.

She took a deep breath. She had spoken of John so often in the recent years, why was it hard for her now? Why did she suddenly feel like that was part of her past and needed to be packed away nice and neat somewhere to be brought out only on special occasions?

“My husband…he died in Afghanistan five years ago,” she finally said quietly.

Harry opened his mouth but nothing came out. He shut it quickly, shook his head, and then began again. “I’m sorry, Alex. I didn’t know. I feel terrible. I’m…so sorry for your loss.”

She smiled a sweet, comforting smile, that made him want to reach across the table and hold her hand. “Don’t feel terrible. I’m fine. I’m fine because of what I’ve created here. That is why I did this. I had a very hard time after John got shot down and nothing helped except finding people who were going through what I was going through.”

“He got shot down? Helicopter?”

“Yes. He was an Apache Pilot.”

Harry’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Like me.”

She laughed lightly and nodded. “Like you.”

“I do have another question, it is somewhat personal. I hope you don’t take offense,” Harry said.

“No promises, Harry,” she said, clearly teasing him. “Go ahead, what’s the question?”

“Your husband was British, correct? He was in the British Army?” He waited for her nod before continuing. “You are American, what has kept you in London? Do you not have family back in the States?”

Her eyes softened, and Harry could tell she was thinking of something she adored. He knew that look on a woman’s face. That was look of having someone you would follow to the ends of the earth. As much as he tried to deny it to himself, his heart sank. That was that then, she had someone; someone she obviously loved very much.

She was just opening her mouth to tell him just what kept her in London when the door opened and Charlotte came marching back in. “Alright, have you guys worked everything out then?” she said as she came back over to the table.

“Nearly,” Harry said, leaning back and away from the table.

Alex couldn’t help but notice the change in him. How he looked almost…irritated now. She was confused, but maybe it was just because their conversation had been interrupted. She blinked a few times and then turned and re-focused her attention on Charlotte.

Charlotte sensed the change as soon as she walked in, and knew Harry was itching to get out of the room. She wondered what had transpired but for the sake of making her job easier, quickly sped through the remaining items to cover; the scheduling for next week’s public appearance, what Alex and her team would have to have ready, and miscellaneous other little things.

By the time all was said and done, it was mid-afternoon and more than four hours had been spent by Charlotte and Harry at HFTF. Alex was made sure as she was walking them back downstairs and through the offices just how grateful she was that they spent so long with her. Harry was gracious, but still quiet, leaving Alex wondering just what it was she had said if it was even her at all.

They were just walking up to the entry door when the door opened with a flourish and a little blonde haired girl of about five blew in with a huge smile on her face. A middle aged woman came chasing in behind her, smiling but obviously trying to keep up.

“Emma! I’ve told you about opening that door slowly,” the older woman called out after the little blonde.

Emma ignored the woman behind her, focused on one goal only.

“Mummy!” she shouted, laying eyes on her target.

Alex laughed and opened up her arms for Emma to run into. “Hello, my baby!” she exclaimed as Emma ran into them. Alex hugged her tight and then lifted her up onto her hip so that they were eye level.

Alex never saw Harry’s eyes go wide and his mouth drop open. She never saw Charlotte’s head snap towards her and then back to Harry, taking in the shock on his face. She never saw her deceased husband’s mother, the older woman chasing Emma, register shock and awe that Prince Harry of Wales was standing in the doorway. Alex was too focused on her daughter to notice anything else but picking her up in her arms.

“Emma, I would like you to meet two new friends of mine. Do you want to meet them?” Alex asked her look-a-like daughter.

“Yes Mummy,” Emma said sweetly.

“Good, let’s introduce you and Granny to them,” Alex said. She turned to Emma’s Granny then, smiling. “Hi Molly, thanks for taking her today. I’m sorry if she was a handful. The good news is you get to meet our special guests. This is Prince Harry and Ms. Charlotte Blakely, the head of his charity office. This is my mother-in-law, Molly Morgan.”

“It was no worry, my dear,” said Molly congenially. She then turned towards Prince Harry, halfway recovered from seeing him there. She dipped a small curtsey. “Please to meet you, Your Royal Highness,” she said quietly.

Harry, still recovering from the scene unfolding in the hallway, barely comprehended the woman curtseying in front of him, but years of practice snapped him to the present and he smiled sweetly at Molly, extending his hand. “Please, call me Harry. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Morgan.”

After Charlotte and Molly were introduced, Alex stepped up with Emma. “Emma, this is Miss Blakely. Say hello.”

Emma stuck her hand out, not an ounce of shyness affecting her. “Nice to meet you, Miss Blakely,” Emma said in a sing-song voice. Charlotte was immediately charmed and reached out and shook Emma’s hand, telling her it was nice to meet her too.

Alex then moved a step over to Harry. “And this is Prince Harry, Emma.”

Same as she did with Charlotte, Emma stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Prince Harry!” she exclaimed.

Harry was immediately taken with the little blonde girl as he reached out to shake her little hand. “Hello, Miss Emma. It is so very nice to meet you. Can you do me a favor though?” he asked with a wink.

“Yes sir,” Emma replied instantly, showing off her impeccable manners.

He grinned. “Can you call me Harry?”

“Yes Harry,” she responded with a matching grin.

“Good! Thank you pretty girl,” he said, bringing her small hand up for a small kiss before dropping it back to her.

Alex watched the exchange with pride in her daughter. Here was her five year old, charming the heck out Prince Harry. When all of the introductions were made she kissed her daughter, set her down, and then asked Molly to take her to Alex’s office so she could show their guests out.

Harry watched as the little girl disappeared around the corner and then turned to Charlotte. “Charlotte, can you give Alex and me a moment please?”

Charlotte raised her eyebrows but nodded, turning to shake Alex’s hand and say good-bye before moving out of the door to wait for Harry.

Harry cut to the chase. “She’s the reason you stayed? Her and your mother-in-law?” he asked quietly.

“Yes, of course. What did you think it was? Wait…is that why you were in such a foul mood when Charlotte walked back in?” Alex was confused. Why did it matter why she was in London to him?

“I thought…you were with somebody…” he said, rather inarticulately.

She blinked at him a couple of times. “No, not as such. But, I’m sorry, but why does it matter?”

He sighed. “God, I’m making an ass of myself. I apologize, Alex. I was up early this morning and I’m tired. It doesn’t matter. I’m just surprised you have a daughter that is all. She’s lovely though, truly lovely. She’s your image.”

Alex nodded. “Thank you, Harry,” she said quietly.

He took a deep breath. “I’d better be going. It was wonderful to meet you, Alexandra. I will see you next week for the event.” He picked up her hand, kissed the back of gently, and squeezed it before dropping it back by her side. “Good-bye.”

“Good-Bye,” she echoed as he turned and walked out of the door. It wasn’t until the door closed behind him that she allowed herself to let out a breath. She tried to deny it to herself, but she couldn’t shove away the moment that just happened. That wasn’t just some friendly, just met someone four hours before good-bye.

God, she was in so much trouble.


	2. Chapter Two

In the week since meeting Harry, Alex had done her best to push thoughts of him aside. She had thrown herself into preparing for his upcoming public engagement at her center, making sure everything was perfect. She did exactly as she had always done, going through her days with meticulous order. She clung to that perfectionist part of her personality, allowing the need to make sure everything was nice and orderly that kept thoughts of Harry and their encounter to the back of her mind. She knew if she let herself think about him even for a moment, she just might not be able to stop.

Harry, on the other hand, was not as successful at pushing Alex to the back of his mind. Every day he woke up with the intention that he was not going to think about those big blue eyes that day. He was especially not going to think about how wide and clear they got when he picked up her hand and kissed it softly before he walked out of her office. Nor would he think about how soft the skin on that hand was, and how it felt when it lips brushed against it. Furthermore, his thoughts certainly would not then progress to wondering what her lips would feel like against his; what it would feel like to have her surrender into his arms. Every day he told himself not to go there, and every day he made it about thirty seconds into his morning shower before his thoughts progressed in exactly that order.

Harry took a lot of cold showers that week.

***********

When Harry strolled into his offices at St. James Palace on the day of the public engagement at HFTF, Charlotte took one look at him and almost fell out of her chair laughing. He was impossibly disheveled, his red hair a complete disaster, his suit jacket wrinkled, his tie tied crooked. She barely contained her mirth as he passed by her office, throwing her a look when he saw the hand clapped over her mouth.

“Shut up, Charlotte,” he mumbled as he passed her door, shuffling down to his office at the end of the hall and shutting the door behind him. He knew it was a useless gesture though. He circled his desk, sat down, and counted to five, and sure enough on cue she burst through his door, a laughing smile still on her lips as she shut the door behind her.

“What the fuck, Harry? You do know that you pay people to make sure you don’t show up anywhere looking like that, right? Did you fire them all or something?” Charlotte asked him.

He looked up at her, standing there with her arms crossed over her chest, a smirk on her face. “No, but I’m going to fire you if you keep talking to me like that,” he said crossly.

She laughed. “No you won’t. You can’t live without me.” She moved into one of the chairs in front of his desk. “You’re a mess, Harry. What gives?”

He rolled his eyes. “Nothing, I’m just tired is all.”

“Liar.”

He sighed, running his hands through his hair. “Jesus, Charlotte, don’t you have some work to do?”

She nodded. “I sure do. We have an event to leave for in an hour and you look like shit. It’s my job to fix that and make sure you show up looking like a Prince, and not like you were at an all-night party at university. So spill it and we will get you cleaned up so we can go.”

He looked at her for a moment before deciding she wasn’t going to give up. “Fine, you win. I hate you sometimes, you know that?”

Charlotte laughed. “And by that, you mean you love me all of the time.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” he shot back.

“You’re stalling, Wales. Spill it.”

He sighed again, leaning back in his chair. He didn’t know if he could find the words, but Charlotte was right and he knew it. He needed to get it out so he could move on with the rest of his day. He looked to the ceiling for a minute before finally shrugging and looking back at her.

“I can’t stop thinking about her,” he said simply.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “Alexandra Morgan?”

He nodded slowly.

Charlotte shrugged. “I’m not surprised.”

“You’re not…I’m sorry, did you just say you’re not surprised?”

She leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on the armrests. “Listen, I know you better than most people. I’ve never seen you react to someone the way you reacted to her. You could not keep your eyes off of her. It wasn’t like your normal thing where someone is there and willing and you do it just because you can. Beyond the fact that you think she’s gorgeous, which she is by the way, you actually liked her. No…that’s not the right word. You…connected with her.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You think so?”

“I know so; and so do you,” she responded firmly.

“Yeah, I suppose I do.” He stopped and took a deep breath. “So what do I do?”

“What do you do? Are you shitting me, Harry? You ask her out,” Charlotte said in disbelief.

“Come on, Charlotte. You know better than anyone that I can’t just go ask her out,” he said with a groan.

“And why not?”

He looked at her in disbelief. “Well first, she’s the founder of one of the charities I’m looking at being a Patron of; that’s huge conflict of interest.”

She shrugged. “So don’t become a patron. Lend your support, find her another patron. She doesn’t have to lose the benefits of your support. You know that even just a visit without your name being officially attached brings attention. If you don’t think you should visit, send Kate or Will. Hell, send any one of your family members. I’m the director of your charities, believe me, we can figure something out.”

He eyed her speculatively. “I still don’t know if it’s right, but fine, we will say that we can get around number one. Let’s talk about number two. She has a child, Charlotte.”

Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “If that is really one of your reasons, then you’re an asshole Harry.”

Harry threw his hands in the air. “You’re calling me an asshole? You know very well these are things I have to think about! That is something that just isn’t done in my family.”

“So? I’m pretty sure that has never stopped you before. And Jesus Christ, Harry, we are talking about a date. We aren’t talking about walking down the aisle tomorrow. Just ask her out and see where it goes. Believe me, even if she is crazy enough to say yes to you, any issues that would arise from her having a kid are years down the road.”

Harry leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. “What if she says no?” he asks, his hands muffling the words.

Charlotte could hardly believe her ears. She threw back her head and laughed. “Who are you, and what have you done with my boss? Has that ever been something you’ve thought in your entire life? Harry, believe me, that woman was as captured by you as you were by her. If she says no, I’d be shocked. Besides, you’re pretty much the most persuasive person on earth, so I’m sure you’d find some sort of word magic to convince her.”

Harry chuckled. “Word magic?”

“Yes, word magic. You know what I’m talking about. So, we are agreed, then? You’re going to ask her out?”

“We haven’t agreed to anything. But thank you for kicking some sense into me,” Harry said, seeming to relax for the first time all morning. “Now, can you please help me fix this wrinkled mess of a suit?”

************

Alex was checking her shirt and slacks for lint for the fifteenth time when Mia came to tell her the cameras were there to start setting up upstairs.

“Fine, Mia. Show them up. I’ll be there in a minute. I just need to…make…sure…” she trailed off as she struggled to run her lint roller along her back.

Mia giggled. “Let me before you dislocate your shoulder,” she said. She walked over and took the lint roller from Alex, who shot her a grateful glance over her shoulder.

“Is there anything else we need to do?” Alex asked as Mia rolled non-existent lint from her.

“Nope, everything is taken care of. Are you nervous?” She finished with the lint roller and placed it back in Alex’s desk.

“I’m nervous about everything going well, yes. I’ve been on camera before and all that, so that doesn’t bother me,” Alex answered. She pulled the stack of papers she needed to handout to the media off of her desk, handing them to Mia.

“No, I mean about see Prince Harry again,” Mia asked, her voice dropping to a whisper as if she were sharing a secret.

Alex paused for a millisecond before shrugging her shoulders in perfectly practiced nonchalance. “Not at all. He was perfectly nice last week, and I’m sure he’ll be perfectly nice this week.”

“He liked you,” Mia said with a wink.

Alex rolled her eyes. “He has to act like he likes everyone; it’s part of his job.”

“You keep telling yourself that, boss lady. All I’m saying is that the front hallway wasn’t the private room you two thought you were in when all that hand kissing business went down,” Mia said smugly.

Alex spun around, her mouth dropping open. “You saw that?” she asked, her voice two octaves higher than usual.

Mia nodded. “I did. I felt it too.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that the heat in that room rose about five thousand degrees when he did that. I don’t know how you didn’t combust into flames. Personally, I had to go fan myself off,” Mia said with a dramatic flourish of her hand.

Alex felt the flush creep up the back of her neck at the thought of that moment in the hallway and fought to keep it down. No, she could not do this right now. She had a job to do and she wasn’t going to let Mia distract her with what most certainly nothing to dwell about.

“Mia,” she sighed. “It was nothing. He was being the charming prince he was trained to be, nothing more. Now, let’s go show those cameras where to go.”

Mia rolled her eyes but kept the cheeky smile on her face. She knew what she had seen. Her boss had captured the attention of Prince Harry and she had a feeling it was only the beginning.

***********

Harry saw her waiting out front with her staff before the car even came to a stop. He took a deep breath, letting just how gorgeous she was wash over him. She was dressed in khaki slacks and black top, which was belted, showing off her tiny waist. Her hair was loose, but the very front was pulled back and pinned away from her face.

“Showtime,” Charlotte said with a grin as the car rolled to a stop. Harry nodded and took a deep breath. Once he stepped out of the car and into the view of the cameras he was on display and had to play his part.

One of the security team opened his door, allowing him to slide out of the car. He waved to the crowd gather, flashing them the lopsided grin that would inspire a million blog posts online. He saw security pull Charlotte’s door open out of the corner of his eye and she stepped out and immediately off to the side, always near for any assistance, but never in direct view of the cameras. She did her job well, and Harry was grateful.

Alex watched the fluid way the arrival unfolded with building anticipation. She had pushed thoughts of him into the farthest parts of her mind, but now that he was actually here, back in her presence, it all came crashing back down on her. After his quick wave to the crowd, he turned and his eyes caught hers. She tried not to linger on his face, but she couldn’t help it. She caught every single small motion he made when their eyes connected. She saw the corners of his mouth turn up, she saw the blush crawl slowly into his cheeks, and she saw the way his eyes flashed briefly as he took her in. She saw it and she knew she shouldn’t be taking those things in, but it seemed that for Alex, rhyme and reason flew right out the window whenever this man was in her presence.

As he greeted the staff one by one, she took long, deep breaths, keeping her outward appearance serene. Finally, he stepped in front of her. She looked up at him, meeting his blue eyes with hers. She smiled; taking great care to ensure it was a smile that was normal, friendly.

“Alexandra,” he murmured as he placed his hand out in greeting.

“Thank you for coming today, Harry,” she said softly in response, sliding her hand into his.

This was the moment, the slide of his skin against hers that was the telling moment. This was the moment that would tell each of them if what they felt one week ago was real. In that instant they both knew that they would either feel it or they wouldn’t. And as he smiled down into her face, his warm hand gripping hers, her eyes meeting his…they both knew it was very, very real.

She took a deep, shuddering breath as he released her hand, gathering all of her strength. “Shall we go in?” she asked brightly, sliding into the professionalism that they both needed.

“Please, lead the way,” he said, matching her demeanor as he followed her inside.

Of all of the pictures taken that day, the one of Harry’s face as Alex turned around to lead the group inside would be the one that was posted and re-blogged thousands of times all over the internet. It was a rare, genuine, elated smile. It lasted only a brief second; just long enough to be snapped by one lucky photographer. At the time, no one speculated that blonde in front of him was the reason for the smile, but in the future whenever Harry would see that picture in an article he would remember that moment. It was the moment the ball containing his future started rolling.


	3. Chapter 3

The event went off without a hitch. Alex was by Harry’s side the whole time as he worked the room, speaking to clients of Alex’s, the staff, and to the media. He spoke to people in low, soothing tones, making everyone feel comfortable with his presence. Alex had seen him in action last week talking to people, but today was different. Last week she was nervous, hoping everyone was comfortable with him being there, with him intruding on their tight knot group. This week she could just watch him and admire.

When they got to the children’s group, he was a natural. Alex could swear up and down that he smelled like cookies, the way the kids gravitated towards him. He hugged all of them, played, asked questions, and laughed at their silly little kid jokes. It wasn’t the fake kind of laugh either, it was real, true laughter. To say Alex was impressed would have been an understatement.

And then came the speeches, with Harry was first up. Alex tried hard not to beam as he spoke about her program in his deep, rich voice; his words weaving around the room and capturing everyone’s complete attention.

“When I was presented with the opportunity to come here today, there was simply no way to turn it down. Since I started learning about Healing Families Through Friends, I’ve just been astounded at the way this program helps spouses and children who have lost their partners and parents to war. It has to be noted that while seeking professional help is always an incredible option, in conjunction with that help, being able to be around people who understand exactly what you are going through is absolutely invaluable.” He stopped to take a breath, and turned around to glance at Alex. “What I can tell you from meeting the incredible founder of this program, Alexandra Morgan, is that she truly cares about every single person involved. When Mrs. Morgan’s husband died in Afghanistan five years ago, there were no programs like this and she had the insight to draw on her own experience to build this one. Every single person I’ve spoken with has all said one thing about Mrs. Morgan, and that is that they all feel that without her, they would have not been able to come as far as they have. Thank you.”

The small crowd broke into applause when he was done. He turned and stepped back towards the group of people standing behind him at the podium, his eyes falling on Alex. She was watching him with shining eyes, tears gathered there from his words. He smiled slightly at her, not enough to gain any attention, but enough to simply acknowledge that he understood her. She blinked quickly, pushing the tears away, as it was her turn to step up to the podium.

Her speech was a short one, just touching on the reasons she started the program and how grateful she was that Prince Harry was bringing attention to it. She thanked her staff for working so hard and then thanked everyone else for coming before nodding and stepping back from the podium. She let a sigh of relief and then smiled a large, happy smile, so grateful that everything had gone so well.

Then it was over and the media immediately began packing up to go, quickly taking cameras down and heading out to hand over footage to the news organizations. Alex expected Charlotte and Harry to leave immediately, to move on to whatever the next thing he had to do, but she was surprised when they both stayed, chatting amicably to people around the room as she and the staff worked to clean up and put everything back together.

She was re-arranging one of the small tables over in the children’s play area when she felt his presence move in beside her. She thought how odd it was that she didn’t even have to see him, she just knew when he moved in beside her. She wondered if maybe that was something that radiated from him, because she certainly couldn’t be the only one who felt it.

“Hi,” she said when she turned to look at him, suddenly feel a little bit shy. “Thank you again for the lovely speech. Really, it was wonderful.”

He grinned. “It’s what I do; although, I meant every word.”

She couldn’t help but grin back. “I hope so. And…I hope I’m not ahead of myself here…but I truly hope you do consider becoming a patron. It’s really something that would mean a great deal to us.”

He faltered for just a second, a moment where the smile on his lips turned down slightly and his eyes registered the conflict he felt inside. It was miniscule, but Alex saw it.

“Oh,” she said quietly. “You’ve already decided against us then.”

“No,” he said quickly. “I haven’t decided anything.” He stopped and looked around the room, looking at the dozen or so people still around, knowing he couldn’t have this conversation in public. His eyes scanned for Charlotte and when he found her she was already watching him, waiting. When his eyes met hers she immediately sprang into action, striding over to where Harry and Alex stood.

“Alex! Darling, you were incredible!” she exclaimed as she moved up next to them.

Alex smiled warmly at Charlotte, even though she could feel her heart breaking a little bit at the thought of not being lent the Prince’s support. She was so sure he would agree to be a patron.

“Thank you, Charlotte. Really though, it was everyone in this room who made this happen,” Alex said, genuinely believing it.

“True,” Charlotte said. “But you are the real reason this whole place even exists. Speaking of, can you join Harry and me for a private moment in your office? We would like to go over some things with you.”

“Oh; um…sure. Yes, of course,” Alex said, a bit flustered. If he wasn’t going to be a patron, what else was there to discuss? Still, she supposed she couldn’t say no. She quickly directed Mia on what to do to finish cleaning up, and then led Harry and Charlotte downstairs to her office.

When they reached the door, Alex stood back so that Harry and Charlotte could proceed in ahead of her. Harry went in, but Charlotte stayed outside of the door. She winked at Alex and then said, “I think my boss wants to speak to you alone. I simply asked for him to avoid gossip. I’ll be waiting outside when he is done.”

With that, Charlotte leaned over and kissed Alex’s cheek, feeling a sudden fondness for the woman who was making Harry act like a love sick fool. It was something she had been dying to see for ages, and she was glad to play a part in helping push them together.

“Good luck, Alex,” Charlotte whispered after pressing a quick good-bye kiss to her cheek. And then she was gone, moving around the corner and out to the car to wait for Harry.

Alex shook her head. God, these people were so all over the place. She turned her attention back to her office, where Harry was standing just inside the doorway, waiting for her. She walked in, passed him, and turned around when he shut the door behind her.

“Harry, I’m not sure…”

Her words were cut off when he grabbed her hand, sliding his fingers around hers. Her eyes snapped up to his, instantly on high alert at the look of absolute resolve she found there. He brought her hand slowly to his lips, kissing her knuckles firmly, but gently. She felt the shock of it bolt through her, the heat seep through her skin where his fingers held hers. She took a sharp breath, her eyes never leaving his as his lips lingered on her skin.

“I’ve wanted to do that all damn day,” he said softly as his lips left her skin.

“You have?” she whispered, her eyes wide.

“Yes. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes,” she breathed. She was totally enthralled, she couldn’t even help it if she tried.

“Alexandra,” he murmured, his eyes slipping from hers down to her lips, full and parted to accommodate the deep breaths she was taking. Breaths that were labored because of him, because of the effect he had on her.

“Yes, Harry?” she answered softly. But even without him answering her, she knew. He was going to kiss her.

And she was going to let him.

“Alex, I’m going to kiss you,” he said, moving a step closer to her. His eyes moved back up to hers, gauging her reaction.

“I know,” she responded in a low, breathy tone.

He tugged on the hand he still held, pulling her up against him. He pulled her arm around his waist, wrapping his other arm around hers. Then he dipped his head, watching as her eyes closed in anticipation, desperately praying that he would keep some control once their lips met.

And then someone started banging on Alex’s door.

Instantly they jumped apart almost guiltily, both still breathing heavily.

“Shit,” he hissed, immediately turning to throw a look at the door.

“I’m in a meeting,” Alex called immediately, her voice somewhat shaky.

“Alex, Emma’s school is on the phone, you forgot to sign her permission slip for the field trip tomorrow, they said you can fax one over,” Mia called from outside of the door.

“Okay!” Alex shouted back before laughing in disbelief. “Of course I freaking forgot,” she muttered, half to herself.

He wanted to pull her back to him, but the moment was over, broken, and he knew it. They had been so close. Hell, he was still aching in his trousers from being pressed up against her.

“Harry…I…” she started, not really knowing where to go.

“Will you have dinner with me tonight?” he asked, deciding he had nothing to lose. Besides, he didn’t know if he would make it through another night not knowing what it was like to kiss her.

She looked up at him, startled. Of all the things she expected him to say, that wasn’t one of them. In fact, after what almost just happened, she was sure he would realize it was a mistake and bolt out of the door; but here he was, asking her on a date instead.

“I would like to…” she said, trailing off.

His face fell. “But you are going to say no? I understand…it’s a lot to take, with me being…”

She laughed, interrupting him. It wasn’t out of shyness or out of nervousness, but a true, genuine laugh. He stared at her. “What?” he finally asked.

“I wasn’t going to say no,” she said, trying to contain her laughter. “You can relax. I was just going to say that I have a five year old, so unless you want to have mac n cheese with cut up hot dogs, and have Disney Princess movie night with us, dinner is a no go for me.”

Why did it seem like every time she was uncomfortable or nervous he was so damn sure of himself, and then whenever he felt like the one faltering, she butted in, putting him at ease? It made him feel…even…with someone for once in his life. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Actually, mac n cheese and Disney Princess movie night sounds kind of fun,” he said, winking at her.

“Really?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. “Are you sure? Cause it is The Little Mermaid tonight…and Emma…well she loves to sing along.”

“Ha! And by Emma, do you mean you?” he asked with a chuckle.

“If you really want to come, you can find out,” she said.

He knew it was a silent challenge. She was basically telling him that was how her life worked. She was a mom and she wasn’t going to sacrifice Disney movie night with her daughter just to go out on a date with him. If he wanted to see her, he would have to play it her way. The respect he had for her grew about ten fold in that instant.

“You know, Alex, I would really like to come. Honestly. What time?” he said sincerely.

She raised her eyebrows, waiting a few beats before accepting that he meant it. “Six o’clock sharp. She has to be in bed by eight, so we start early.”

“Okay, I’ll be there at six. Can you write down your address for me?”

She smiled a wide, bright smile, and went to her desk, writing on a piece of paper. “Address and phone number,” she said, handing it to him.

“Phone number too?” he asked with a crooked grin.

She shrugged. “You know, just in case you have to cancel.”

He shook his head slowly. “I’m not cancelling. I can promise you that.”

“All I’m saying is, I’ll believe you’ll show up for our dinky little movie night when I see it,” she joked with him.

He laughed, tucking the piece of paper safely in his jacket pocket. He then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. When he stood back up and looked down at her, pausing for a moment. “Alex, I promise I wouldn’t miss it for the world; especially since I’m going to kiss you at the end of the night. No interruptions this time,” he said in a low, throaty voice.

And then he was gone, leaving her wide eyed and her with her heart beating in anticipation.


	4. Chapter 4

The buzzer rang at Alex’s apartment at 6 PM on the dot. She laughed to herself and then at her daughter, who was dancing around in her little mermaid costume, so excited that a real live prince would be joining them for Disney Princess night.

“Hello?” Alex said into the intercom.

“It’s Harry!”

“Come on up,” she said, holding down the button to release the lock on the door downstairs. A minute later, there was a soft knock at the door. Emma ran for it, but Alex stopped her.

“Emma, what did I say about opening that door?” Alex asked with her eyebrows raised.

Emma stopped in her tracks, looking up apologetically. “That even if I think I know who it is, I should never open the door. Only you and Granny can.”

“Correct,” Alex said with a smile. She checked the peephole and saw it was indeed Harry, standing there fidgeting with his shirt. There was a rather stoic looking gentleman behind him, which she assumed was his security officer. She unlocked the door, opening it up with a smile.

“Hi,” Harry said, smiling broadly at Alex. “Mind if my security guy takes a quick look around?”

“Hi yourself,” Alex said, matching his smile. “Not at all, come on in, both of you.” She stood back, holding the door open. The security officer stepped in and quickly made himself at home hunting through the rooms in her apartment.

“Harry!” Emma screeched, running forward and grabbing his hand, dragged him further inside.

Harry laughed, going along with her. “Hello, Emma. Or should I call you Ariel?” he asked, referring to her Little Mermaid costume.

Emma giggled. “No silly! I’m not really Ariel. It’s just dress up.” Alex stifled a laugh at how much “duh, Harry” Emma had in her voice.

“Ah! That’s just as well, Emma, you are much prettier than her anyway,” Harry said, ruffling her hair and not taking any offense to her sass.

Emma smiled prettily, loving the attention.

“Okay, Emma, go get the DVD ready while I finish dinner,” Alex said, pointing to the living room.

“Can Harry help me?” Emma asked hopefully.

“That is up to Harry. Ask him,” Alex said.

“Harry, can you please help me with the DVD?” Emma asked, turning her big blue eyes, so much like Alex’s, up to him.

He was a goner. “Of course, Princess, lead the way,” he said.

Emma grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the foyer and into the living room. He turned looked at Alex over his shoulder, shrugging his shoulders but smiling at being pulled away by her daughter. Right then the security officer came back through, nodding at her and letting Harry know all was good before slipping back out the front door.

Alex locked the door behind him and turned to watch Harry and Emma for a moment. She was amazed at just how comfortable she was with him being here in her apartment with her and Emma. She had dated very minimally since John died, and she had never invited any of those dates into her home, much less to meet her child. Yet, here he was. She barely knew him and he was here for one of the most sacred nights that existed for her and Emma. The thing was though, that it felt right, natural, to invite him. And Emma had just been so excited. She had liked Harry instantly when she met him, and when Alex told her he was coming to watch The Little Mermaid she had almost been beside herself. It was quite a thing to watch, something that Alex treasured.

Grinning, Alex turned into the kitchen to finish up dinner. She was just had the cut up hot dogs to add the mac and cheese when she heard the sound at the door way. She turned around, smiling when she saw him leaning against the door frame, watching her.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to stare?” she asked with a smirk.

He laughed. “Believe me, I was raised with impeccable manners, but sometimes I just can’t help myself.” He moved from the wall then, walking over to stand next her at the counter. “Homemade?” he asked her, gesturing to the mac and cheese.

She scoffed. “Of course; did you think I was going to make the box stuff? Disney Princess movie night is serious business.”

“You mean this isn’t just for me?” he asked, playing at being wounded.

She laughed, throwing him a look from the corner of her eye. “This was in the works long before you got involved, mister,” she told him smartly.

He paused for just a brief moment. “Well, I’m involved now,” he finally said in low, meaningful tone.

Her eyes snapped to his. “Are you” she asked softly.

He nodded. “I think so.” He reached up and brushed an errant strand of blonde hair from her forehead.

Her skin burned where his fingers brushed it. Her eyes searched his and she knew he was serious. She took a deep breath.

“Mummy! Harry! Come on!” shouted Emma from the living room, interrupting the moment.

Alex exhaled. “Okay. Well, time to get started. I’ve got a five year old in there to feed and entertain.”

“And a twenty-eight year old right here to feed and entertain,” Harry said, pointing at himself and chuckling.

“You might be easier to handle,” she said with a smile.

Harry laughed, throwing his head back. He loved how witty she was proving to be, how she wasn’t afraid to make fun of him. He had told her he was going to kiss her earlier today, and he still meant it. He was dying to kiss her. But, maybe even as much, he was looking forward to starting the process of getting to know her. He wanted to know about her life, her family, and her friends. He wanted to know the woman who raised Emma, a delightful, polite, funny child that he was sure picked up every one of those traits from her mother. And what was more than all that, he wanted her to know him. For someone who was as private has Harry had to be, that was huge. It was huge and scary and so exciting for him to feel that way.

Alex spooned out helpings for all of them into bowls, handing Harry his and carrying hers and Emma’s into the living room. “Tray, Emma,” she said to her daughter, who immediately went and pulled a tray from one of the drawers in the coffee table and then climbed up on the couch, directly the center, settling the tray on her lap. Alex had learned the hard way not to let Emma without that trusty tray. Cleaning up mac and cheese off cloth couch cushions was not her idea of a good time.

“Mummy, you sit here and Harry you sit here,” Emma said pertly, pointing to the cushions on either side of her.

“Yes ma’am,” Harry said, immediately taking his seat on one side of her.

Alex gave Emma her bowl and then picked up the remote, pressing play on the DVD player before sliding into her spot next to Emma. As soon as the familiar strains of The Little Mermaid filled the room they all dug in to their dinner. With Emma calm and occupied, Alex took her chance and glanced over to the man sitting to her right on the couch. It struck her then how odd it was that it didn’t feel a bit strange to have him here. Not only was there a man, a very attractive man no less, in her apartment, he was one of the most famous people in the world. On top of that, he was eating mac and cheese and watching a Disney movie with her and Emma like he had no where he would rather be.

He had just taken a big bite when he caught her looking at him out of the corner of his eye. She blushed at being caught, but didn’t look away.

The corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk as he swallowed his bite of food. “This is really good,” he said, pointing at the food in his bowl with his fork. “Much better than from the box.” He grinned at her, as cheeky as could be.

She couldn’t help the giggle that came bubbling out of her, but quickly clamped her hand over her mouth when Emma looked up her, annoyed at not being able to hear, and said, “shhhhh!”

“Sorry baby,” Alex whispered to her daughter, still fighting back the laughter.

And that is the way it continued through the whole movie. When they weren’t singing along to the movie with Emma they were throwing each other flirty glances and smiling like two teenage kids.

Alex felt like a giddy teenager.

Harry felt normal.

He was a goner.

**********

When the movie rolled to credits, Alex looked down at Emma, who was dead asleep with her head in Alex’s lap. “I’m just going to take her to bed, I’ll be right back,” she whispered to Harry before gently picking up Emma and carrying her around the corner and down the hall to her room.

Harry watched her go and shook his head. He couldn’t believe how much fun he had just sitting her with both of them tonight. Admittedly, he loved kids, and Emma was fantastic, so that wasn’t a stretch; but Alex, she had been so flirty and beautiful without even trying. In jeans and a t-shirt, watching a kid’s movie, singing along with her daughter, she had in no way been trying to impress him, but she had…in a big, big way.

“Okay, she’s out for the count I think,” Alex said as she shuffled back into the living room. “She was so excited about you coming over. I think it wore her out early. I usually have to fight to get her in bed after movie night.”

Harry raised his eyebrows to her as she walked over to pick up the dinner dishes. “She was excited about me?”

“Oh, come on, a real live prince coming over to watch Disney with her? I think you helped her meet her biggest life goal at the age of five,” she said with a smile.

Harry couldn’t help but laugh as he stood up and reached for the bowls she had stacked.

She shooed him away. “No, no…I’ve got this. You sit. I’ll just go put these in the sink. I’m going to grab a glass of wine, would you like one?”

He smiled and nodded, relaxing back into the couch.

“Is white okay? I can’t drink red, it gives me migraines,” she asked as she was turning to leave the room.

“White works for me.”

“Great, be right back.”

Harry watched her go and then looked around the room. It was a cozy, warm apartment. It was all light colors, personal pictures, and little mementos on the shelves and walls. He smiled as he spotted an iPod sitting on an iPod dock on the built in bookcase. He got up and walked over to it, powering it on. He immediately turned the volume down low and scrolled through her music, smirking when he found one of his favorite songs. Somehow, he had known it would be there.

“Michael Buble,” she said as she walked back in, carrying two glasses of wine. “I love this song.”

He looked at her standing there smiling at him, and before he knew it, he was holding out his hand to her. “Dance with me?” he asked softly.

Her eyes widened. “Here? Now?”

He nodded slowly. “Yes, here. Now.”

He saw her gulp and then set down the glasses of wine on the coffee table. She moved toward him, her eyes locked on his, and slipped her hand in his. He immediately pulled her close, putting her hand on his shoulder and picking up the other, holding it to his chest. He snaked his other arm around her waist, holding her tight to him. She felt soft and perfect against him. With her big blue eyes wide and looking up at him, he had to fight to keep his breathing even, his body under control.

They stayed like that for a minute, just looking at each other and swaying gently to the music before Alex broke the silence.

“Harry…” she said breathily.

“Alexandra…” he responded.

“Are you going to kiss me now?”

He smiled, surprised and amused that she didn’t want to wait for him to make his move. “I think so, Alex. I mean, I’ve wanted to kiss you for a week. I don’t want to push you though. I know this is fast, we hardly know each other, but I want…”

“Harry,” she said, cutting him off.

“Hmmm?”

“Quit making excuses.”

He laughed. And then, because she was right, he stopped making excuses.

The mood grew serious. The beautiful song he loved played softly in the background, filling the air around them.

So hold on to me tight…hold on, I promise it’ll be alright…cause it’s you and me together, and baby all we’ve got is time…so hold on to me tonight…

He pulled her a little tighter against him, and she went, leaning into him. She tilted her head up, and as he leaned down to her upturned lips, her eyes fluttered closed, followed by his. Then his lips captured hers, moving over them lightly, tenderly. He held tight to his control, even though all he wanted was to deepen the kiss and press her so close that she melted into him.

Alex, however, didn’t have any reservations. The thing about Alex was that however organized and carefully planned she kept her life, when she finally admitted to herself that she really wanted something, when something touched her deep down inside, she listened completely to her heart. She had done that with coming to London straight from high school, to an extent she had done that when she met John, she had done that when she found out she was pregnant with Emma; and now, she was going to do that with Harry. Sure, it made her nervous, but it didn’t scare her. Her heart had never been wrong.

Harry was gripping to his thin string of self-control with the kiss, but Alex went right ahead snapped it for him, leaning into him further, and opening her mouth slightly under his. Her tongue danced out just a little bit, a tease against his soft, full lips. Harry groaned low in his throat, his body reacting instantly to her. He opened his mouth over hers, his tongue dipping fully into her mouth to slide along hers. He forgot they were supposed to be dancing and let go of the hand he held against his chest, moving to put both his arms around her, hauling her tight against him. She responded in kind, whimpering a little bit as she wrapped both arms tightly around his neck. Her fingers slid into the hair at the base of his neck, pulling him down closer to her.

The kiss was everything both of them thought it would be and much, much more. Alex marveled at how good he tasted; how soft and sweet his mouth was against hers. She loved how tightly he held her, how she could feel exactly what she did to him pressed up against her stomach, and how he didn’t seem to care, wasn’t ashamed of it. Harry’s heart beat fast; the way her lips molded to him and the sweet slide of her tongue against his igniting a fire in his bloodstream. His hands moved up into her hair, angling her head, kissing her deeper, more passionately for a moment, before finally knowing his limits were about to be pushed.

He pulled away from her, with more regret than he could ever express, opening his eyes slowly and staring down at her. His breath caught in his chest. Her eyes were open, but barely. They were clouded and heavy. Her cheeks were rosy, her mouth swollen and her lips parted, allowing the deep breaths she was taking to pass through.

In that moment, he literally had no words.

Alex did. “Holy shit,” she murmured, her eyes widening as she absorbed what happened.

He laughed, really more of a gust of air expelling from his lungs. “Yeah, I’d say that’s an accurate statement.”

The song they had been dancing to ended, transitioning into something a little more upbeat, and Harry loosened his hold on Alex a bit, but not before bending to brush a small kiss against her lips.

“Okay…okay,” he said with a harsh breath. “I’d love to keep doing that all night, but I think we both know what would happen.”

She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. “Why don’t we sit, drink our wine, and work on the getting to know each other part of this? You can ask me questions and I’ll ask you some, and then when it’s time for you to go, I promise I’ll let you kiss me like that again.”

He grinned. “That sounds like a plan.”

And so they sat, they their glasses of wine and they learned about each other. Harry was surprised to learn that she was from Texas, considering she had no southern accent. She explained that because she was from the city, Houston to be exact, the accent never really stuck with her.

She told him about her family; her parents were still married and she had one brother, Matt, who at 27 was older than her by a year. She missed them but considered London her home, especially after she had Emma.

Harry found out that John had died before Emma was born; as she had just barely found out she was pregnant when he got killed. John was an only child and his father had died early in his life, leaving his mother alone when her son died. Alex was determined that she would not take the only family that Molly knew away, so she stayed on in London. She visited the states during Thanksgiving every year with Emma, and during the summer she sent Emma to her parent’s for two weeks. Her parents visited with Matt every Christmas for a week.

In turn, he opened up about himself to her in a way that he only did with people whom he had known for a long time. He talked about his father and his step-mother, his brother and his sister-in-law, and the new baby that was due to make its appearance into the world in just a few months. He was thrilled at the thought of becoming an uncle, and couldn’t wait to spoil the heck out of the baby. He spoke of his military training, recounting to her his two tours in Afghanistan and how he would go back if given the chance, but he was almost one hundred percent sure that would never happen. He spoke of his charity work, and being able to make such a big difference in the world. It was one of things about being a royal that he would be eternally grateful for.

“Harry, I have a question. It may be something you can’t answer yet, or don’t want to, but it is something I need to know,” Alex asked after he finished explaining about founding his charity, Sentebale, and exactly what it meant to him.

His eyes widened, but he didn’t shy away. “You can ask me. I’ll be honest with you, Alex. I can always promise you that.”

She took a deep breath. “You aren’t going to become a patron for Healing Families Through Friends, are you?”

She saw the flicker in his eyes, the conflict that he had about that. Her face fell and his heart hurt for her. She was already giving up important things in her life for him, and he hated that. He shifted uncomfortably on the couch but never considered anything other than laying the truth flat out on the table for her.

“Alexandra, even if we were to stop this right now, which I do not want at all, I can’t be a patron, not now. I wanted to, please know that. I should have told you that before I came over here tonight. That was selfish on my part and I’m sorrier than I can say. I would refer my father, or Will or Kate to be a patron, but it would still be a conflict of interest. However, what I can do is make sure you still have the support your program deserves. I can still make visits, I can have others make visits, but I can’t attach my name to it officially,” he said. His voice was soft, hoping that eased the sting of it a little bit for her.

He saw the faint sheen of tears in her eyes, but she blinked them back. She sat quietly for a minute, and he could tell she was processing what he had just presented her with. Those few moments were tense. He was afraid she would tell him she wanted to stop and not see him again.

Then she surprised him by blinking up at him and then flashing him a small smile. “Okay. I’m happy with that. It means my program gets recognition…and it means I get to see you again,” she said sincerely.

He grinned. “Oh, trust me. You’ll be seeing me a lot. In fact, you will probably get sick of me, want to kick me to the curb, curse the day you met me, all of that.”

She shook her head, the corners of her mouth lifting. “I could never get sick of someone who kisses me like you kissed me earlier.”

He sucked in a sharp breath. He hadn’t expected that answer. “Are you sure? Cause there is a lot that goes with seeing me? I mean…”

“Harry,” she said, interrupting him. She scooted from her side of the couch to his, sitting on her knees facing him. He turned slightly so his upper body was all the way facing her. “Let’s not do that tonight. I’m smart and I’ve lived in England long enough. I know the basics.”

“But…”

She held up a hand. “I know. You want to make sure that I fully understand. I get that too. Not tonight though, okay?”

“Okay,” he agreed after a moment. “Not tonight.” He reached up and grabbed the hand she still held up, tugging her to him so she was leaning forward on him, her chest pressed against his. She settled there gladly, amazed at how comfortable she was with this.

He leaned forward and kissed her lips softly, happy just to settle there for the moment. She sighed into him, bringing her arms up around his neck. He couldn’t help but deepen the kiss when she did that, moving his hands up to cup her face as he opened his mouth over hers. It was a long, slow, sweet kiss, their tongues sliding gently together, learning the feel of each other.

Eventually Alex pulled back, looking up at him with soft, languid eyes. “Harry…” she murmured.

“Hmmmm?” He leaned down for her lips again.

“It’s late,” she whispered against his mouth.

“So?”

“I have to get up early.”

He chuckled. “Are you kicking me out?”

She smiled up at him. “Absolutely not; I’m waiting for you to excuse yourself like a gentleman.”

He laughed, his head falling back against the couch cushion. “Point made. Yes, Miss Morgan, I suppose I should be going now. Can I call you tomorrow?”

“You better,” she said.

He chuckled and dropped one more kiss on her mouth before leaning both of them up. He stood up from the couch and she followed.

“Walk me to the door?” he asked, taking her hand.

She smiled and nodded, letting him lead her into the foyer. At the door he turned and gathered her into his arms one more time, leaning down and kissing her softly.

“Tomorrow,” he whispered.

“Tomorrow,” she replied.

When he turned and slipped out of the door, she locked it solidly behind him before turning and leaning against it. She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as she took a deep breath, absorbing the moment.

The smile remained as she moved to clean up their wine glasses. She made her way around her apartment, turning off all of her lights and then going to change into her comfy PJs. She slipped into bed and was sure she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but when her head hit the pillow and her eyes closed, she instantly drifted off, dreaming of tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry did call Alex the next day. Then he called her the next day after that, and every day for the next week and a half until finally their schedules allowed them to see each other again. He had done a weekend of Army training and then engagements in different parts of England, keeping him out of London and away from their burgeoning relationship.

The phone conversations though, they were something special to both Harry and Alex. He would call her in the mornings, to say hello and to let her know he was thinking of her. She would smile to herself and tell him she was thinking of him too and that she couldn’t wait to see him again.

Then at night, after Emma went to bed, she would call Harry and they would talk for hours. He would tell her about his day; the things he had done, the people he had met, and she would do the same.

They learned so many things about each other in that week and a half.

They learned about each other’s childhoods, sharing all those anecdotes that they had told other people a hundred times but were new to each other. Harry loved to make Alex laugh with tales of him and William playing soldier at Balmoral and getting in big time trouble with their Granny for knocking things over in the castle.

In return, Alex would tell stories of growing up in Texas and make him smile when she told him all of her favorite things about her home state. She loved the rodeo, the big country fairs, the dance halls, and the people. She told him that the only thing she didn’t like about London was that there were no dance halls like in Texas. She painted him the picture; a wide open dance floor covered in sawdust, everyone in jeans, boots, and cowboy hats, pool tables, and as much beer as anyone could ever want. It was so clearly one of her favorite things, that Harry was only half-joking when he offered to have his friend Guy open one up in London just for her. He would finance it and make appearances so that people would come and dance and then London would be perfect for her. She laughed and told him that he clearly had more money than sense. He sighed and told her he completely agreed with her.

He learned her middle name, Mae, which were her grandmother’s initials, and her maiden name, Emerson. She learned all four of his names; Henry Charles Albert David, and the meaning behind each of them. She loved listening to the history behind all of them, surprising him. Most people just wanted to know why he was called Harry instead of Henry.

Alex found herself coming to know Harry; her Harry. Whatever she had read or seen before he walked into her life meant nothing. He was so funny and sweet and thoughtful that she didn’t even need to look things up about him online, as person online wasn’t him, and she was smart enough to know that. She didn’t want to read about the alleged girls, the partying, the conspiracy theories; none of those things would have made a difference to her.

By the end of the ten days and countless hours on the phone, two things were clear to Harry. One, she was going to be the first person he was seeing when he made his way back to London on Saturday evening. He asked her over for dinner and she found a sitter immediately, looking forward to spending the time alone with him. And two, he was falling for her in a big, big way.

**************

Saturday evening a very excited, but very nervous Alex dropped off Emma at Mia’s place with plans to pick her up in the morning. She wasn’t sure she was going to stay with Harry that night, or even sleep with him if she did, but she wanted to make that decision when the time came tonight. Emma loved Mia and was completely excited about having a sleepover with her.

“You look nice!” Mia exclaimed as Alex set Emma’s overnight bag down in the entryway. “Hot date?”

“Hmmm…just a night with a friend,” Alex said, trying to keep the excitement from her face. She was pleased that Mia liked her outfit though. She hadn’t know what to wear, but finally broke down and called Charlotte Blakely, begging for some advice. Instead of laughing at her, as Alex fully expected that she would, Charlotte snapped into action. She got Alex’s address and was at her apartment within half an hour. She went through Alex’s closet, picking out a pair of skinny jeans, a long sleeve fitted white button down, a light pink blazer, and a pair of beige pumps.

“Casual yet smart. He’ll love it,” Charlotte had said.

In that moment Alex had loved Charlotte more than she could say and had a feeling a friendship had been formed. She was right, and it was a friendship that would prove to be Alex’s saving grace more than once in the journey she was embarking on.

Alex kissed Emma good-bye, hugged Mia, thanking her for everything, and then made her way back down to her car. She took a deep breath as she got behind the wheel and then made her way towards Kensington.

She pulled up at the gates and gave her name and ID to the guard, who took it, checked a list, made a call, and then came back with a smile. He pointed her in the right direction to go once she got into the gates. She thanked him and drove in, pulling straight back around the side of the palace to Harry’s home, Nottingham Cottage. It was cute, smaller than she had envisioned, but that was more than okay with her. She parked, and just as she was stepping out of her car, she saw him.

He had opened his door and was now standing on his front step, looking at her with a huge grin on his face. She found her mouth twisting up into a grin just as big without even thinking about it. He looked so incredibly handsome in his light brown sweater over a white collared shirt and blue jeans. Amazingly, she found her feet somehow and moved toward him. She didn’t know what would happen once she got to him. Should she hug him? Should she kiss him? Should she just wait for him to make that decision?

Once she made the seemingly endless journey up the path though, she didn’t have to worry. As she stepped up on the step he reached down and captured her hand, immediately pulling her inside the door and shutting it behind her. As soon as the door clicked into place he smiled down at her, wrapping his arms tightly around her, pulling her close.

“Hey,” he breathed. He was warm and solid against her and felt so much better than she remembered.

“Hey yourself,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I missed you,” he said sincerely, happily. His fingers moved softly along her spine, sending shivers of delight through her.

“Prove it,” she said in a voice that came out much lower and needier than she meant it to.

He sucked in a sharp breath and his eyes flashed. His arms tightened around her and he pulled her even closer, pressing the whole length of her against him.

“Oh Alexandra, it would be my pleasure to do just that.”

And then his lips captured hers. They were warm and soft and demanding, moving against hers with complete determination and need. She matched his intensity, sliding her fingers into the soft hair at his neck as his mouth opened over hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth to tangle with hers and all of the feelings that had been formed between them over the past week and a half came rushing out of them both in an instant. He groaned against her lips at the heat wave moving between them and then moved her back a few steps so her back was against the door. He pressed her against it with his hips, his hands running over her sides, her hips, down to her thighs, grabbing the undersides of them and lifting her up so her feet left the floor and she was pushed higher against the door. She whimpered in his mouth and immediately wrapped her legs around him, desperate for more contact.

Then, reluctantly and with every bit of self-control that he had in him he tore his mouth from hers, knowing that it couldn’t happen like this. As much as he wanted her, and good God, he wanted her; he couldn’t start their date by taking her against his front door. She deserved more than that from him.

He leaned his forehead against hers, taking deep, ragged breaths. “Alexandra…” he managed to get out.

“Harry?” Her voice was soft, breathy. “Are you okay?”

He opened his eyes, leaning back to look at her. He didn’t know if he would ever get over the way she looked after he kissed her; all bright eyes, flushed cheeks, and swollen, pink lips. He took another deep breath, fighting for control. He lifted her off of him, setting her back on her feet. She didn’t move back from him though, she kept her arms wound tightly around his neck.

“God…I’m such a brut, Alex. Thirty seconds in my house and I’ve got you pushed up against the door, fighting to keep myself from taking you to my bed and totally forgetting about everything but you,” he said, his voice rough.

“Oh Harry, do you think I don’t feel the same way? Do you think I want you any less than you want me? Do you honestly think I’d let you push me up against this door if I didn’t want you in a bad way?” Alex asked softly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“In a bad way, Alex?” he shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts occupying it. “Jesus, you aren’t helping my cause here.”

She chuckled. “Okay, fine.”

With regret she slid her arms from around his neck and then pushed his chest lightly, forcing him to take a step back from her. When he looked at her with amusement she smiled up at him, loving this side of him. She took a deep breath. “Okay, Wales. I’m hungry. What’s for dinner?” she asked.

He was relieved that she took control, pushed him towards doing the right thing. Never in his life had he had such a gut physical reaction to a person as he had to her. Attraction was one thing; he could handle attraction, push it to the side, resist the urges, and go to sleep alone. With Alex though, he didn’t know if those urges could be tamed. He was completely and utterly drawn to everything about her. Still, their first time shouldn’t start with him shoving her against anything.

He did a mental shake of his head and pushed those thoughts to the side. Then, grinning at her, he reached for her hand and led her down the hallway and around the corner into his kitchen. “Well, I hope you don’t mind,” he said as they walked. “But the best that I can cook is toast, so I had one of the chefs from the main house whip something up. I know it sounds simple but that chef makes the best spaghetti and meatballs I’ve ever had in my life.”

“Spaghetti and meatballs is perfect,” she said as they entered the small, but well-appointed kitchen. He released her hand, went and got two pot holders from a drawer, and then pulled out the dish of spaghetti and meatballs that was being kept warm inside the oven.

“The dining room is through there,” he said, nodding to a swinging door on the opposite side of the kitchen than they had entered. “After you, Alexandra.”

She grinned and moved past him, holding the swinging door open for him to pass through with the hot dish. She looked around the room as he went and sat their dinner down. He had a bottle of wine on the table and poured each of them a glass as she took in the room.

She was surprised at how warm and cozy these rooms were. The table wasn’t something she had expected to see at Kensington; she had half expected the giant hundred person tables she had seen in pictures. Instead, the table was a beautiful, sturdy, modern mahogany thing that sat six. The chairs were upholstered in white, and looked comfortable and inviting. The décor was minimal, just a small china cabinet against one of the light brown walls. It was classic and not intimidating as Alex had imagined.

She made her way over to the table where Harry was holding out a chair for her. She thanked him as she sat, her eyes trained on his as he took the seat at the head of the table, which was to the right of her seat. He picked his glass of wine up and held it up and Alex did the same.

“It’s white,” she said with a smile.

“You said you can’t drink reds,” he said, tilting his head just a bit.

“You remembered.”

He smirked. “Of course I did. Now how about a toast?”

She nodded, motioning for him to proceed.

“To you, Alexandra, for giving me the best reason to smile for the past three weeks,” he said, his eyes twinkling at her.

Alex’s heart caught in her throat. She had expected him to toast to their good health or to his favorite football team or something. She hadn’t expected that. She swallowed the lump in her throat and raised her glass to meet his, clinking them gently together. His eyes never left hers as they both took their first sip.

The wine was sweet and delicious, very similar to what she had served him at her flat ten days ago. She knew it wasn’t a coincidence. It was planned, meticulous. He had never seen the wine bottle, but he remembered the taste and found something of his like it…for her.

She set her wine glass down on the table, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed at the thought of him going through all of that trouble for her. “Harry…this wine, it’s very similar to what I gave you last week, isn’t it?” she asked, her mouth twitching at the corners.

He shrugged his shoulders. “I wanted to make sure it was something you liked.”

Suddenly she had a thought. “Wait, just how much wine did you taste test?” Her eyes danced with laughter.

That cheeky grin appeared and his cheeks flushed. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck as he obviously remembered it. “Too much, Alex…way too much.”

She dissolved into laughter, bringing both hands up to cover her mouth.

“You’re laughing at me?” he asked, his eyes looking a bit hurt.

She shook her head, trying in vain to bring her giggles under control.

“You are! You’re laughing at me!”

She brought her hands from her mouth, her shoulders still shaking with mirth. She bit her lip, fighting against the laughter. “I promise I’m not. It’s the idea of you getting shit faced to make sure I liked the wine. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s so sweet, Harry. Honestly, I impressed, big time. But…,” she stopped and reached across the table for his hand, sliding her fingers around his. “You could have just asked me, I would have told you what wine it was.”

He smiled at her, warmth and affection spreading across his face. “Now, where’s the fun in that? As you said, I did get shit faced. Now eat, pretty girl, before your food gets cold.”

She laughed again and nodded, picking up her fork to dig in.

************

Harry had been right, the spaghetti and meatballs was the best she had ever had. She had two big helpings and Harry was happy that she didn’t try to pretend she wasn’t hungry so she wouldn’t have to eat in front of him.

“I thought could watch a movie next. What do you think?” Harry asked her as he had cleaned up the dinner dishes. She sat on one of the stools in the kitchen, finishing off her third glass of wine while he loaded the dishwasher.

She nodded. “Sure, what movie?”

“Whatever you want,” he said. He wiped his hands dry and then picked his glass of wine back up, walking over to stand in front of where she sat.

“What if I want to watch my favorite movie of all time and you don’t have it?” she asked teasingly. She tilted her head up to look at him as he moved between her legs on the stool, towering over her. He set his glass on the island behind her and then placed his hands on it, effectively surrounding her.

“Not a problem, Alexandra,” he murmured. His gaze dropped to her lips. God, he wanted to kiss her again in a bad, bad way.

“Really? You have that kind of power? You just snap your fingers and you can get any movie you want?”

He chuckled, shaking his head and leaning in closer to her. “No. You can buy almost any movie on the internet, pretty girl.”

“Oh duh…” she said, laughing at herself. The smiled dropped from her lips as quickly as it came though when she realized he was going to kiss her again. Her eyes searched his, wide and hopeful. Unconsciously his tongue snuck out and wet his lower lip right before they both closed their eyes and his mouth settled on hers.

He purposefully held way back, not wanting to repeat what happened earlier. The result was a soft, sweet kiss that showed just how happy he was that she was here. And Harry felt the same from her, the way she responded in return with exactly what he gave to her.

He pulled back and looked down at her. “Okay, Alex…movie time. What will it be tonight?”

She smirked. “I think we will watch my favorite move of all time. I feel it’s a Dirty Dancing kind of night, don’t you Harry?”

Harry groaned. “Why is that every woman’s favorite movie?” He stood up and grabbed his wine from the counter. He then took her hand and helped her down from the stool.

“It’s Patrick Swayze,” she said matter-of-factly as he led her out of the kitchen and into the living room. “That man in that movie is so…unf.”

“Unf? What in the world is that?” he asked with his eyebrows raised as he directed her to sit on the big u-shaped micro-suede couch. She sat, sitting back and relaxing, smiling up at him.

She laughed. “Unf is…it’s when a guy so sexy that your gut kind of feels like it gets punched every time you look at him…but in a good way.”

Harry shook his head as he walked over to the DVDs lined up on the shelf and located Dirty Dancing. He actually did have that one, courtesy of Kate leaving her copy in the cottage from when she and William had lived there.

“Unf, huh? O-kay. ” he said as he popped the DVD in and then moved to sit next to her on the couch. She immediately settled into him, tucking herself under his arm and pressing the side of her body up against his.

“Harry?” she murmured as the movie started playing.

He turned his head down to look at her. “Hmmmm?”

“By the way, you are very, very, very unf.”

His eyes widened. He tightened his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. He leaned down and dropped a soft kiss to her mouth. “I swear to God you are going to kill me, Alex.”

She winked at him, turning her attention back to the movie.

Harry was wrapped up in these moments with her. She was so normal, so fun and full of life. She had every reason to be bitter and cynical but she was far from both of those things. He alternated between watching her and watching the movie, enjoying how she was totally engrossed in it.

**********

At some point about half-way through the movie Harry glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Alex, it’s getting late. What time do you have to pick Emma up?” he asked.

Alex had known this question was coming. She hadn’t shared her plan to have Emma stay at Mia’s with Harry. It simply allowed her to option to stay if it came to that. She hadn’t assumed she would, and she knew he didn’t assume it either. Still, she found that her stomach was filled with butterflies when she looked up at him to answer.

“I don’t. She’s staying the night at Mia’s. I’m not implying…it was just…” She trailed off, not knowing how to put what she was trying to say into words.

Harry sucked in a sharp breath. “I know. I know you’re not…” he stopped and rand a hand through his hair. “Alex, listen…”

Alex shook her head. “No, Harry…I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I was just so excited about seeing you, and we hadn’t really talked about it, but if something did happen, I didn’t want to have to leave you…” She stopped and her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my God, you probably think I’m the worst mother in the world.”

Harry reached up and grabbed her hands, pulling them down into his lap. “Stop it, Alex. I do not think you are the worst mother in the world. If anything I think exactly the opposite. I’m not mad that you have Emma staying somewhere else. I don’t think badly of you for that, so stop thinking that. Just stop.”

Alex nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“What I was going to say is…that knowing now that you can stay; I don’t think I could stand if you didn’t. We don’t have to do anything other than sleep if you don’t want to, but the thought of just having you with me tonight…”

“I’ll stay,” she said quickly, squeezing his hands.

He let out a sigh of relief.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry had known Alex had fallen asleep about thirty minutes before the movie has ended. They were lying on the couch, him stretched out with her stretched out beside him, tucked under his arm, her head resting on his chest. He had heard her breathing even out, felt her relax against him. He could have woken her up, and taken her upstairs to bed then, but it was so nice to have her just…there…against him, that he just savored the moment.

Now that the credits were rolling on Dirty Dancing though, and the clock was ticking closer to midnight, he wanted to take her upstairs and let her sleep in a real bed; his bed.

He was serious before when he told her that they didn’t have to do anything other than sleep. He respected her, liked her, and wanted her to be comfortable. They had only known each other for three weeks, and while that seemed like a long time to wait by most modern relationship standards, he knew that things were different with them. Sleeping with him would bring their relationship to a whole new level. He was prepared to see where that went, but he didn’t know that she was. He still hadn’t been able to talk to her about what it meant to date him, what would happen with the media when they were found out. He knew that conversation needed to be done, and soon.

He moved slightly under her, trying to get up without disturbing her too much. She stirred anyway, her eyes fluttering open as she looked up at him.

“I fell asleep,” she murmured, her voice hoarse from sleep.

He smiled at her and reached down to brush a lock of thick blonde hair from her forehead. “You did. You were looked so peaceful and beautiful. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“I guess I didn’t snore then?” she asked with a grin.

“Ha! No, no snoring. But you did miss the end of the movie.”

“Did Patrick Swayze get Jennifer Grey to do the lift?

Harry nodded. “He did.”

Alex let out an exaggerated sigh. “Good. I would hate for her to chicken out the one time I fell asleep.”

Harry laughed. He moved his hands to her upper arms and pulled her up so that she was lying directly on top of him and her face…her lips…were much closer to his. “I quite like your sarcastic wit, Alexandra Morgan,” he said quietly.

“I quite like that you like it, Harry Wales.” She smiled at him, her eyes bright from the compliment and his close proximity to her. His clear blue eyes searched hers, assessing the moment, deciding. Her eyes dropped to his lips and she let her instincts make the call.

She leaned up and dropped her lips to his, pressing against them gently, letting the heat and softness of them sink in. His fingers tightened their grip on her arms, pulling her even higher so that their faces were even. She moved her arms out and above his head, her fingers sliding into his soft hair. His mouth opened under hers, their tongue moving together in a slow, easy dance, both of them trying to gauge the situation. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body tight against his and she moaned into his mouth, loving the feel of him pressed so close to her. Her legs moved against his as she tried to press closer and she dug her toes into the couch below her for leverage.

Her actions, her innate need to be closer to him, lit a fire in Harry that sent the moment into overdrive in mere seconds. He moved, keeping one arm around her waist, the other pushing them both up and turning them over so that she was underneath of him. Keeping his lips attached to hers, he slid a knee between hers, pushing her legs apart and settling his hips in between them. With a hand gripping her hip, and one sliding into the hair at the nape of her neck, he deepened the kiss, holding her head and taking whatever she was willing to give him. He sucked at her tongue and her lips, reveling at the softness and taste of them. She sighed and moaned and said his name in a voice so low it was almost just a breath, making him just ache for her.

She felt no different than him as he moved above her, his body pressing tightly into hers. She felt him even through his jeans and hers, turned on and ready. Unconsciously she moved her hips, rubbing upwards against him, causing a gasp to pass from his lips onto hers. The hand at her hip tightened and then slid under her to her ass, pressing her harder against him. Her body was so alive from his actions, their attraction, that she knew it was useless to over think this and make a big deal out of something that seemed to come completely natural to them. She realized then that it wasn’t a decision, but a forgone conclusion.

“Harry…” she gasped as she tore her mouth from his.

“Are you okay?” he asked immediately. He went to pull back from her, scared he had pushed too far.

“Don’t pull away,” she whimpered, tightening her arms around him. “I’m okay, more than okay. I want this…I know you want this…” she trailed off, letting him absorb her words.

“Oh Alexandra,” he murmured. His hand moved from her hair to her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. “Are you sure?”

She nodded, her eyes wide, opening up to him and showing him how sure she was. “I just have to tell you…it’s been a long time since…just…I’m way out of practice,” she said, biting her lip with her confession.

The corners of his lips curled up into a small smile. “I hope you’re not worried I’ll be disappointed. You are crazy if you think you’ll be anything but perfect. I don’t care how long it’s been since you’ve last done this; in fact, the longer the better as far as I’m concerned.”

She took a deep breath. “I haven’t had sex in six years. Since my husband died, Harry.”

He froze. His eyes went wide as he looked down on her. “Wait…what? How is that possible?”

She laughed, in a nervous, self-conscious sort of way. “I was pregnant and going through all the crap with John dying; the turmoil, emotion, and uncertainty that goes alone with that. Then I had Emma and I got busy raising her and founding my organization. I went on a few dates over the years, but none of them were ever even worth a consideration.” She reached up and laid a hand on his cheek. “None until you, Harry.”

His eyes closed as he leaned into the hand on his cheek. “You’ve only known me three weeks.”

She rolled her eyes. “So? You’ve only known me three weeks and yet here you are, lying on top of me. And let’s face it, you have a lot more reason to be wary of me than I do of you in this situation. Why do you always make excuses not to do things you and both know we both want to do?”

His eyes snapped open and he took a ragged breath. “Because I’m falling for you and I don’t know what to do about it.”

Her eyes softened, a small sheen of tears appearing before she blinked them back. “Then fall for me, Harry. That’s what you do about it.”

Her words hit him like a ton of bricks, finally knocking some certainty and some sense into him. His eyes flashed and he groaned, finally giving in to his feelings, his desires. His mouth went back down to hers. This time the kiss wasn’t about gauging the other person’s wants or keeping anything in check. This kiss was about giving in and letting go and living in the moment where you finally let your guard down and let someone in your life. It was hot and full of meaning and both Harry and Alex clung to it.

When Harry’s hands traveled from her hips to push up under her shirt, she shuddered, the feel of his hot hands on her stomach sending shock waves through her body. When Alex slid her hands under Harry’s sweater, her soft fingers moving up his back, he moaned into her mouth, encouraging her to touch him with soft, sweet kisses.

When she pulled her mouth away from his he dove for her jaw and neck, wanting to lick and nip a path of destruction all the way down her body.

“Harry…Harry stop…my phone,” she panted.

He pulled up, confused. “What?”

She pushed at him. “My phone is ringing in my purse. I have to answer. It could be Emma.”

He immediately moved off of her, letting her jump off of the couch and run towards her bag. He sat back on his heels, panting, dying for her to be back in his arms.

She pulled out the phone and sighed. “Mia?” she said quickly as she rubbed her hand over her face. She listened for a few beats, her eyes already sliding over to Harry with an apology.

“No, no, it’s okay Mia. I’ll come get her….Yes, right now…I’ll be there in less than half an hour okay?…Okay, bye.”

She ended the call and tossed the phone back in her purse. “Emma’s sick,” she said with a shrug.

“Okay,” said Harry, smiling softly at her.

“I have to go get her,” she said almost apologetically.

Harry grinned at her. “Don’t feel bad for going to take care of your daughter Alex. She needs you.”

Alex shook her head. “I don’t feel bad. Just…”

“Worked up?” he finished for her.

“Yeah,” she said with a laugh.

“Me too, Alexandra,” he said with a chuckle as he rose to go to her. When he reached her he took his face in his hand and kissed her swiftly, not lingering as it would do neither of them very much good. “Come on, get your stuff together, I’ll walk you out.”

She smiled, gratefully, moving to slip on her shoes and her blazer. She let Harry guide her out of the door and into the chilly night air. He took her hand as he walked her down the steps and to her car.

“Hey Harry?” Her voice was soft with her question.

“Yes, Alex?”

“Emma’s birthday is next week. We are having a party on Saturday; just a small thing for her school friends really. Molly will be there of course, as well as the staff of HFTF. But, she asked me if you could come…I know that’s putting it out there that we are…involved…but…”

He grinned, the smile lighting up his eyes. “I’d love to go.”

“Really?” Alex asked, surprised. She had fully expected him to say no, citing privacy concerns or previous commitments.

“Absolutely. When and where?”

Alex beamed up at him. She threw her arms around him and kissed him soundly right on the mouth. He chuckled against her lips, enjoying her happiness at his answer.

“Two o’clock at my place,” she said when she pulled back from him.

“I’ll be there,” he said. “Now, off you go. Give Emma a kiss for me and tell her I hope she feels better.”

“Okay,” Alex agreed. She opened her car door and slid in. She put the key in the ignition and started it up, glancing up one more time at Harry before she pulled the door shut.

“Call me if you need anything at all, okay? Otherwise, I will call you tomorrow,” he said.

“Sounds good,” she said as he leaned down to kiss her softly one last time.

He pulled back and winked at her before closing her door for her. He stood and watched as she drove away; waving so she could see him in the rear view mirror before she turned the corner. And then Harry moved back inside of his home with the biggest smile that had ever graced his handsome face.


	7. Chapter 7

The following Wednesday Emma’s sickness had finally faded, leaving Alex glad it was over and even more glad that she seemed to have escaped getting it herself. Harry had jumped on the chance to finally see for the first time since their interrupted date, and was now at her flat where he had been completely hijacked by Emma who demanded that he play Tea Party with her and Alex.

The three of them sat at the small tea party table in Emma’s room. Emma, who was dressed as Belle, another of her favorite Disney’s Princesses, had insisted that Alex and Harry both dress up as well. For Alex this was no problem, as she could pull of the plastic diamond tiara and feather boa no problem. However, unfortunately for Harry, his tiara and feather boa had turned into Alex’s never-ending source of amusement for the last thirty minutes.

“Emma, don’t you think it’s rude when people laugh at other people at tea parties?” Harry asked as Alex dissolved into giggles for the fifth time. Watching Harry hold his teacup out for Emma with his pinky raised up in the air had been too much for her to handle and she hadn’t been able to keep her mirth in check at all.

“Yes, Mum,” Emma said pointedly to Alex, with only the sass a five-almost-six-year-old can get away with. “It is so rude.”

This only served to send Alex into further convulsions, her hands flying to her face as she tried to hide it.

“You know what I think, Emma? I think your mum shouldn’t be cut off. No more tea for her. What do you think?” Harry asked conspiratorially.

Emma nodded with one large bob of her head, her blond hair bouncing on her shoulders. “Yes, no more tea, and no dessert either!”

Alex tried to feign outrage, but failed miserable, instead shrieking in laughter at the two of them. Her sides were beginning to hurt, and tears were starting to stream from her eyes, but every time she looked up and saw Harry in the tiara and feather boa she couldn’t help herself.

Harry shook his head at her, his lips twitching. “No dessert, huh? Tell me Emma,” he said, turning his direction back to her. “How does your mum punish you when you’ve been bad?”

“I’m never bad,” Emma said so quickly that Harry new it had to be false. Sure enough, this earned another shriek from Alex, who had this point as resorted to wiping her tears of laughter on her shirt sleeve.

“I’m not sure I believe that,” Harry said to Emma, his eyebrows raised.

“Emma, do you know what they do to little girls who lie to Princes?” Alex managed to say between deep breaths.

Emma turned her eyes to her mother and opened them wide. “What?” she asked in a small voice.

“They lock them in The Tower,” Alex said, somehow managing to keep a straight face. She shot a meaningful look at Emma before turning to Harry, praying she could keep the laughter down when she saw his face.

She did, but just barely. He was shaking his head slowly and his lips were twitching, now fighting off the laughter himself.

“Is that true Harry?” Emma asked. Her voice was small and her eyes wide as saucers.

He looked down at her and shrugged. “I mean, if you are going to lie to a Prince, you have to accept the consequences. Of course,” he stopped and leaned down towards Emma, his voice dropping to a whisper. “If you tell me now how your mum punishes you when you’re bad, I’ll promise that you’ll never, ever go to The Tower.”

Emma looked at Alex, who shook her head at her daughter slowly, silently warning her not to tell. Emma, caught between the two, but clearly a smart cookie, leaned towards Harry and whispered, “She makes me sit in the corner.”

Harry threw is head back in laughter and Alex threw her hands up in the hair. “Betrayed by my own kid,” Alex said with a laugh.

“Alright Emma, you know what that means. Your mum was rude so she has to sit the corner,” Harry said.

“I’m not telling her to sit in the corner, you tell her,” Emma said, shaking her head.

“Good try, kiddo, but you are not off the hook,” Alex said with a laugh.

Harry laughed. “Oh I think it’s you who isn’t off the hook, Alexandra. Corner. Go,” he said, pointing to a corner of Emma’s room.

Alex crossed her arm over her chest. “I am not going to the corner.”

“Rules are rules, mummy,” Emma said, clearly imitating something she had heard Alex say many times.

Harry raised his eyebrows. “See? Rules are rules.” His lips curved up into a smug little grin. Which of course sent Alex into fits of laughter again, seeing as he was still wearing the tiara and the feather boa.

“You two are both nuts if you think I am going in the corner. This is my house, I pay the rent, and you two get no say whatsoever,” Alex said once she had recovered. “Now, Emma…it is bath time. You know what to do.”

“Aw, mummy! I want keep playing with Harry!”

Harry stuck out his bottom lip at Emma’s whiny declaration. “Yeah, she wants to keep playing with Harry!”

“Rules are rules, Emma Rose. Go get clean. I’ll come in there in a minute to wash your hair,” Alex said.

Emma pouted but did as she was told, knowing that Alex meant business.

It was no sooner than the bathroom door down the hall closed shut than Alex was out of her tiny chair and climbing on top of Harry, straddling him and hoping his chair would hold them both. She pushed his tiara off, pulled his feather boa from him, and then her mouth was on his, pressing hot, wet kisses against his mouth. Something about the way he was with her and Emma tonight had made Alex want him more than she could articulate with any words. Her daughter had asked him to put on silly dress up clothes and play tea party and he had done it without question. Not only that but he had been happy to do it and genuinely had fun with them. It had made her heart swell and had kicked up a need in her to be as physically close to him as possible; not in a purely sexual way, although that was part of it, but in a way that she wanted him to feel how fast her heart beat for him at this moment.

“Alex…” Harry groaned into her mouth, taken a little off guard but totally okay with her surprise attack on him. His arms slid around her, holding her to him while she ravaged his mouth. “Baby…” he moaned again when she moved to the side of his mouth, pressing small kisses there and down the side of his face to his jawline. Her hands were in his hair, holding him to her, clinging to him.

Harry knew this was about something, could tell this wasn’t just some kiss, but he was unsure and a little bit worried that he had missed something. As reluctant as he was to stop her, he needed to know what she was all about right now. He wanted to be in on it with her, to know what she felt, to feel it with her. He moved his hands to her upper arms, pulling her back from him. She tried to go back, but he held her firm.

“Harry…” she breathed. Her eyes were glossed over, not with tears, but just shining for him.

“Care to tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” he asked softly. He tilted his head to the side, inviting her to open up to him. 

“You…you just put on a tiara and feather boa and played tea party with me and my kid,” she said, reaching up and cupping his face in her hands.

His lips curved slightly. “Is that all it takes to get you to do this? Cause I can play again. Get Emma out of the bath. We can all play right now.”

She shook her head slowly. “It’s the fact that you didn’t moan and groan about having to do it. You haven’t seen me in days and you didn’t bat an eyelash at having to entertain her first.”

“Oh Alexandra,” he said softly, “It’s not a big…”

She put her fingers to his lips, cutting off his words. This time her eyes did well up. “It is a big deal, Harry. It is a big deal to me.”

Harry nodded, not being able to find the words to properly respond to her. Instead he pulled her back to him, kissing her with all of the emotion he couldn’t put into words. He wrapped his arms back around her and pulled her back against him. Her hands were still on his face, holding him to her. His lips and tongue moved against hers with an easy slowness that made her feel like she could just settle right there in his lap forever.

Eventually she pulled back, looking at him with wide eyes. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

“You’re welcome, Alexandra,” he said back in the same low tone.

She sighed. “I have to wash Emma’s hair.”

“Okay,” Harry said, “You may want to take the tiara and that rather fetching feather boa off first.”

She laughed, her hand going to her hair to feel for the tiara. She pulled it off along with the feather boa and set them down on the table. She climbed off of him, leaning down to give him a quick kiss before heading off down to the bathroom.

When he heard the bathroom door shut behind her Harry let out a breath, rubbing his hands on his legs. He needed a moment to recover from what just happened between them. Unlike what most guys his age would have felt, he wasn’t scared or nervous by what she said to him and what it obviously made her feel. It made him feel…hopeful. She made him feel at home here, with her and Emma. For the first time in a very long time he felt like he was in the right place in the right time. The implications of that for him were huge and he knew that he needed her to know about him, not the private him that she knew pretty well already, but the public him that would affect the private her if and when their relationship went public. He had very much enjoyed their private nights at home, but he wanted to be able to take her places, have her meet his friends, and eventually his family; but he couldn’t do those things and keep her a secret. It just wasn’t an option.

He stood up, an idea forming, and walked down the hall to the bathroom. “Alex?” he called as he knocked on the door.

“Yeah?” her voice came back, faint under the sounds of the running water and Emma’s laughter.

“May I use your computer?” he called back.

“Sure, it’s sitting on the desk in my room. You can unplug it and set it up anywhere. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Harry turned, and then realized he didn’t know where Alex’s room was. There were a couple of doors in the hallway here, but he didn’t want to go opening doors in a flat that wasn’t his. He chuckled to himself. “Alex?” he called again. “Where is your room?”

He heard her laugh through the door. “The last door at the end of the hall,” she called back.

Harry shook his head, moving down the hall to her door. He pushed it open and moved in, a little bit intimidated by being in her space. Her room was like the rest of her apartment; light, comfortable, and filled with pictures and mementos of hers. The bed in the middle of the room was made of light colored wood and was covered in a light purple bedspread with a small assortment of matching throw pillows on top of it. There were two nightstands that matched the bed, each topped with a small lamp. She had a dresser in a corner with a small flat screen TV on top of it and a desk against the wall under the single window in the room. As much as he wanted to stay in this room until she came and found him in here, he didn’t want to feel like he was intruding. So, instead of lingering he went and unplugged the laptop sitting on the desk, and with one last glance around him and a small smile at being allowed in her space, he took it into the kitchen and set it up on the table.

He was seated at the table, searching and pulling up pages when she popped her head around the corner.

“I’m just going to put Emma to bed, give me ten more minutes?” she asked him.

“Sure.”

She lingered at the door frame for a second.

“What’s up, Alex?” Harry asked with a smile.

“Emma wants to give you a hug goodnight,” she said with a small, hopeful voice.

Harry’s face spread into a slow, wide grin. “Why are you asking like I’m going to freak out and run the other way? I just played dress up and had a tea party for that kid. Of course she can give me a hug goodnight.”

Alex breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t know, that’s a pretty personal thing,” she said shyly. “I’ll go get her dressed and bring her out.” She smiled and blushed before ducking back around the corner.

Within minutes Emma came around the corner wearing pajamas and a head of damp hair. “Goodnight Harry,” she sang as she ran up to him.

He turned and smiled at her, opening his arms for a hug. She ran into his arms, squeezing him tightly before leaning up and placing a peck right on his cheek. Harry’s eyes opened wide and shot up to Alex, who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, her fingers held to her lips, which were curved into the sweetest, most grateful smile Harry had ever seen. And then, as quick as she had run in, Emma turned and went running past Alex, calling for her to follow to go tuck her in.

When Alex returned, Harry looked up and smiled at her, opening his arms for her much like he had done for Emma. Alex sauntered over and sat in his lap, letting him hug her to him. Neither of them had to say anything, they knew that he was cradling her, holding her to his heart, letting her know how much Emma’s gesture had meant to him.

Eventually he pulled back, looking at her with a smile. He brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her lips gently. Then he took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do.

“Alex, I think we can both agree, that after tonight, we’ve got something going on here,” he said, his lips curving into a small smile.

She laughed. “I’d agree with that.”

He grinned. “Okay, so now that we’ve gotten that out there, I need to put the rest of it out there.”

She tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

He took another deep breath. “There is a lot that goes along with dating me…being with me. I don’t date casually. I can’t.” He rubbed a hand along the bag of his neck, trying to decide what to say next.

“So you’re saying I can’t just use you for sex? No late night booty calls?” She asked; trying to ease his tension a little bit.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “You can late night booty call me anytime. I’m totally okay with that. But using me just for sex?” He laughed and shook his head in the negative.

She sighed. “I’m kidding. I know my position in life isn’t the same as yours, but I’m not a casual dater either.”

“Okay…okay. So, we are agreeing then that this isn’t just casual?” he asked. His eyes were wide, hopeful.

“Are you asking to be my boyfriend, Harry?” she asked with somewhat of a cocky smile.

“I am,” he said. His voice was low and warm as he spoke the words clearly to her. “But before you agree, which I’m hoping you will, I need to show you some things. I wish I could be romantic and bring you flowers and ask you like a normal bloke, but I’m not normal, Alex. As much as I feel so normal with you, I am in fact, a prince. So, I can’t be romantic. I have to lay it all out there like a damn business proposal.”

“Ooookay. Am I going to have to sign something?” Alex asked a bit nervously.

He chuckled. “No, you do not have to sign anything. No confidentiality agreements or anything. Here, look,” he said turning her slightly so they could look at what he had pulled up on her computer.

He had her internet browser open with about five tabs going. He moved his arm around her and clicked on the first one. It was a picture of his mother and his father, with a baby wrapped up in his mother’s arms.

“Alex this is the first photo ever taken of me. I was two days old. Two days. I’ve had cameras pointed at me since I was forty-eight hours old,” he said, looking at her meaningfully before he closed that tab and clicked on the next photo. It was a picture of him and his brother from their mother’s funeral, looking just utterly devastated.

“This picture…” he stopped and swallowed, forcing the lump down that formed at even discussing his mother’s funeral. “This was taken when I was twelve. My mother died when I was twelve and I had to stand in front of the entire fucking world and mourn my mother, one of the single most important people in my life. William and I had to…” he stopped as his jaw clenched. “That was something I’d never wish on anyone, but the press caught every single second of our misery that day. I couldn’t cry. I couldn’t hang my head and sob because I didn’t want pictures of it.”

Alex couldn’t help the tears that sprang to her eyes at what he said. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

He looked up at her and his heart fell at the look on her face. He reached up and wiped away a single tear that fell with his thumb. “This isn’t meant to make you cry or feel bad for me, Alex.”

“I can’t help it. You were so young,” she said.

He nodded. “I was. But look,” he said, clicking on the next tab. It was the infamous picture of him dressed as a Nazi at a fancy dress party. “I wasn’t so young here. I mean, I was, but I wasn’t that innocent little twelve year old boy. I was twenty years old and an idiot and somebody took a picture of me being an idiot and sold it. Someone who was trusted by me and my friends sold me out to make a quick buck. I thought I was safe and I wasn’t.”

Alex nodded. “You can never be too careful, can you?”

He shook his head meaningfully and then pulled up the next picture. It was of a pretty blonde girl that she recognized instantly. The blonde was walking on a London street, just minding her own business but was being photographed none the less.

“Your ex-girlfriend,” she said in a small voice.

“Chelsy,” he said firmly. “I dated her for a very long time. Years. I loved her, Alex, I won’t lie to you about that. But, this is what she went through. Everywhere she went there were photographers. Yes, I can make sure they are controlled to an extent, but there is always the one pap who won’t listen, who doesn’t care about the rules. Pictures will always be taken and they will always be published. The one thing I can do is make sure that they don’t publish pictures of Emma here in the UK, but I can’t promise that they won’t get shown overseas. I’ll do the best I can, but in all likelihood, pictures of your daughter will get out.”

Alex gulped. “I don’t…I don’t know what to say about that…”

“They will find out Alex. The media, they will find out within minutes of us going public that you have a daughter. They will write things about it…shitty things that mean nothing…”

“I don’t care what they say about me,” she interrupted with a wave of her hand. “I just don’t want them to get to her. I don’t want them to be able to get close to her if she isn’t with me. If she’s out with Molly or Mia or something, I don’t want her safety to be an issue.”

Harry took a deep breath. “I’ve thought about that. It’s never been done before, but…I can hire someone. I would pay for it from my own pocket; it wouldn’t come from taxpayer money or money from the Palace. I can hire private protection for her. It can be whenever you go out with her or when you aren’t with her, but I can do it.”

Alex looked at him with wide eyes. “You would do that?”

“If it meant that you were secure in the knowledge that Emma was safe, no matter what, I would do anything.” The look in his eyes was absolute, final.

Alex did a mental shake. “Harry…I’m not sure I’m ready to decide on that. I think, should the need arise, it would be an option…” she trailed off.

“I understand. I just wanted you to know that I am willing to do that. I don’t know if it would ever get that bad, but I wouldn’t hesitate to take care of it, damn what anyone says about it.”

“Okay,” she said with a nod, taking a deep breath.

Harry mentally relaxed a little bit. That was that hard one, the one he had feared the most. She was still wrapping her head around it, but she hadn’t flipped out at it, as she fully had the right to do. She had remained calm, processing the situation. He admired her more than he could say in that moment.

He smiled at her then. “That was the worst of it, Alex, I promise. I just have one more to go, a one more point to cover, but that’s the worst of it, okay?”

She nodded, looking a little bit better as the information settled. He turned and clicked the next tab. It was the one of him naked in Vegas, with only his hands covering his privates, and a naked girl hiding behind him. It hadn’t even been taken a year earlier.

Alex sucked in a breath. “I forgot about this,” she murmured.

“I won’t ever forget this. It was literally the dumbest moment of my entire life,” he said quietly. I was wasted, beyond wasted. I was blowing off steam with my friends, and why I decided Vegas would be the place to do it, I don’t know. What happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas, as you can see.”

“Were you embarrassed?” She looked positively mortified for him.

“Massively. Alex, I invited people I didn’t know to my room and got naked. I knew pictures were taken and I didn’t have my security go through their phones or cameras. I was careless. Was I mad when those pictures came out? Pissed as fuck,” he said with a small laugh. “But in the end, I was careless and the whole world saw me pretty much naked.”

“Okay, so what is the point of this picture? Are you telling me that you could get naked again pictures could be taken?” she asked, a smirk playing on her lips.

He laughed. He loved that she was making jokes right now, making it a little easier on them both. “No. That will never happen again. The point of this picture is for me to tell you that I know what I did was wrong, I learned from my past. If you and I are together, I won’t run off to Vegas for a boy’s weekend. If you and I are together, you’ll know where I am, I won’t hide things from you. There won’t be any women invited to any hotel room I am in…ever. I am completely committed in my relationships. I respect you and would never, ever put you in a position to hurt you. The papers questioned my faithfulness and my loyalty for years to Chelsy, but I never cheated on her. I never wanted to. And I would never cheat on you. I want you to know that. I need you to know that.”

Alex looked at him, took in the openness in his eyes, the serious tone in his voice that begged her to know that he was telling her the truth. She reached up, laid her hand on his cheek, and leaned close to him. “I know that, Harry. I would never think you would. Now, are we done here? Can you get on with asking me to be your girlfriend now?”

He let out his final sigh of relief, the tension flowing out of him instantly. He reached over and snapped the laptop shut, and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight. Her forehead came to rest against his for a moment before he leaned back slightly and looked her in the eyes.

“Alexandra, I would very much like it if you were my girlfriend. Officially. Will you?” He could barely keep the smile off of his face as he said it.

She didn’t even hesitate. She didn’t have to think about it anymore. He had laid it all out there, showed her the worst parts of his life, and she knew that unless he really cared about her, he would have never done that.

“Yes, Harry. I will.”

The smile Harry was trying to quell broke through, lighting up his entire face.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Now can you kiss me? Seal the deal?” she said, her sassy side shining through.

“That I can do,” he murmured before he captured her lips with his.

The kiss was hot. Hot and wet and intense. He held her tightly to him, their lips sliding together, their tongues teasing and dancing together in a fast paced rhythm. He groaned when she shifted, moving her legs so she wasn’t so much sitting on his lap anymore as she was straddling him. Her hands moved to his hair and her fingers played in the hair at the sensitive base of his neck, sending shivers of pleasure through him. She planted her feet on the floor and ground her pelvis into him, making him even harder than he already was, almost to the point of pain.

She was insatiable for him, wanted him; needed him. She pressed close as she could, wishing she could do more…feel more. His hands had dropped and were roaming her body. They moved over her back, her sides, her ass, and then they slid up under her shirt. They moved over her belly, eliciting a small gasp from her. Then finally, his hands slid slowly upward and found their home on her breasts.

“Ohhhhh…” she moaned, pulling her mouth back from his slightly. “Harry…”

He moved slowly and gently over her peaks, enjoying the feel of them in his hands. And then he pushed her bra up, freeing her from its confines. He moved his hands over her, groaning into her mouth at the feel of her, the warmth of her, in his hands. He traced the outline of her with his fingers, thumbed her nipples; almost dying at the sounds and movements that drew from her.

“Alex…” he murmured. “What are the chances I can stay tonight?” he asked, hoping against hope he could be with her tonight. He was aching for her; had been aching for her for weeks now.

She groaned. “Harry…I can’t. Not with Emma here. Not for our first time.”

He knew she was right, but was disappointed all the same. Not releasing his hold on her, he slowed down his attentions, leaning forward and resting his forehead on his chest.

“Then I have to stop now, or I’m going to try to talk you into it, and I don’t want to be that guy.”

She knew he wasn’t that guy, but it made her smile all the same. “Saturday,” she said simply.

He looked up at her in confusion. “Huh?”

“Saturday after her party Emma is going to stay at Mia’s, to make up for the slumber party she missed when she got sick. You can stay on Saturday. We can finally…make love…on Saturday,” she smiled down at him, knowing that waiting until Saturday may just kill them both.

“I’m going to be a walking hard-on until then, I hope you know that,” he said almost grouchily.

She laughed. “Don’t let the paparazzi catch a picture of that!”

He laughed with her and resigned himself to the fact that he should go, knowing he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands from her if he staying any longer. He helped her re-arrange herself and then she stood, leaving him instantly missing her.

“Walk me to the door?” he asked her.

“Of course,” she said, taking his hand.

When they got to the door he turned to her and pulled her close. “I want to do something for Emma’s party…I want to have the cake made for her. I’ve got an idea that I think she’ll really like.”

“Okay,” she said with a smile. “I think that would be lovely. Emma would love that.”

“Good. So I’ll see you Saturday?”

“Don’t forget your toothbrush,” she smirked.

He groaned, tossing his head back. “You. Are. Killing. Me.”

“Kiss me you crybaby,” Alex laughed.

And he kissed her goodnight sweetly, reverently, and then slipped out of the door into the night, already wishing it was Saturday.


	8. Chapter 8

Alex’s jaw dropped in shock at the cake that had just been delivered to her flat by Primrose Bakery.

Emma, on the other hand, squealed in delight and grabbed Alex’s hand, tugging on it as forcefully as she could, trying to pull Alex closer to where it sat on the pre-arranged cake table in the living room.

It was a stunning five tier cake, with each tier decorated to represent a Disney Princess dress or outfit. Alex let Emma pull her right up to it, and listened with a huge smile as her daughter went through each tier, naming instantly which princess it represented and which outfit it was from. The look on Emma’s face was something Alex would never forget; complete joy and pride at having this cake at her birthday party. She was going to be the talk of her school when word of this got out.

Alex was still deep in listening to Emma go on and on about princesses when her buzzer rang. She looked at her watch and frowned, as there was still an hour to go before anyone was supposed to arrive. Leaving Emma to continue her perusal of the fabulous cake, Alex walked over and hit the button on the intercom.

“Hello?”

“It’s me,” came the deep, sexy voice she knew so well.

“You’re early,” she said back teasingly.

“Anticipation, Alexandra.”

She widened her eyes at the intercom, as if he could see her through it. “Jeez, come on up before you disgrace yourself in public.” She heard him laugh as she hit the button to buzz him in, and then moved to stand by the door to wait for him.

It was weird, these moments where she knew that within seconds he would be standing in front of her; seconds before he would look at her with those blue eyes of his and press his warm lips to her. She almost felt more longing for him in those few moments than she did when they didn’t see each other for days. It was especially bad this afternoon, knowing that in just a few hours they would be alone in the house and they would finally make love. It heated her body just thinking of it.

The knock sounded and she jumped, even though she had been more than expecting it. She pulled the door open, standing back as Harry’s protection officer moved in to look through the flat. Harry moved in quietly, glancing around for Emma and setting down the gift he had brought for her and a duffle bag, which Alex knew was his overnight bag, inside the door.

“Living room,” Alex whispered, nodding her head in that direction. “Totally fixated on and occupied with that amazing cake you conjured up.”

Harry grinned, stepping closer to Alex, so close their fronts were almost pressed together, but not quite. Her head tipped back to look up at him as he towered over her. “She likes it?” He asked.

“Loves it, Harry,” she whispered. “Loves it.”

He paused as his protection officer re-appeared, gave him the okay, and slipped out of the door. Then he reached up and trailed a fingertip down her cheek, sending shivers of delight through her. “And you?” he asked.

She gulped.

And then it just came tumbling out of her mouth before she even realized it.

“I love you.”

Her eyes went wide as realized what she said. His eyes darkened as they stared into hers and his lips parted in surprise. His finger stopped its journey from her cheek to her jawline. They both stood there, immobile and in shock.

“Harry!” Emma shouted as she came running in, finally snapping out of her cake trance and realizing he was there.

Alex stepped back first and blinked several times, trying to convince herself that she hadn’t really just done that. Harry recovered quickly, blinking only once before turning to Emma and opening his arms to her and lifting her when she ran into them.

“Harry I love my cake,” Emma said excitedly. “It’s so pretty. It’s like all of the Disney Princesses in one cake. I’ll bet no one has ever had that before!”

Harry laughed, trying his best to concentrate on Emma and not on Alex who was almost visibly freaking out a few feet from him. “I’ll bet not. I’m glad you like it though.”

“I really do. Can I show it to you? I want to tell you about the princesses,” she asked, talking fast and loud, her excitement bubbling over.

“Emma, nothing would make me happier. I’ve got a favor to ask of you first though. Can you do me a small favor?” he asked her sweetly.

“Okay,” she nodded, still smiling big.

“See that bag over there? That’s your present. Can you take it to the present table for me? It’s really important that you carry it slowly and carefully in there, it’s breakable. Can you do that?” He quickly glanced at Alex, who was trying to sneak off into the kitchen behind them.

“Really?” Emma asked. “It could break?”

He nodded. “But I trust you to be careful.”

“I will be!”

He kissed her cheek quickly and set her down, watching her pull the handles on the bag and slowly turn, making her way into the living room. He knew he had about two minutes. Two minutes to get Alex to stop the epic freak-out he knew was coming.

He quickly followed her into the kitchen, where he found her standing at the sink, washing a dish that was probably already clean. “Alex…”

She shut off the water and shook her head, but kept her back to him. He moved up behind her, leaving just a little room between them.

“Look at me, Alexandra,” he said. His voice was low, throaty.

She turned, slowly, and looked up at him. He almost lost it at the look in her eyes. She was mortified, that was the only word he could think of to describe it. He closed the distance between them, surprising her when his hips pushed hers in the counter behind her. His hands came up to her face, cupping it gently. He rubbed his thumbs on her cheeks softly.

“Did you mean it?” He asked gruffly.

“Harry, I…”

“I don’t want you to try to explain it away to me out of embarrassment or whatever, Alex. I’m asking you if you meant it. It’s a yes or no question.”

She swallowed. Her eyes filled with tears. “Yes. I know its…crazy. But yes, I meant it.”

“It’s not crazy. It’s simple, Alex. It’s so fucking simple,” he said with a small laugh. “You love me and I…” he leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

“Love…”

Another kiss.

“You…”

A longer, deeper kiss.

“Too…”

And he laid a final sweet, soft kiss on her lips, lingering just a second longer than the others. Then he pulled back and looked at her, his eyes on fire for her. “I mean it,” he said more forcefully. Then he stepped back, just in time for Emma to come running in.

“I moved it and it didn’t break!” she squealed, running up to Harry. She looked up at him adoringly.

As much as he didn’t want to, he tore his eyes away from Alex and turned to Emma. “I knew you could do it, Princess,” he said, ruffling her hair. “So, Emma…let’s go see this cake.”

With one last glance to Alex he was gone, moving to the living room with her daughter. She stared after him. Had he really just told her he loved her? Was it too fast? Was it wrong? Should they stop and think about things? They had only known it each other a month. Four short weeks was all it took for them to fall, head first, into each other.

Instinctively though, Alex knew that the time didn’t matter. She knew that whether it had taken them one month or six months, she was going to fall for him from the very beginning no matter what. It hadn’t been a choice. It wasn’t a conscious decision for her. The dates, the many hours of phone conversations they had every day they didn’t see each other; it all added up to that one conclusion. She knew him. She knew who he was, she knew his heart. She loved him. She had quite simply…fallen madly in love with him.

Then she laughed to herself; the small chuckle escaped from her lips and she hugged her arms to herself. He was right; it was that simple. She loved him and he loved her, and both of them being the people they were, so similar in their hearts, knew that you just couldn’t question those things sometimes.

Holding her smile, she moved into the living room to spend a little bit of alone time with her daughter, and the man she loved.

*************

The party was a success. All of Emma’s friends just died over the cake, with only a little bit of drama breaking out about which princess dress portion they wanted their piece cake to come from, which Alex solved with the type of diplomacy only a practiced mother can conjure up.

Alex formally introduced Harry to all of the adults there; her mother-in-law, Molly was so sweet, giving Harry a big hug and told him it was nice to see him again and that she had heard so many nice things about him from Alex and Emma. Harry was touched with her welcoming attitude, as the only reason he was here with Alex was because her son wasn’t any longer.

Mia managed not to curtsy, but still was a little wide eyed at Prince Harry being in the same room as her. The other two staff members at HFTF, Sarah and Duncan, were pleased to see him there, and pleased to see Alex so happy. They both told him so, making him smile and making Alex blush.

Of course she didn’t have to introduce him to Charlotte, whom Alex had invited earlier this week, but she could see Harry’s touch of relief at having someone he knew other than Alex and Emma there. Charlotte was a hit with the kids as well, her loud personality making her a magnet for all the little five and six year old girls who were all loud personality themselves.

Then there was the moment that Alex was pretty sure that every single woman in the room fell in love with him a little bit.

Emma was opening presents and got to Harry’s gift. He moved through the room wordlessly to her as she was handed the bag. He sat down on the floor next to her and helped her remove the heavy box from the bag. He watched her face as she pulled the paper from it, and smiled when she realized what it was.

“It’s a tea set,” Emma said with a big smile, turning to look at Harry in delight,

Harry had gifted Emma a very beautiful, and Alex was certain very expensive, tea set. It was white china, and as he helped Emma pull out each piece, Alex saw that they were shaped like different Disney items; a castle, Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage, and several more. Alex’s eyes filled with tears as she realized just how much thought Harry had put into this day for Emma.

“Now, you can only use these for special tea parties, Emma. You must always ask your mum first, okay?” Harry asked softly. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, but Harry never got embarrassed, didn’t waver in making sure Emma understood his present to her.

“What about when you play with us, Harry? Can we use it then?” Emma asked, causing a light chuckle among the adults.

Harry smiled. “Not all the time, but on special occasions.”

“Okay,” Emma set quietly, looking once more at the beautiful tea set once more in wonder before Harry helped her replace everything in the box.

Alex was so entranced that she didn’t hear Charlotte come up behind her.

“He loves that little girl already,” Charlotte said quietly.

Alex jumped and her hand flew to her heart. She turned and looked at Charlotte. “I know,” she said simply, with a small smile.

Charlotte studied Alex for a second before realization dawned on her. She moved closer, so she was standing right next to Alex instead of behind her. “He loves you too. But you know that already as well.” It was a statement, not a question.

Alex nodded slowly. “I do.”

“Alex…I like you…and I have a feeling we are going to become good friends…”

Alex turned to Charlotte. “But…” she said, raising an eyebrow.

Charlotte laughed lightly. “But…that man over there,” she nodded towards Harry. “He’s one of the best people I know. He’s one of my oldest, dearest friends. I want nothing more than to see him happy. You make him happy.” She stopped and shrugged. “But if you hurt him…well, let’s just say I’m pretty sure I could kick your tiny blonde ass into the next century.”

Alex blinked, taking Charlotte’s words in for a second, and then she burst out laughing, drawing a few curious glances from around the room. She covered her mouth and watched as Charlotte fought the giggles herself. It only made Alex laugh worse, and when Harry looked up at them, wondering just what was going on, both of them nearly lost it and beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen where they both laughed until tears came out of their eyes.

************

“I’ll bring her back tomorrow around lunch,” Mia said as Alex handed her Emma’s overnight bag.

“That’s fine,” Alex said with a smile. “Emma, time to go!” she called to her daughter, who was busy laughing about something in the living room with Harry. She heard Emma tell Harry bye and then she was bounding around the corner, excited for her sleepover.

“Okay kiddo,” Alex said, crouching down to Emma’s height. “Be good for Mia, okay? And call me if you need anything.”

“Okay, mum,” Emma agreed. “Thanks for my birthday party. It was so cool,” she said with a big smile.

“You’re welcome, baby. Did you thank Harry for the cake and the present?”

Emma nodded, her blonde hair bouncing.

“Good. I love you. Now give me a hug,” Alex said quietly.

Emma hugged her and then Alex stood and smiled and waved as Mia and Emma made their way out of the door. Alex locked it and then took a deep breath, leaning back against it.

She was nervous; really, really nervous.

“Alex?” she heard Harry call from the living room. She took a deep breath and moved towards his voice.

“Hey,” she said softly as she entered the room. She lingered at the doorway, not sure where to go. Did they start here? Was he going to take her straight to the bedroom? She didn’t know how to go about this.

He caught on to her instantly. He saw the uncertainty on her face, saw her eyes shift as she looked at him and then around the room.

“Alexandra, come here,” he said softly, motioning her over with his head.

She moved towards him slowly, her fingers worrying themselves in front of her. She stopped in front of him, standing before him where he sat on the couch. He held a hand out to her, and when she placed her hand in his he pulled her to him, and she went, settling her legs on either side of him and looking down into his handsome face.

“Are you okay with us doing this tonight? We don’t have to do this tonight, you know, we can’t wait,” he said quietly. He reached up and ran his hands up and down her arms, trying to make her feel comfortable.

“No, I want to. It’s just…” she trailed off. He fingers played at his shirt buttons, distracting him. He forced himself to keep his eyes on hers though.

“It’s just what?” he asked. His hands left her arms and moved around her backside, spreading his hands out on her ass and pulling her tighter against him.

“I’m…nervous,” she whispered.

“Me too,” Harry answered immediately, sincerely.

“Really?”

“Of course, baby. I’ve wanted to do this for weeks now with you. Now that it’s finally here, of course I’m nervous,” his eyes were full, sincere. His cheeks were flushed.

She sighed, feeling a little better knowing she wasn’t alone here, and relaxed into him. She moved her hands from the buttons on his shirt up to his shoulders, leaning her upper body closer to him.

“Harry…” she murmured.

His eyes dropped to her lips. “Hmmmm?”

She moved even closer, pressing her body fully against his, leaning forward so her lips were next to his ear. “I love you,” she said in firm, clear voice. His hands flexed against her backside, his heart catching in his throat. She pulled back and looked at him, her eyes clear and wide. “I love you,” she said again. He watched her, enthralled, as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his lightly, softly, a clear caress. “I love you,” she whispered against his lips.

His heart leapt the moment he caught on to what she was doing. She was making sure he knew she meant it and wanted this to happen. She was making sure he knew that even though she was nervous, she this was something she was sure about; something absolute…just like her love for him.

He groaned, and not able to contain himself any longer he moved his hands into her hair, shoving his fingers into thick mass of it. He pulled her face to his and captured her lips. He tilted her head with his hands, holding her in place as he slid his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers. She moaned as he stroked, teased, and massaged her tongue with his. He stayed just like that, making love to her mouth, strong and steady; his own way of telling her he was sure.

He felt her fingers move back to his shirt, making quick work of the buttons there and pushing the two sides of his shirt open. He was still wearing an undershirt, but just the act of her undressing him sent a surge of lust through him. He sat up, their lips separating, causing a whimper from her.

“I am not making love to you on this couch, Alex, and if you undress me any further, that’s what is going to happen. I’m taking you to bed,” he said roughly before sliding his hands under her ass and standing up. He quickly moved them down the hall to her room. He walked over to her bed, but didn’t put her down on it as she expected him to do. Instead he lowered her so her feet hit the floor and her arms slid from around her neck. He moved back a step so he was looking down at all of her.

“I love you, Alexandra Morgan,” he murmured quietly. He shrugged his own unbuttoned shirt off and then his hands went to her shirt, sliding his fingers over the buttons on the thin, flowy shirt; popping them open quickly. He took a deep breath after he finally got them all done and then with light fingers he pushed the shirt from her shoulders. He groaned at the sight of her, in a white, lacy bra standing before him, her chest heaving up and down with each breath, begging him to touch her.

“God Alex, you are so beautiful…perfect,” He breathed. He reached up and placed his hand on her chest, laying it flat right over her heart. “Absolutely perfect.”

She blushed at his words, pleased that he was taking the time to say those things to here. And then, not even bothering to be embarrassed, Alex reached behind her and unsnapped her own bra, her eyes never leaving his as she pulled it slowly down her arms and then off of her front, dropping it to the floor. Before he could move to touch her she moved to him, reaching down and grabbing the hem of his undershirt, tugging so he would raise his arms in the air. He did, his hand leaving her chest, and she pulled his shirt off, dropping it to the floor with her discarded bra. She ran her hands up over his flat, hard stomach, the muscles twitching beneath her hands as she slid them up to his chest. Then she moved in his arms, pressing her hot skin against his. His arms crashed around her, staying tight for a second as he fought for control. And as much as she appreciated the gesture, she didn’t want control right now. She wanted him to lose himself in her, and she wanted to lose herself in him.

She pressed a kiss against his chest, right in the middle of the light patch of hair on his sternum. Then she placed another kiss, and then another one, kissing her way up his chest, then leaning up her tip toes and stretching, placing her arms back around his neck, placed more kisses up his neck.

*M*

Once her hot lips hit his neck any hope he had to take things slow and easy with her snapped. He stepped forward, moving her with him until her knees hit the bed. He tipped her back onto it and she hit the bed with an “oomph” and a giggle. His hands moved to the button on her jeans, popping in and sliding her zipper down. With a grin up at her he grabbed them by the waistband and slid them quickly down, gazing at every inch of her as he went. He discarded them and then made work of his own jeans, sliding out of them before putting a knee on the bed and sliding her knees apart with his hands, moved over her to settle between them.

His lips crashed down over hers, bringing out moans and whimpers from her as he tongued, teased, licked, and nipped at her mouth.

“Alex…I love you so much…” he murmured as his lips left hers, moving down over her jaw and licking his way down the soft skin of her neck. Her head tipped back into the mattress, giving him more access to her neck. Her arms were thrown above her head, her hands tangled in the bedspread. She made small, throaty noises that were driving him to distraction.

Her skin felt like it was on fire wherever he touched her, wherever he kissed her. His lips were moving further south, hitting the tops of her breasts, and still moving lower until he captured a puckered nipple in his mouth, causing her to cry out. He worried it with his tongue, skimmed it with his teeth, pulled it between his lips, all causing her hips to buck underneath his; he groaned and she whimpered, feeling just how hard and ready he was for her.

His hands were moving over her legs, her sides, over the sensitive skin of her stomach as he worshipped her breasts with his mouth. Then, just as she thought she couldn’t stand the exquisite torture of his mouth on her sensitive chest anymore, he moved, kissing further and further down. His hands slipped up under her thighs, pushing them up and his mouth came to the lacy panties that were tantalizing him with lied underneath of them. She jerked and moaned loud when pressed his mouth there, his tongue dipping out to tease against the material covering her. One of his hands moved up, a finger slipping under her panties to find her center.

“Oh God…Alex…so wet…” he murmured against her as his finger slid into her without resistance. She arched against him, looking down on him with pleading eyes as he moved that single finger within her.

“Harry, please…” she moaned, her hands moving down into his red hair to tug him upwards to her. “I need you…now…”

There was no way he could have resisted that plea, and so he moved, a man on a mission. He leaned up and dropped a kiss on her lips before reaching down and pulling her panties completely off. He stood quickly and went to his overnight bag, grabbing protection from the side pocket. He moved back to her, sliding off his boxers and sliding on the condom quickly before moving back over her.

Both of them were breathing heavy in anticipation, the weight of the moment wrapping itself around them, cocooning them. She wrapped her arms around him and accepted his lips on hers as he moved an arm under her backside, lifting her for him.

And then he pulled away from her mouth, capturing her eyes with his as he pressed slowly into her, and she felt like she just might pass out from the sensation of him as he moved into her, filled her. She cried out as she felt the emotions, watched them flash in his eyes; shaking a little bit from the intensity of it. He pressed on until he was completely there, buried to the hilt inside of her. Then his mouth dropped to her and he stayed right there for long minutes, just loving her mouth with his while he came to grips with just how hot and tight she was around him, while he let her get used to the feel of him.

“Harry…” she finally moaned against his mouth. She was done waiting. He was inside her, she loved…looooooooved….the feel of him so big and touching places she had forgotten existed, but she was desperate for him to move. She needed the friction that he promised to provide. It had been much too long for her, and even then she had never felt this full, this complete. “Harry…make love to me…” she whispered. “Please…”

Her words were his undoing and he lifted slightly from her, balancing himself on his hands as he looked down on her. He began to move…finally…and her head rolled backwards on the mattress as he began to push in and out of her, long steady strokes that pulled at her insides, her emotions, her everything.

Her hands moved up in front of her, smoothing up over his chest before sliding around his neck, her fingers pressing into the nape of his neck. He murmured sweet, loving things to her, telling her how good she felt, how she drove him crazy, how he much he was pleasing him. All of combined in her head, her heart, and her body and she felt the pressure start to build inside of her, a burning in her belly that she wanted to search for and fight against at the same time, it was so intense.

He pressed on, continuing his steady rhythm above her. Her eyes fluttered close and he felt her hips start to twist, to grind up to him and he couldn’t help the smug grin that flashed across his face when he realized she was close. He picked up the pace instantly, faster and harder, and leaned down, bracing himself on an elbow while he reached the other hand between them, bringing it down to her center. His fingers found the swollen ball of nerves there and he began to stroke it; willing…coaxing her climax from her.

“Harry…I’m…oh…” she cried, her hips moving up to his thrust for thrust as she reached for it.

“Yes, Alex…you feel so good…please, baby…I want to feel you clench around me…” he demanded between the deep thrusts into her body.

It was his words, more than his actions that sent her over. The way he growled them into her ear, the way he said them as if he would die if she didn’t come right then, the sent her over the edge.

“Come with me,” she gasped right as the buildup finally burst so brightly within her that she had to close her eyes against it, crying out against Harry’s neck as she let the waves begin to wash over her, clinging to him tightly. And then she felt him speed up momentarily against the clench of her around him and then she heard him groan, he breath hot against her ear as he went with her, his hand clenching the sheets by her head as he pulsed again and again within her.

*EM*

Long minutes later, after their breathing evened out, after they both became coherent to the world again, he pulled back and looked at her, the wonder evident on his face. He had never felt the connection he felt with her and it had shown in the way they made love, moved together so seamlessly.

She gazed up at him, her fingers reaching up to stroke his face, his lips.

“Wow,” she breathed. “That was…”

“Yeah…” he whispered. “It was.” It was all he could manage…all he could agree to without becoming choked up. “I need to…I’m just going to clean up real quick,” he said quietly.

She nodded and he pulled off of her, slipping into the bathroom connected to her room. She moved up on the bed and pulled the covers up around her, waiting for him. He returned within moments, grinning from ear to ear as he joined her, slipping under the covers with her. He immediately tucked her into the crook of his arm, settling her against him.

“Harry?” she asked, her fingers moving to his chest, tracing light patterns there.

“Hmmm?” His eyes were closed, tired but happy and enjoying this moment.

“Thank you.”

He opened his heavy eyes slowly, looking down at her. “For what?”

She smiled. “More things than I could list right now.”

He chuckled, sliding them both further down into the bed, pulling the covers up around them. “No, Alexandra…it’s me who need to thank you.”

“For what?”

His eyes closed and he leaned his head on top of hers. “Everything, my love. Everything.”


	9. Chapter 9

Alex was the first to wake up the next morning. Her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the light coming in through the curtains. She could hear Harry’s deep breathing behind her, steady in his sleep. His arm slung over her waist, holding onto her even in his sleep. Treasuring this peaceful moment, she lay still for a few minutes, smiling softly as she remembered the night before.

Harry had made love to her in a way that just thinking about it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and her toes curl into the mattress. He said beautiful, sweet, wonderful things to her as their bodies were pressed together, making her feel like the only woman who had ever existed in his eyes. In return she had given him a part of herself that she hadn’t shared with anyone since John died, and if she were completely honest with herself, she wasn’t sure if she had ever given as much to her late husband as she had to Harry last night. She had been so young when she married John, just nineteen. She never regretted it, but over the years, after the shock of his death had gone, she had often wondered what would have become of them, where they would be now, if they would have grown up over the last six years and become different people. She never doubted that she had loved him, but it was different than with Harry. John was her best friend, her safe zone, the guy that made her feel taken care of. It had been much the same when they had made love; comfortable, safe, and easy.

Harry though, Harry was not her safe zone. But, loving him was as natural to her as walking; she didn’t think about it, process how to do it, she just did. They were matched, even, always on the same wavelength it seemed. Making love with him had been the same…they had been so completely and utterly in tune with each other. Every breath, every moan, every sigh was a communication that the other understood.

She felt him shift behind her, bringing her out of her thoughts, and she turned her head slightly, finding him looking at her with one eye open, the other still closed as if fighting off wakefulness.

“Good morning,” she whispered. She turned her body over so that she was facing him, bringing her arms in front of her and moving in close, burrowing herself against his warmth and under the covers.

“Mhhmmm…yes, it is a good morning,” he said, his voice rough and hoarse from sleep. He wrapped his arms tight around her, loving the feel of her in his embrace first thing in the morning.

She pulled her head back and looked up at him, thinking just how sexy he was like this; his hair was tousled from sleep, his eyes dark and heavy, with light layer of stubble formed on his jawline, which she was dying to feel against her skin.

“What?” he asked with a grin while he watched her perusal of him. “Do I have dried drool on my chin or something?”

She giggled. “No. I was just thinking how sexy you looked right now, all messy and scruffy.”

“What? You mean all the work I put into looking clean cut and well groomed, and you think I look better like this?” he said with mock offense.

“I don’t know…”she said, moving her arms and winding them around his neck so could press herself fully against him. “You look like…a bad boy like this.” She raised an eyebrow suggestively with her last words.

He laughed, his chest rumbling. “I wasn’t aware you were attracted to bad boys, Alexandra.”

“Usually not, but…I’ll make an exception for the clean cut, charming, devastatingly handsome redhead who’s masquerading as one in my bed right now,” she whispered as she leaned up, brushing her lips against the stubble on his jaw. She felt him start to grow hard against her stomach and pressed her lower body harder against him.

“Ohhhh…it’s like that, huh?” he said with a groan as her lips traveled across his jaw slowly.

“Hmmmm…Harry…I like your stubble…I like the way it feels against my skin…” she murmured as she leaned up and rubbed her cheek against his, dragging her lips behind it. She reached between them and found him, fully hard and ready for her now, and she wrapped her hand around him.

He groaned loudly at her touch. “Jesus Alex, you’re going to kill me. I feel like I’ve awakened the sleeping beast,” he murmured, his hands flexing at her back and then moving down her backside, pulling her high and tight against him.

Her head popped up. “I’m sorry…are you…complaining?”

“Ha! In no way am I complaining, love. I’m thrilled, ecstatic, and eternally grateful…in fact,” he said, his eyes glinting, “Let me show you what I think of this awakened beast lying naked here with me…”

And then, Harry took control, moved over her, and spent the next hour worshipping her body; making sure she knew just how grateful he really was.

**************

It was late morning when they finally crawled out of bed, but only because of Alex’s insistence that she could not still be in bed, and he could not still be here when Emma got home. She was going to spend the afternoon with her daughter, and as much as she would like it if he stayed right here in her apartment all day, she needed to keep some valued time with Emma to herself. Harry was completely fine with that, loving that she was firm in her commitment to her daughter.

“Hey, I’ve got a question for you,” he asked her as he packed his toiletries back into his duffle bag. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed going through some work papers, just keeping him company as he got ready and got his stuff together.

She looked up. “What’s up?”

“There is an event in a couple of weeks. It’s on a Tuesday at Nobu on Park Lane. It is a fundraiser type of thing. It isn’t for any particular charity or affiliated with The Prince’s Charities, it’s just basically where a bunch of rich society people get together with a bunch of different charity representatives and decide where to donate their money.”

“Okay…” Alex said, wondering where he was going with this.

“I would like you to go.”

“Oh,” she said in a small voice. “Like, with you?” Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

He chuckled and went to zip up his bag. “No, not with me; I’ll be there, but I don’t think we should take our relationship public yet.” He stopped, looking up at her. “Why, do you think we should take it public?”

Her mouth fell open and then a few seconds later she fell straight back on the bed, laughing her head off.

“Well shit, Alex. You don’t have to think it’s that hilarious. Talk about hitting a guy where it hurts,” he said, a small smile playing his lips.

She rolled over, looking up at him, still fighting the giggles. “No, no. It’s not that. It’s just that you,” she pointed at him. “Were asking me,” she turned the finger on herself. “If I thought we should take it public.”

He stared at her, totally perplexed. “That is what I said, yes,” he finally agreed.

She sat up, scooting on her knees over to him. She leaned forward and put her arms on his shoulders. His hands immediately went to her slim hips and he unconsciously moved closer to her.

“Harry,” she began, her lips curving at the sides. “I know nothing about any of this. I can’t answer that. The best I would ever be able to say is that when you say it’s the right time then it’s the right time. I trust you to know that. You have been dealing with this stuff for almost thirty years. I’ve been dealing with it for thirty days.”

He sighed. “I know. Well, I want to keep you to myself a little longer, if that’s okay,” he said with a small smile.

“If my kid weren’t going to be here in…” she looked at her watch. “Twenty minutes; I’d say you could have me to yourself right now.”

He groaned. “Don’t even start. Twenty minutes is not enough.” He leaned over and kissed her though, soft and sweet, before pulling untangling himself from her arms. “So, will you go?”

“Emma has dance class on Tuesday, and I can have Molly pick her up from there. What am I supposed to do at this thing? I’m assuming our interaction would be minimal so would I be on my own completely? I’m okay with that if I am, I just need to prepare myself.”

He shrugged. “Actually, I was thinking you could go with Charlotte. Judging by the giggle explosion at the party yesterday, you two seem to get along well.”

She laughed, remembering it. “Ah yes, the giggle explosion; you mean when Charlotte told me if I hurt you that she would kick my tiny blonde ass into the next century?”

Harry’s head snapped up. “She said what?!”

Alex shook her head at him. “Don’t get mad. She cares about you and was being a friend. I did not take offense in any way. I thought it was sweet…and pretty damn funny.”

Harry laughed. “She’s got a big mouth.”

“She is a good friend to you, Harry.” She looked at him meaningfully.

“That she is,” he said. He seemed to think of something then, tilting his head to her. “Alex, how come I’ve never heard you mention your friends? I mean, you can tell me about them. You can tell them about me. I can meet them.” He stopped and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m actually kind of an asshole for never bringing that up.”

She shook her head. “No, you aren’t an asshole.” She sighed and sat back on the bed, looking up at him. “Harry, I really don’t have any good friends. I mean, there are acquaintances, people I have drinks or lunch with on occasion, but no one that I’d call a close friend.”

Harry moved to sit on the bed next to her. “Is that by choice?”

“In a way it is,” she turned towards him, taking one of his hands in hers, playing with his fingers. “Listen, I was eighteen when I moved to London. I met John the first week I was here, and because I was young and dumb and in love I got absorbed in that.” She stopped and took a deep breath, looking down at her fingers before looking back up at him. “We got married, then he was deployed, I found out I was pregnant, and he died, all within a few months’ time. I was so lost for a long time after that. I had Molly of course, and once I started the group meetings, I had friends there, but those aren’t really friends you spend time with outside of the group, you know? And then I had a baby, and I couldn’t do the things that girls my age were doing without sacrificing my time with Emma. It was just never worth it. So, I buried myself in raising my daughter and building HFTF and that was pretty much it. I talk to my mom and my dad and my brother all the time, and I have a best friend back home that I talk to once a week, but here in London? Not so much.”

“Alex, I’m about to give you a piece of advice. You can do what you want with it, but just don’t dismiss it okay?” Harry asked softly once she had finished.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and waiting. “Okay.”

“You are going to need people to turn to. When this,” he stopped and motioned between the two of them with his free hand. “Gets out…you are going to need people to vent to that aren’t me. It’s not that I won’t listen to you or won’t care, because I will, but there will be times when you need to vent about me, about my world that you are coming into, and you won’t want to come to me. Call your parents and your brother; tell them about us. Tell them that you are dating someone and tell them who it is. If this gets out before we want it to, you don’t want them to find out by a reporter calling their house. The last thing I want is for our relationship to be isolating for you.”

She nodded, taking a deep breath. “I was wondering if I should do that, call my parents.”

He smiled at her. “Of course you can. I trust you to tell whoever you think should know.”

She sighed. “That reminds me, can I please share Charlotte with you? I kind of think she’s pretty badass. Did you know that she came over and helped me decide what to wear before I went to Kensington last weekend?”

Harry smiled, impressed. “Did she? Well, good. I’m glad you like her. Charlotte’s a great friend.”

“Do you mind sharing me?” she asked him playfully.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Only with Charlotte…” He trailed off as he let his eyes roam over her, dressed scantily in a camisole and tiny silk shorts. “And she can never see you naked.”

Alex raised her eyebrows. “She helped me pick out an outfit. I changed clothes in front of her. She’s seen me naked…well, almost.”

He pointed at her. “Stop. Right now. Just stop.”

Alex grinned. “I mean, she was here for like, an hour…and I changed like, fifteen times.”

“Nope. Not listening. You are trying to put images in my head that I do not want…” He stopped, waving his hand above his head, “…floating around in there.”

Alex laughed, grabbing his face and kissing him soundly. “Too late.”

Harry groaned. “Enough of that,” he said sternly, but he couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from twitching as he leaned over to kiss her again.

“I should go,” he said quietly when he pulled back.

Alex nodded. “Yeah.”

She agreed, but he saw what she didn’t say. She didn’t want him to go any more than he wanted to. Their perfect twenty-four hour period was over, they had to get back to reality, and it made them both somewhat melancholy.

“Hey Alex?”

She looked up and caught his eyes. “Yeah?”

“I love you.”

The smile he loved so much lit up her face and his mission was accomplished.

“I love you too,” she said.

“Walk me to the door?” he asked.

She took his hand. “Of course.”

***************

The next two weeks passed much as the past few had; evenings when Harry wasn’t working or Alex didn’t have too much work to take him were spent at Alex’s flat and a date night on Saturday was spent at Harry’s where she stayed the night. She gave in one night and let him stay with her, where she had been firm that they were not going to make love. In the end though, she had no hope against the onslaught of his hands and his mouth and his body as he tormented body to peak after peak, forcing her to stuff her fist in her mouth so Emma wouldn’t hear her cries. The next morning she promptly kicked him out at dawn, before Emma woke up. She still wasn’t ready to approach the subject of why Harry was there in the morning with her daughter. Harry laughed at her haste to get him out, but he understood, accepting that he had already gotten more from her the previous night than he had even hoped. Plus, where Emma was concerned, Alex was always right in his mind and that was the end of story.

The night of the charity function Harry had discussed with Alex arrived, and Charlotte had asked her to meet her at the St. James Palace offices at six o’clock on Tuesday evening so they could ride over together. Harry was at a meeting elsewhere in London and would be arriving to the event about half an hour after them.

Alex arrived right on time, having checked in with all proper security and being show up to Harry’s staff office by a rather nice older gentleman named Ralph, who pointed her to Charlotte’s office door. Alex went over and knocked on the door frame, alerting Charlotte, who was on the phone, to her presence. Charlotte looked up at her and smiled, motioning her to come in and sit while she finished the call.

Alex smiled and moved into a chair. She was looking around Charlotte’s office, observing the clean, tasteful lines of everything when she felt her phone buzz in her clutch. She reached in and pulled it out, smiling as the text from Harry appeared on the screen.

H: Don’t know how I’ll be able to keep my hands off of you tonight. I’m looking forward to trying. I love you.

She immediately typed a response, her face in a wide smile as she did so.

A: The feeling is mutual. You know how sexy I think you are in a suit. Hope you come over after so I can peel it off of you J I love you too.

“Oh good God, you have got it bad.”

Charlotte’s voice startled Alex, and she jumped, almost dropping her phone. “What?” she asked as she looked up at Charlotte, who was now off of her phone line.

“You were texting Harry, right?” Charlotte nodded towards the phone Alex was now slipping back into her clutch. “Your smile was so big I could fit a coat hanger in it.”

Alex didn’t even bother to be embarrassed. “I was,” she said with a big grin. “And I do have it bad…and I will certainly not apologize for it. He’s…well…he’s Harry,” she said with a shrug.

Charlotte smirked. “Well, Harry to you and Harry to me are two totally different people.”

Alex matched Charlotte’s smirk. “My Harry is better.”

Charlotte laughed. “You know, just for the record Alex, he’s never been like this with anyone before.”

Alex’s heart beat a little faster at Charlotte’s unexpected words. “Really? We’ve just moved so fast that I thought maybe that’s just how he…”

Charlotte shook her head, cutting Alex off. “No. Harry is always cautious, careful with women. He’s only had a handful of girlfriends, and only one serious one that the press knows about. He still kept himself closed off about her when it did get out. But with you…he’s dying to show you off. When you’re ready, he’ll have no problem showing the world how he feels about it.”

A slow grin spread across Alex’s face. “Really?”

Charlotte laughed. “Ugh, quit going all googly eyed. It’s gross. And yes, he is. It’s almost…cute…if you like that sort of thing.”

Alex laughed. “I’d say it’s very cute.”

Charlotte wrinkled her nose and stood. “Come on, let’s go. I want to get to the free champagne before they switch to the cheap stuff.”

“Now Charlotte, is it really cheap stuff, or is it just less expensive, expensive stuff?” Alex asked with a raised eyebrow as she followed the brunette out of the office.

Charlotte threw her head back in laughter. “I like you, Alex.”

************

Alex was unbelievably grateful for Charlotte after they arrived at Nobu. Alex could hold her own anywhere and with anyone, but having Charlotte there to introduce her to all of the people she should be talking to was a Godsend. Plus, Charlotte was hilarious. Sure, she was loud and blunt and fast paced, but Alex had the best time keeping up with her and watching the way she interacted with these people. Alex had a feeling that if Charlotte told any one of these people to give money to HFTF, they would have done it in a heartbeat, but Charlotte knew the rules, knew she couldn’t solicit directly for Alex. Instead she talked her up, which made Alex much more comfortable talking HFTF up.

It was when had been there about an hour that Alex noticed that Harry hadn’t arrived yet. She checked her cell phone and frowned, seeing there were no messages.

“His meeting probably ran late,” Charlotte said with a shrug when she say Alex check her phone.

“What was the meeting for? I mean, if I can even ask that,” Alex said, not sure where the lines were drawn on her knowing his schedule.

“Some Army thing,” Charlotte answered, taking a swig of his champagne.

Alex smirked.

“What?” Charlotte asked.

“Nothing,” Alex said with a laugh and a shake of her head. “It’s just that every time I think Army, I think of Harry in uniform. And when I think of Harry in uniform all these…thoughts…fill my head…and holy crap, why am I tell you this?”

Charlotte’s mouth was hanging open. “I have no fucking idea.”

Alex laughed. “I think it’s been way too long since I’ve had girl talk.”

“Well, I’m glad I could help with that. I guess I’m going to have to get used to hearing about Harry and…” she stopped and shuddered for dramatic effect. “Sex.”

“You’ve really never thought of him that way?” Alex asked teasingly.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Okay Alex. I’ve known Harry since I was thirteen. Do you know what Harry looked like when he was thirteen? Let’s just say we all thought William took all of the good looking genes and poor Harry was left out in the cold. So, apart from one drunken kiss at a party when we were sixteen, no, I’ve never thought of, and never will think of Harry that way. I still see that nerdy little thirteen year old kid.”

“Wait, you’ve kissed Harry?” Alex said, trying to hold back her laughter. She wasn’t mad, she found it hilarious.

“Ugh. Yes,” Charlotte groaned.

“Well Charlotte, looks like I’m going to have to kick your brunette ass into the next century,” Alex joked.

Charlotte smirked. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

There was a commotion at the door then and both Alex and Charlotte turned, although Alex knew before she even moved around that it was for Harry. The room took on a hushed tone. Even though most of the people in the room knew Harry, had been around him before, there was still something that made people sit back in a little bit of awe when he walked in.

Then he entered, shaking hands with the important people, the event organizers, before his eyes lifted, searching for her. He found her within seconds, and something in his eyes gave her pause. He looked…strained. Then his eyes slid next to her to Charlotte, and he lifted them slightly, throwing some sort of silent communication her way.

“Charlotte…” Alex began, turning to look at her.

“Alex,” Charlotte said, trying to look calm. “There is a private room around the corner in the very back of the restaurant. We’re going in there to wait for Harry.”

“What? Why?” What is going on?” Alex asked, confused.

“That’s where he wants us to go, so that’s where we are going,” Charlotte said before taking Alex’s hand and swiftly, but smoothly, leading them through the crowd to the closed doors that weren’t visible from the main room where the function was located. Charlotte took out some sort of key with Nobu’s logo on it and unlocked the door quickly, handing it off the one of Harry’s protection officers who was already standing guard there.

Alex wondered how in the world these people communicated these things in such a short time as she fought to keep wandering mind under control.

“What is going on, Charlotte?” Alex asked quietly.

“Relax, Alex,” Charlotte said, her voice low.

“Really, you usher me into a private room at just some glance from Harry, who by the way, looks just as freaked out as I feel and you want me to relax?”

Just as Charlotte opened her mouth to respond the answer the door slid open and Harry walked in. He slid a glance to Charlotte, who took a deep breath before giving him a quick hug and sliding back out of the door.

He looked at her…he looked at her and his eyes looked so sad that it sent chills through her body.

“Harry?” Alex asked…her voice low, worried. “What is going on? Did I do something wrong? Are you…”

His voice broke, along with his heart when he said the next three words.

“I’m being deployed.”

Alex’s hands flew to her mouth. “No. You said…you said there wasn’t a chance…”

He shook his head. “I said there was very little chance. I truly didn’t think…” he trailed off, raking his hands through his hair. “God damn it!” he yelled into the room, making Alex jump. “I wanted this for so long and then as soon as…as soon as I’m happy here at home they decide I can go.”

Alex’s eyes were wide, terrified. “Afghanistan?” she whispered brokenly.

He nodded, his eyes growing watery as he watched the emotions flash on her face. She’d done this before. She had sent someone she loved to war to do the exact same job he was being sent to do and the person she love died.

When they told him this evening, his first thought had been of her, of how she was going to handle it. He’d wanted to get out of that meeting and intercept her before she got to Nobu but they wouldn’t fucking let him leave without the full briefing. He knew he couldn’t have stayed at this function with her for the next two hours and have kept himself from breaking apart. He couldn’t give a flying fuck about all the people out there and their money. All that mattered was her.

And now he was standing here, telling her he was going to war for four months, breaking her apart.

“Alex…I’m good at what I do. It’s only four months. I’ll be safe, I promise.”

“That’s what John said to me, Harry! That’s exactly what he said to me and he got killed!” she yelled at him, tears spilling over her eyes. She looked destroyed, wild.

“They wouldn’t send me if they didn’t believe that…”

“Stop!” she screamed, not caring if anyone heard.

He flinched, but took a step toward her, wanting to comfort her.

“No,” she whispered brokenly, holding her arms out in front of her, halting him in his place. “I can’t do this. I have to go.”

Harry’s eyes got wide, fearful. “Alex…don’t.”

“Don’t what, Harry? Don’t go? I can’t stay! Don’t you understand? I can’t do this again. It’s better this way. I’ll just go back to it just being and Emma and I only have to worry about protecting her.” Tears streamed from her eyes, knowing in her heart even as she said what she said, that it wasn’t true. Even leaving him now, it would never go back to being just her and Emma. He had invaded her life and there was no way of getting him out now, but she wouldn’t listen to her heart. Alex was failing the heart that had never failed her.

“Alexandra, you cannot leave me!” He finally shouted back at her. “I love you and you love me, God damn it. You don’t just walk out on someone you love.” His voice broke at the end and she almost caved to her heart, but she was too far gone into a place in her mind that she had thought she closed off long ago; a place where the pain and uncertainty threatened to drag her down.

“Maybe I was wrong then,” she whispered.

“Wrong about what?” he asked in a steely tone. He felt sick to his stomach.

She choked back a sob. “Loving you.”

He gasped. “You don’t believe that.”

From somewhere within she gathered what little resolve she could find and steeled herself against her broken heart. “I think I do.”

His eyes narrowed, his cheeks reddening with anger and frustration and sadness.

“If that’s true, then walk out this door right now and you’ll never have to see me again. I’ll let you go, I swear. I’ll never come after you if that’s what you really believe.” Harry challenged her, thinking she would never do it. She would never be able to make it past him and out of the doors.

But Alex did.

She pulled her shoulders up, wiped her face, and then somehow, someway, she walked past Harry and out of the doors without looking back.


	10. Chapter 10

Harry was completely and utterly lost.

Two days ago he had found out he was being deployed, something he had wanted desperately for so long. He had thought for sure after his antics in Vegas they would deploy him, get him away from the cameras for a while, but he was still denied. Some might call him crazy for wanting to go to war, but it was the normalcy he had craved. Being away from it all would give him a chance to think it over, to decide what he wanted next in his life.

But then he had met Alexandra Morgan and it all became clear. She was what was next in his life. Alex and Emma were the missing piece of his puzzle. He had dated socialites and models and pop singers, but nothing ever settled him, made him feel so normal, until he stepped out of the Range Rover that day almost two months ago and first laid eyes on her. And Emma, by God he loved that kid. She was everything sweet and good natured and funny that he always loved about children. The thought of never seeing her again increased his heartbreak over Alex leaving more than he could even bear to think about.

He had told Alex he would never come after her, but he had fought every single day against breaking that promise and going to find her to make her wake up and understand how ridiculous she was being for letting her past take over and ruin what they had. But he was stubborn, and for the past forty-eight hours he had sat in his room and drank glass after glass of whiskey, staring at his phone, refusing to call her, but willing her to call him. He knew, if she reached out, there would be no question that he would take her back in a heartbeat.

This particular night, however, William had decided to drop in on Harry, not having heard from him in the past two days and knowing he had been deployed. In fact, none of the family had heard from Harry since he was told. They knew he was around, the protection officers assured that fact, but William assumed Harry was processing the deployment and would re-surface after a few days. Now that he hadn’t, William was worried.

William knocked on the door at Nottingham Cottage, seeing the lights on upstairs in Harry’s room, and waited, but his knock went unanswered. He banged this time, yelling Harry’s name through the door. He waited, and when there was no answer again he rolled his eyes and finally pulled out the set of keys he still had from the time him and Kate had spent here and just opened the door himself.

“Harry!” he yelled as he stepped into the foyer. There was no answer but he heard faint music coming from upstairs and he almost retreated, thinking that Harry might have company. Hoping that Harry’s POs would have briefed him should Harry have had company he shook his head and moved up the stairs to Harry’s room. He banged his fist on the heavy wooden door, calling his brother’s name once again.

No answer.

“Harry! Open the God damned door!” William finally yelled, using his best military voice.

Then finally, after a few beats, the door pulled slowly open.

William had to step back at the smell of alcohol radiating from his younger brother. Once he recovered himself, he took a longer look and his eyes widening, realized that his brother was in a world of shit. He was disheveled, his hair greasy and sticking out in every direction. He hadn’t shaved in days and was wearing what looked like dirty jeans and a white t-shirt with several stains on it. Judging by how drunk Harry was, William was sure they were whiskey stains.

“Jesus Christ, Harry. What is going on?”

Harry squinted at William. “Piss off.”

“Nice. But no, I will not piss off.”

Harry shrugged and then tried to slam the door in William’s face.

William shot a hand out, catching the door and pushing it back hard. It caught Harry off guard and he stumbled back into the room, falling flat on his back. William stepped forcefully into the room, moving to stand right over Harry, putting two feet on either side of his brother’s mid-section. He leaned down and, fighting off nausea at the smell coming from Harry, grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulled him a few inches from the ground, and leaned his face down to his brother’s.

“You found out you are getting deployed two days ago and no one has heard from you since, Harry. I come here to find out what’s going on and I find you drunk as a skunk, and it looks like you may have been that way for a long while. Plus, you stink like shit, little brother. What is going on?” William demanded in an authoritative tone that was an innate part of who he was.

“Why do you care?” Harry slurred back, his eyes narrowed. He reached up to pull Williams fingers from his shirt but William slapped him away. Any other day a fight between the two of them would have been easily matched, but not today, not with Harry in an advanced state of inebriation.

“That’s it. I can’t stand the smell of you anymore. Let’s go,” William said, his nose wrinkled in distaste.

“Yes, you go,” Harry mumbled back.

“No, you shit, let’s go, as in you and I are going into that bathroom over there,” he nodded his head toward Harry’s en-suite, “and I’m going to throw you in the shower and make sure you stay in there until you don’t smell like you’ve bathed in liquor for a week.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed but remained unfocused. “You can’t make me do anything.”

Then William’s eyes narrowed back, a challenge having been issued. He reached down and grabbed a giant handful of Harry’s bright red, greasy hair and pulled as hard as he could, already stepping towards the bathroom.

“OW!” Harry howled, trying in vain to dislodge his brother. “Will, stop it!”

“Get in the shower!” William yelled back, still tugging as hard as he could. He didn’t care if he pulled out all of Harry’s hair. It would grow back.

“Jesus! Okay, I’ll do it…just let go of my hair,” Harry yelled, snapping out of his trance a little bit. As soon as William let go of his hair he stumbled to his feet, swaying slightly as he glared at his brother. “You know just because you’ve lost most of yours, you don’t have to go tearing out mine,” Harry stupidly shot in William’s direction.

William, no stranger to Harry’s bald jokes but in no mood to deal with it right now, took a step forward. Harry immediately put his hands up, signaling his surrender.

“Shower,” William said forcefully. “And use soap,” he threw in for good measure.

If Harry had any fight left in him at all, he would have turned around and punched William in the face, but he was all out of the will to do anything but do as his brother said.

***************

Not too far away from Kensington Palace, on the surface Alex didn’t appear to be as bad off as Harry, but only because she had to put on a brave face for her daughter. Emma noticed though, although she didn’t know what was wrong, she noticed that her mother was sad.

“Mummy, do you cry when you’re sad?” Emma asked that night while they sat at the dinner table. Emma was just finishing up her dinner while Alex was picking at hers, lost in thought. Her head snapped up at her daughter’s words, her eyes wide.

“I think most people cry when they’re sad, Emma. Why do you ask?”

“Because you look sad, but you aren’t crying,” Emma said quietly.

Alex stared at her daughter for a second while the last little bit of her heart broke realizing that her daughter could see her hurting. That was exactly what she didn’t want, one of the things she feared the most, for Emma to be affected by this.

Her eyes welled up and she was about to tell Emma about Harry, that he wasn’t going to see them anymore, when the phone rang out, startling her and sending a wave of anxiety through her. Every time the phone rang over the past few days she had tensed wondering if it was Harry. She knew if he contacted her she would go back in an instant, she would cave just hearing his voice.

Alex sighed, and telling Emma to go and get started on her bath, she got up to answer the phone. With shaking hands she picked it up, checking the caller, and sighing with relief she saw “Mom and Dad” pop up on her screen.

“Hello?”

“Oh, goodness! My daughter…I thought maybe you had fallen off the face of the earth!”

Alex’s eyes welled up at the sound of her dad’s voice.

“Daddy…” she breathed. And then she burst into tears.

“Alexandra? What is going on?” her dad asked in a panic.

And then Alex spilled it. She spilled it all…that she had been seeing somebody; just who that somebody was, that she was so in love with him, and that he was getting deployed and she left him. She told him the whole story, not stopping until she had it all out; until she had cried all the tears she had held back all day.

When it was over her dad was silent for moment while Alex took deep breaths, getting herself under control.

“Alexandra Mae, you are so smart most of the time, but this is probably not one of your finer moments,” Michael Emerson told his daughter softly through the phone.

“I’m sorry…what?” Alex said, stunned.

“Oh Alex, you love him. What else is there? I don’t know much about this Prince Harry fellow, but if he is a prince and still wants to go fight for his country, when he damn well doesn’t have to considering who he is, then he deserves your understanding here. He deserves your love to wrap around him and support him and tell him it will be okay. He deserves for you to tell him you will be there when he comes back. He deserves for you to write letters to him while he is over there, telling you how much you love him and keeping hope alive,” Michael said passionately.

“But Dad…”

“No buts, Alex. You let John’s death cloud your head again. You know that isn’t right. This Harry fellow isn’t John, baby. Think about it this way, even if something did happen, wouldn’t you regret the fact that the last conversation you had ended in two broken hearts?”

The tears came again, not as intense this time, just hot, fat tears that slid slowly from her eyes. Her dad was right and she was the biggest jerk in the entire world.

“Do I just go to him? Do I call him? I don’t know how to apologize,” Alex said.

“Sleep on it tonight, Alex. Tomorrow you go to him and you tell him what’s in your heart. If he loves you like you obviously love him, he’ll understand.”

“Why are you so wise, Daddy?” she asked softly.

He sighed. “I wasn’t always, not until your mother came along.”

Alex closed her eyes. She understood what he was saying. “Because she loves you.”

“I don’t know why, but she does.”

“All girls should have daddies like you,” Alex said, wiping her eyes.

“Well, they don’t, so be grateful that you do and listen to me,” Michael said with a laugh.

“Okay, Dad. How are Mom and Matt?” Alex asked.

“Mom’s good, she off to dinner with her friends tonight. Matt is well…he’s Matt,” he said with a laugh. “I think he wants to come visit you in the summer and bring Emma back with him for her two week visit.”

Alex smiled her first real smile in two days. “Really? That would be great. I’ll call him this week.”

“Good. Now where’s Emma?” her dad asked.

“Oh! Dad…I totally forgot! Emma’s in the bath…I need to go wash her hair and get her out of there,” Alex said with a laugh.

“Alex, the kid is six. Teach her how to wash her own damn hair, and then have her call us tomorrow evening, okay?”

Alex chuckled. “Okay Dad, I will thank you. I love you.”

“Love you too, Boot,” he said, using the nickname he had given her long ago. “Bye”

“Bye, Dad.”

************

“So, are you going to tell me what got you into this mess?” William asked a clean and much less drunk Harry. A very long hot shower and two cups of strong coffee that would rival any of the sludge made in the Army had done wonders for Harry.

Harry took a deep breath and leaned back into his couch. “A girl.”

William raised his eyebrows as he drank from his own cup. “A girl, really? I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”

“No one did, except for Charlotte,” Harry said quietly.

“So tell me about her,” William responded. He was genuinely interested in how this woman he didn’t even know about and how she had sent his brother into such a downward spiral.

Harry closed his eyes, willing the emotions to stay away. “I’m in love with her,” he finally said simply.

William chuckled. “Well, that’s a good way to start. What else? What is her name? How did you meet? What happened that caused you to drink yourself stupid for two days?”

Harry sighed. “Her name is Alexandra Morgan. She’s the founder of a program I did a visit for almost two months ago, Healing Families Through Friends.”

William thought for a second. “I remember that. I saw the video. She’s blonde right?”

Harry nodded. “Blonde, big blue eyes, big smile that lights up her whole face. And she’s got this laugh…this laugh that just…sends me into another place. And she’s…” Harry trailed off, not sure if he should tell William about Emma.

“She’s what, Harry?” William pressed on.

“She’s got a daughter, Emma.”

William’s mouth dropped in surprise. “A kid?”

Harry shook his head. “Not just ‘a kid’. This kid, Emma, she’s like a miniature version of Alex. She’s funny and charming and sweet…and everything I’d expect that any child of Alex’s to be like. And I love her too.”

William leaned forward in his chair. “I hate to ask this question…but is she…divorced?”

Harry chuckled, knowing William wasn’t asking out of disdain, he just wanted to know what Harry might be up against in the future. William’s sense of looking forward was something Harry always admired. He had never been able to get a good sense of looking ahead – until he met Alex.

“No, and that’s where my current state of mind comes into play,” Harry responded.

William groaned. “Oh God, please don’t tell me she is still married.”

Harry narrowed his eyes. “Oh for fuck’s sake, Will. No, she isn’t still married. Her husband died in Afghanistan before Emma was even born. He was an Apache pilot who got shot down and killed. He did the exact same job as I do.”

Understanding dawned on William’s face. “So when you told her you were being deployed she freaked out?”

“Freaked out is a mild description. She told me she was wrong and didn’t love me after all and then she left me.”

“And you let her?”

Harry groaned, knowing his brother was going to give him so much hell for what he was about to say. “I told her to.”

William blinked. “I’m sorry, you told her to?”

Harry set his coffee cup down on the low table in front of the couch and then rubbed his palms on his legs. “When she said she didn’t love me after all, I challenged her. I told her if that was what she really believed then she could walk out the door and she would never have to see me again.”

“And let me guess, she left?”

“Walked right out the door and never looked back.”

William stared at his brother. “What is wrong with you?”

Harry hung his head in his hands. “I don’t know.”

“I don’t know this woman, but I know that you never tell a woman, any woman, to go…because she’ll go,” William said quietly, meaningfully.

“So what the hell was I supposed to do?” Harry asked, his voice rising.

“You beg her to stay, you dumbass!”

“She wanted to go!”

William threw his hands in the hair and stood, out of frustration for his brother and his fool-headed ways. “She didn’t want to go, Harry. She was scared and she needed you to understand that. Instead you just issued a challenge and she took it because you didn’t give her any other choice. Jesus, Harry. Her husband died doing the same thing you are being sent to do and she has no way to protect you from it. Can you not understand the defense mechanism there? With all of our military training…all the psychological crap they put us through and you didn’t pick up on that?”

Harry sat stock still for a long minute and then he closed his eyes, fighting off the tears. “So what do I do now?”

William rolled his eyes. “Oh my God. For all of the people who think I’m the awkward one and you are the smooth lady’s man, you are just proving them wrong left and right here. You are being an idiot of the highest kind. Go get her.”

“Go get her?” Harry asked quietly.

“Yes.”

Harry took a deep breath.

William looked at him expectantly.

“What?” Harry asked, confused.

“Now, Harry. Go get her right now.”

“Oh. Oh…okay. Right now?”

“Harry!”

Harry jumped to his feet. “Okay! I’m going right now…I’m going to get my girl right now,” he said, a smile breaking across his handsome face as he walked purposefully towards to stairs to go get dressed.

“Finally,” William muttered under his breath; but once Harry disappeared up the stairs William smiled. He had never met Alex Morgan, but something told him Harry might just be finally on the road to his future…and William couldn’t be more excited to see all the directions that road would take him.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Alex had just checked on Emma, making sure she was fast asleep, and was putting on her pajamas when the buzzer for the door rang. She shrugged it off; sure it was just some drunken person hitting the wrong door. It happened every once in a while and they usually figured it out after the person they were looking for didn’t answer.

She put on her pajama top that was long enough that no shorts or pajama pants were required and wandered into the kitchen, looking for something sweet to eat and a big fat glass of wine.

The buzzer rang again.

She looked at it and frowned. She had half a mind to go tell them they had the wrong flat, but she really didn’t feel like getting in an argument tonight with someone who was too wasted to get it.

She found some cookies and was pulling the wine bottle out of the fridge when the buzzer rang again. Throwing up her hands she stomped over and slammed her hand on the call button.

“What?!” she shouted into the intercom.

There was a moment of silence before the voice came crackling through.

“It’s me.”

Her knees almost gave out.

She didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. Her voice was caught in her throat and her entire body started to shake. She just hit the button to let him in and stood there, as still as a statue while she waited with a racing, terrified, excited mind. She had maybe hope he would call, but had never hoped he would show up here, or anywhere she was, after she had walked out of that door. What was he here to say? Did he just want closure? Did he just want to tell her that he was glad it was over and thank her for making the decision? Or was he here in hopes that she would apologize? Because she would; she would beg and apologize and do anything if he would never, ever be out of her life ever again.

The knock sounded at the door and she reached for it, pulling it open. The air whooshed out of her lungs when she saw him there. She faintly recognized the security officer pushing into the apartment to check it, but the only thing really registered was Harry. He was in one of his signature button downs and those jeans that he wore in just that way that made her want to yank them off of him as fast as she could. His hair was as mussed as ever and he was looking at her…oh, he was looking at her like he had been in the desert for weeks and she was the first water he came across.

“Harry…” she whispered.

His security officer pushed back past them and Harry moved into the flat, shutting the door behind him and locking it soundly.

“Alex…” he finally whispered back.

And then she flung herself right into his arms.

He grunted as her chest hit his, but he accepted her without pause. He immediately lifted her in his arms, pulling her up and off the ground by her thighs, his breath catching as she wrapped her legs around him immediately. Holding her steady with one arm under her backside, his other hand reached up and fisted in her hair, pulling her face close to his.

“I’m home,” he said gruffly.

Her heart slammed into her chest and she knew instantly what he meant. She was his home, her and Emma. Home wasn’t a place for him. Home was with her and her daughter. He loved them both and that was where he belonged, wherever they were. The tears slid from her eyes, running unchecked down her cheeks.

“Welcome home, my love.” she whispered, laying a hand on his cheek, the other sliding in the hair at the base of his neck.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he said, shivering at her words and her touch.

“Oh baby, you better do more than that,” she murmured, her gaze dropping to his lips.

He groaned and pulled her mouth to his, pressing her as close as possible. He teased her lips with his tongue, moaning into her mouth when she opened it for him, sliding his tongue to dance with hers. She wrapped both arms fully around his neck, pressing her upper body against him, whimpering into his mouth at the way he felt against her, the way he made her body yearn for his.

He took the initiative and moved them, trying to kiss her and steer her at the same time down the hallway to her room. She giggled quietly and shushed him, not wanting to wake up Emma sleeping down the hall.

Finally he got her to her room, and shutting the door behind him he turned and pushed her up against it, reaching under her to turn the lock on it. He kept at her mouth, loving, needing the taste of her. She was so sweet and smooth, his favorite flavor of anything in the world.

She let him take everything from her lips and her tongue, kissing him back with the wild abandon she could only ever imagine having with him. She ran her hands through his hair, down his face, over his shoulders, reaching down his back and clawing at his shirt, wanting it off of him right now, needing to feel his hot skin. She was in her tiny nightshirt but he was way too dressed. He immediately moved her away from the wall, turning around and walking over to the bed where he set her down on it on her feet, so she was standing tall above him. She watched as he quickly popped the buttons on his shirt and once he was done, she reached down and pushed it from his shoulders quickly. Then she went for the hem of his undershirt, pulling it swiftly right over his head. She ran her hands over the bare skin on his shoulders and chest and he sucked in a large breath of air at her touch.

Harry reached up to her hips and pushed her nightshirt up over them, revealing her tiny little cotton panties underneath. He groaned and pressed his face close to her, right in the juncture of her thighs, pressing a hot, open mouthed kiss right over her sex. He could tell she was ready through her damp underwear and he almost lost it right then. His fingers hooked in the waistband of her panties and pulled them down her legs at the same time she pulled the nightshirt over her head, revealing that she wasn’t wearing a bra. She was standing there, naked and beautiful before him and he was dying to worship every single inch of her.

As much as he wanted her, she wanted him the same way. Growing impatient, she dropped to her knees on the bed and her hands flew to his belt, quickly undoing it and unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. He captured her lips with his as she pushed his pants down over his hips along with his boxers so he was just as naked as she was. As he stepped out of the pile of clothes at his feet, she reached between them and found him with her hand. He groaned into her mouth as her hot hand began to stroke him. It felt like she was trying to trace and brand every single inch of him with her fingers and it was sending him flying toward to edge much too quickly.

“Alexandra,” he murmured as he grabbed her hand and pulled it away from him. He was still at her lips, drinking as much as he could from them.

The fact that he wouldn’t let her touch him inflamed her and she pulled away from him, determined in her efforts. Before he could ask what she was doing she leaned down and kissed the tip of him softly and then enveloped him in to her mouth. His hands immediately shoved themselves into the thick mass of her hair, knowing that at some point in the very near future he was going to have pull her away.

Her mouth was already wreaking havoc on him, as it did every single time she did this to him. Her mouth was like magic; a certain, very specialized type of magic that almost caused him to embarrass himself like a teenage boy. He groaned, throwing his head back as he let her have her way with him for a few moments, her mouth pulling on him deeply and slowly. Finally he had hit his breaking point and pulled her off, panting as he looked down on her, her mouth swollen from what she had just done to him and her cheeks flushed.

There was nothing sexier on earth.

He pulled her up and she almost climbed up his body, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his own arms around her. He lifted her then and her legs went around him. He reached between them and with one hand on himself and one arm under her backside to guide them both he slid himself into her, burying his length all the way in one stroke.

Alex cried out at the fullness, the completeness that enveloped her at his entry. Her head fell back, allowing him to reach her neck with his lips, sucking and licking there as she shimmied on him, fighting for movement. He chuckled and turned around, lowering himself backward on the bed so that she was on top of him.

“Love me, Alex,” he said as he looked up at her. He knew she needed this. He knew she needed to be in control, to show him that she was ready for this. She wanted to prove to him that she was strong enough to do this for both of them. It was symbolical and meaningful and he was right, she did need that.

She looked down at him and when he put his hands up in front of him she grabbed them, entwining her fingers with hers.

And then she began to move. Harry fought the urge to close his eyes in response to the way she felt on him, rocking her hips against him, controlling the pleasure for both of them. Alex moved in a way that allowed him to touch every part of her inside, sending shots of fire through her body. She kept moving that way; never breaking eye contact with the man she loved below her, who fighting off his own climax as he was so determined that hers would come first. She continued to ride him, reaching for it, stretching out, desperate for it, but unable to find it by herself.

She needed him.

She whimpered, her eyes never leaving his and he understood. He released her hands and pulled her down close to him. He slipped a hand between their bodies to her center, so wet and slippery from their actions. His fingers located that sensitive nub at the top of her cleft and he stroked it, moving his thumb around it in small, tight circles. His other hand captured a breast, kneading it softly before moving to the nipple, pulling it softly between his fingers.

“Ohhhh…” she cried out at the new, dual sensations. “Harry…”

“Yes, baby…it’s yours…just take it, my love” he encouraged, speeding up his actions as she moved faster on top of him.

Her eyes fluttered closed and he felt her begin to clench around him. Her hands fisted in the comforter by his head and just as she finally let go, she opened her eyes to him and he saw the pleasure explode there, saw the tears form in her eyes, and felt her body pulse tightly around his. He was useless against it and his reaction mirrored hers as he went with her, pouring himself into her. She cried out softly over and over again as the waves of her orgasm washed over her. Combined with the feel of him pulsing within her, it was almost too much for her and she finally collapsed against his chest, breathing harshly and letting the tears fall from her eyes against his chest.

**************

“I’m hungry,” Alex said, sometime later after they had both recovered their wits.

Harry laughed beside her. “I hope you mean for food…because I’m not sure I’m up to the task for anything else right this second.”

Alex turned her head from where it rested on his chest and smiled up at him. “Wimp.”

“You cannot be serious, Alexandra. I need to recover first. I’m only human. I mean…”

She shook her head and put her fingers to his lips, giggling at him. “I’m kidding. I mean food. We can talk about round two later.”

He grinned down at her. “Damn right we will. But in the meantime, yes, let’s go get you some food.”

They both slid from the bed and dressed, Alex pulling back on her sleep shirt and a new pair of panties, while Harry slid his undershirt and boxers back on. They padded quietly to the kitchen and Alex directed Harry to a chair while she heated up some left overs for them. She poured them each a glass of wine and then brought the leftovers to him, sitting down next to him at the little round table.

They ate in companionable silence, just enjoying the other’s company before they started the talk they each knew was coming. When they both finished Harry cleared their dishes and then took Alex’s hand and their glasses of wine and pulled her back into her bedroom. They climbed back under the covers and both turned on their sides, hugging their pillows and facing each other.

“Alex,” Harry began. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have left.”

“I shouldn’t have told you too,” he responded, his voice catching.

“I shouldn’t have told you I didn’t love you. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love you so much, Harry.” The tears were back, she just could seem to fight them off tonight.

“I know,” he said softly. He wiped the tears from her face with a couple soft swipes of his thumb.

“What made you decide to come here tonight?” Alex asked.

Harry took a deep breath. “My brother.”

Alex blinked. “Your brother? You mean William?”

“Yes, that brother,” Harry chuckled.

“How did William make you decide to come here tonight?”

“He found me in my room earlier this evening, completely drunk and in a sorry ass state of mind. He almost kicked my ass trying to get me into the shower and sobered up. Once I was clean and had downed several cups of the worst coffee that has ever existed, he talked me through everything, made me see where I had fucked up, and then he told me to go get my girl.”

Alex smiled. It was a silly thing, but for some reason she loved it when he cursed. Maybe it was the little bit of bad boy thing he put out there sometimes. “That William, he’s smart. I’m glad you came and got your girl,” she murmured.

“Me too,” he murmured back, leaning over and kissing her softly. “Although, let’s not ever admit to Will that he is smart. Ever.”

“Deal,” Alex said with a giggle. Then her face grew solemn as she processed her next thoughts. “You know, I talked to my dad tonight. I haven’t spoken to them in a while, just a few minutes on Emma’s birthday. I had been putting them off telling them about you,” Alex said quietly.

“I figured you had. Why?” Harry asked. He wasn’t mad or offended, just curious.

Alex took a deep breath. “I think I was worried they would question me inviting you so fully into me and Emma’s life so quickly and inviting that much potential attention and scrutiny on me and my daughter.”

Harry reached up and smoothed her hair back from her face. “Are they normally critical?” he asked.

She shook her head slowly. “Never. It was my own insecurities.”

He smiled. He knew that. “So what did your dad say?”

Alex grinned. “He said that if you were going to war for your country when it was obvious you didn’t have to that you deserved my understanding. He said that you deserve my love and support. He said that you deserve to have me write letters to you while you are away to tell you how much I love you and to keep hope alive.”

A slow smile stretched across Harry’s face. “He said all of that?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah.”

“Do you think he’s right?”

“One hundred and fifty percent.”

Harry pulled her to him. “God, I love you…and your dad.”

She threw the pillow she was hugging to the side, did the same with Harry’s, and snuggled closer into his chest. “I love you too…and my dad.”

They were quiet for a moment, and then Harry broached the subject neither of them wanted to talk about.

“This doesn’t change the fact that I am, in fact, being deployed.”

She took a deep breath. “I know.”

He leaned back from her so he could see her eyes as he spoke. “I don’t want to leave you for four months, but I have to.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

“I’ll be back, Alex. I have every faith in the world that I’ll be back. I’ll be back and we’ll move forward. I’ll think about you and Emma every second of every day. I’ll miss you and Emma every second of every single day.”

She was silent for several moments, just processing what he said and the emotions that went along with it.

“When you do leave?” she finally got out once she was able to speak without fear of breaking down into tears again.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Two weeks.”

In that instant the emotions beat Alex’s resolve and she broke down into tears instantly. He gathered her close, rubbed her back, and did his best to calm her as the sobs wracked her body. His own emotions took a beating as well in those moments, and he wiped his eyes as several tears slipped out unchecked.

Eventually she calmed. The sobs faded and she was able to pull herself together enough to pull back and look at him. When she saw that his eyes were a little red, although certainly nothing like hers, she knew that it was completely okay with him for her to be sad like this; that he felt sad like this too, and that they could share this, could get through this together.

“Alex,” he murmured, pulling up the blanket to gently wipe her face free of tears.

“Hmmm?”

“How hard would it be to take a long weekend this weekend?”

She looked at him thoughtfully. “How long of a weekend?”

He shrugged. “Maybe take Friday and Monday off? I’d like to take you somewhere and after this weekend my training for deployment will make it impossible.”

She thought it over for a second. “I suppose it could work. Are we talking just me or me and Emma?”

“I figured Emma has school.” It was his way of saying just her. He loved Emma more than life itself, but what he had in mind was just for Alex – at least this time.

“She does,” Alex said with a nod. “I’d hate to pull her out. She can probably stay with Molly.”

“Okay, then just you,” he grinned.

“Then yes, I can take a long weekend. Where are we going?”

He leaned down and kissed her softly.

“Balmoral.”


	12. Chapter Twelve

The next morning when Alex opened her eyes, well before her alarm was set to go off to get Emma up for school; she turned over to snuggle up next to Harry and fall back to sleep for a little while. What she saw when she turned made her gasp and her eyes well up with tears; there was her daughter, snuggled up in the bed in the middle of them, tucked right up under Harry’s arm. Her head was laying against Harry’s chest, her little arm extended over him. Harry’s arm, the one that wasn’t tucked around Emma was thrown above his head against the pillow and he looked just as peaceful and relaxed as Emma did.

There were many, many things that Alex had wanted for Emma that she never really expected her to have since John had died without Emma having ever known him. This was one of those things; this connection that Harry and Emma seemed to find with each other. She put a hand to her swelling heart and she watched them silently. She smiled slightly as an idea formed in her head, and she quietly turned and slid from the bed. She flipped on the lamp on her nightstand, hoping the hazy light it gave off wouldn’t be enough to wake either of them. Although Harry stirred, she got lucky and the both stayed asleep. She grabbed her camera from her desk and, making sure the flash was off, snapped a picture of them.

Placing the camera back in the drawer and smiling at the thought of what she was going to do with picture of the amazing moment she just caught, she turned off the light and slid back into bed with her loves, snuggling tight with them until her alarm went off.

****************

A few hours later, Alex roused Harry for breakfast, having already pulled Emma out of bed a half an hour before to get her ready for school. Alex had wanted to let Harry sleep a little more, he looked so peaceful, but Emma was dying for him to join them for breakfast.

“Harry, wake up,” she said softly, rubbing his chest gently.

His eyes fluttered open, finding her and focusing on his love. His hand slid up and grabbed her arm, pulling her down to his lips.

“Good morning,” he said hoarsely.

“Hmmmm. It is,” she whispered against his lips. “Breakfast is ready. Emma wants you to join us.”

Harry smiled up at her. “She knows I’m here?”

Alex grinned. “She does. I found her in bed with us this morning. You don’t remember her crawling in either?”

Harry shook his head, the grin still plastered on his face. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Get your lazy ass out of bed and come see,” Alex teased.

Harry stuck his bottom lip out in a mock pout. “I need my beauty rest. I’ve got this amazing woman to impress.”

She laughed. “I’m already impressed. Unless you are talking about someone else, and then you need to tell me who’s ass I need to go kick.”

He laughed with her and then released his hold on her arm, sat up, and put his feet on the floor. “I’m talking about you, no ass kicking is needed.”

Alex smiled. “Good. See you in there in a minute?”

He nodded, grinning at her.

“Okay,” she said as she turned around to make her way back to the kitchen.

“Alex?” he called softly to her.

She turned around, a light smile playing on her lips. He crooked a finger to her, beckoning her to come back. She immediately turned around, going back to stand in between his knees in front of him. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her close, so his face was buried in her stomach. He pulled up her shirt a touch and kissed her bare skin, cause her to gasp and a little shiver to run through her body.

“I love you,” he said as he pulled back from her and tugged her shirt back down.

“I know,” she said quietly, with a soft smile before once again turning and leaving him to his own devices.

Harry stood up and went to use to the restroom. He brushed his teeth and splashed some water on his face. He stared at himself in the mirror for a minute and found himself marveling at the truly happy individual that stared back at him. Was it really only yesterday that he was already deep into a bottle of whiskey, tormented over losing her? It seemed like a million years ago. They had already bridged that gap between them and covered so much more ground.

He was truly heartbroken over leaving her for deployment. When the time came to get on that plane to Afghanistan, he didn’t know how he was going to handle leaving her and Emma, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. Right now, he wanted to go eat breakfast with his two favorite girls, go home and pack for their flight to Balmoral this afternoon, then go enjoy four days completely alone with Alex in the Scottish Highlands. He grinned at his reflection in the mirror. Four days alone with Alex…the possibilities were absolutely endless.

Leaving the bathroom room he slipped on his jeans and the button down he’d worn the night before and padded barefoot into the kitchen.

“Good morning, pretty girls,” he said upon entering. Emma was sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for breakfast to start, and Alex was placing syrup and butter on the table for them. From the looks of things they were having pancakes. Harry’s stomach immediately grumbled in anticipation.

“Harry!” Emma squealed. She flew from her chair and Harry scooped down to pick her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he hugged her close, watching Alex smile in delight at both of them. 

“I’m so glad you are here for breakfast,” Emma said. “You should have slumber parties with Mummy all the time.”

Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing as he set Emma down, taking her hand and leading her back towards the table. “Emma, I think that is an excellent idea.” He looked up at Alex and smirked, waiting to see how she responded to that little gem from her daughter.

Alex pursed her lips, pretending that she didn’t think that was an excellent an idea. She was only able to get about five seconds of that face in before she gave in and smiled. “Emma, I think Harry can come over for slumber parties more often.”

Harry almost laughed when she said slumber parties. It just shy of hilarious how different Emma’s idea of a slumber party was from Harry’s. He wasn’t going to be a dirty minded guy at the breakfast table. His desire to show respect for Alex letting him be here would overtake anything else. He glanced up at her then though, and she looking at him like she expected him to laugh. The corner of her mouth was tilted, waiting on his commentary.

He cleared his through. “Alex, those pancakes look amazing.” He turned to Emma. “I’ll bet your mum makes the best pancakes.”

“Not as good as Pop’s,” Emma said quickly. She quickly realized her error and glanced guiltily at her mother. “Sorry mummy.”

Alex laughed and reached over to ruffle Emma’s hair. “It’s quite alright kiddo. You are right. Pop’s pancakes are the best in the world.”

Alex began to dole out the pancakes, two for Emma, four for Harry, and three for herself. Emma asked Harry to butter hers, but wanted to put the syrup on them herself. He did as she asked, then supervised as she poured the syrup, cutting her off just when he knew she was about to get excessive with it.

“Who’s Pop?” Harry asked when they had all started to dig in.

Alex smiled. “My dad and Emma’s grandfather; she calls my mom ‘Mimi’. John’s mom is called ‘Granny’.”

“Ah. Emma, did you know I call my grandmother ‘Granny’?” Harry asked.

Alex’s eyes got big. He was talking about the Queen and she knew it.

“Really? What’s her real name?” Emma asked with a mouthful of pancakes.

“Emma, no talking with your mouth full,” Alex chided gently.

Emma swallowed. “Sorry, mum.”

Alex smiled and winked at her before turning back to Harry. “So, Harry…I believe you were about to tell us your grandmother’s name.”

He chuckled at the slight snark he heard in her voice. “My granny’s name is Elizabeth.”

“That’s a pretty name,” Emma said, slightly distracted by another big bite of pancake.

“Hopefully someday you’ll get to meet my granny,” Harry said to Emma, before glancing up at Alex. He almost couldn’t wait to see the look on her face.

He was well rewarded.

Her mouth had dropped open and she was staring at him with eyes so wide he was sure they were going to bug right out of her head.

“Meet your granny?” Alex whispered. She pointed her fork at Harry almost accusingly.

“That’s what he said, Mum,” Emma chimed in.

Harry dissolved into laughter. That kid had too much sass for him to handle.

“Relax, Alex. You aren’t going to meet her today…or tomorrow for that matter. Just…someday…okay?” His face softened, his eyes searching her to make sure she wasn’t about to freak out.

Alex gulped. “Someday,” she murmured.

Harry watched Alex as she went back to her pancakes, cutting and spearing before putting each bite to her mouth. She was so methodical, so organized about it, that Harry knew she was processing meeting his grandmother someday in that brain of hers he loved so much.

Luckily, Emma didn’t notice her mother’s sudden descent into silence, or was just used to it, and she turned her attention to Harry. “I get to stay at my granny’s all weekend,” she said matter-of-factly.

Harry smiled and winked at her. “I know. What are you going to do with your granny all weekend?”

Emma sighed, a big dramatic air about her, before she launched into a description of the usual activities to take place at Molly’s house when she stayed there. Lots of Disney movies, board games, puzzles, and walks in the park were going to take place, and Emma was beyond excited.

And Harry loved listening to her. He loved how open she was with him, how she was so full of excitement and wonder at everything.

Eventually Alex came back around and joined back into the conversation, making sure that Emma knew all of the rules for staying at Molly’s and letting her know that she was only a phone call away if she needed her. Emma rolled her eyes at her mother, having heard this same speech a hundred times. Harry laughed as Alex reminded Emma for what surely wouldn’t be the last time that ladies did not roll their eyes, especially at their mothers.

At least Emma was smart enough to look sheepish about it.

Harry had to use every trick he had not to fall out of his chair with the laughter at the two of them. They were so similar with their mannerisms and smart-aleck tendencies, he wondered what it would be like when Emma was a teenager and she wouldn’t be so quick to feel bad about rolling her eyes at her mother.

Then the thought smacked Harry right on the head.

He hoped with all of his heart that he was around to see it.

*******************

Alex had taken care of making sure her weekend was open before she had woken Harry up that morning. She called work, making sure they could do without her that day and on Monday, and she called Molly, making sure Emma could stay with her. She apologized profusely for the short notice, but everyone was just so happy that Alex was happy, and with someone has wonderful as Harry, that they were all perfectly willing to accommodate her.

Harry left Alex’s flat when Alex left to take Emma to school. He went back to Kensington to get their travel arrangements finalized and pack for the weekend. He could barely contain his excitement as he contacted the necessary people to set everything up. They would be taking a private plane up to Scotland and then of course, the ever present Range Rovers would drive them up to Balmoral from the airport. The would be staying at the cottage that his grandmother had gifted to Will and Kate long ago and that Harry was known to use on occasion.

Having gotten everything taken care of, he made his way back to Alex’s to pick her up. She buzzed him in and he bounded up the stairs in excitement. When she opened the door he immediately swept her up in his arms, kissing her soundly over and over again before setting her back on her feet.

“Well, what was that for?” she asked when she had recovered herself. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright with love for him.

Harry shrugged, the smile never leaving his face. “I’m excited. Balmoral is one of my favorite places in the world. I can’t wait to share it with you.”

Alex grinned. “I’m excited too. I’ve been up to Edinburgh before, but never up to the Highlands, and especially never to Balmoral.”

Harry was about to rush her out of the door when the buzzer rang at the door.

“Expecting someone?” Harry asked her with a raised eyebrow.

She shook her head. “No one except you.”

She went over and hit the intercom.

“Hello?”

“It’s Charlotte,” the feminine yet determined voice came crackling through.

Alex looked at Harry. “Did you invite Charlotte to join?” she asked, half joking.

He laughed and shook his head. “No way, Balmoral is way too peaceful for Charlotte. Buzz her in, see what she wants.”

“Come on up,” Alex said, opening the door. She shrugged her shoulders at Harry who was standing across the foyer from her looking at her quizzically.

A sharp knock rang out on the door and Alex opened it, standing back quickly as Charlotte came flying in, rounding on her. Her wild mahogany hair flew around her and her eyes were flashing.

“Charlotte, what…” Alex started before Charlotte completely cut her off.

“You,” Charlotte said, pointing a finger at Alex and narrowing her eyes. “You said you wouldn’t hurt him and at the first chance you had you ran.”

Alex’s mouth dropped open in shock. She quickly glanced at Harry who she was sure Charlotte hadn’t even noticed behind her and then back to Charlotte.

“Charlotte, hold on…”

“No, you hold on,” Charlotte interrupted Alex again. “I told you I would kick your ass if you hurt him and that’s what I’m here to do.”

Alex couldn’t help herself, and a giggle escaped her mouth before she could stop it. She clapped her hand over her mouth as Charlotte’s eyes got wide with disbelief.

“Why in the world are you laughing?” Charlotte demanded.

Harry cleared his throat. “Hello, Charlotte.”

Charlotte turned to him and said, “Hey Harry,” and then went to turn back to Alex; but before she could turn all the way back around she did a double take. “What are you doing here?” she said to him.

“I think the better question would be what are you doing here?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I…I was coming to kick Alex’s ass for leaving you. Although it looks like you haven’t been left anymore,” she said. “And I’m completely and utterly embarrassed.”

Oh my God,” Alex said, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. “Have you been stewing over this since Tuesday night?”

Charlotte gulped and looked from Alex to Harry and then back again. “Yes.”

Harry chuckled and shook his head. He walked over and put his arm around Charlotte’s shoulders. “You’re right, I haven’t been left anymore. And while I appreciate you coming to my defense, it’s really not necessary, even I hadn’t come to Alex myself.”

Charlotte’s eyes went wide. “You came to her?”

Harry nodded. “I won’t go into the details, you and Alex can girl talk that to death later if you want, but Alex and I were both wrong and we both realized what we did. Now we are good and about to walk out the door to go to Scotland for the weekend. I’d love to invite you, but…”

Charlotte shook her head. “No, no you wouldn’t love to invite me.” She turned and looked sheepishly at Alex. “I’m sorry.”

Alex waved her hand. “It’s okay. Just…if anything happens in the future come talk to me first before you start throwing punches, okay?”

Charlotte nodded. “Can we hug it out, bitch?” she said, her lips twitching at the corners.

Alex laughed, already moving forward to do just that. “Yes, bitch, we can.”

**************

“How much money do I owe you for the ticket?” Alex asked Harry as they pulled up to the airport.

He shook his head at her. “I didn’t purchase you a ticket, Alex.” He had not let her in on his plans, wanting to surprise her every step of the way.

“What? What do you mean you didn’t buy me a ticket? Are we buying them here?” she asked, confused. She thought he said he took care of everything.

He smiled at her but kept silent, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, as the Range Rover pulled past the normal departure zones and up to gates marked “Private Only”. Alex scrunched up her nose in confusion as they pulled through the gates were waved through by security.

“I don’t…ohhh…” she said, trailing off as they pulled up in front of the private plane. She turned to him, her fingers gripping his. “Private?” she whispered.

He nodded. He reached up and cupped her face with his free hand, his blue eyes staring into hers. “Yes just us. I wanted this whole weekend, everything to be just about us. No one else, save for my POs…” he stopped and waved his hand towards the one she had just learned was named Mark in the front seat, “will be with us from this moment until Monday evening when we get back. Is that okay with you?”

She beamed. “That is more than okay, Harry. Although…the expense…”

He shook his head slowly. “This is my expense. Don’t worry about it. I mean it, Alexandra. Do not even think about worrying how much any of this costs. I’ve paid for it all and you can’t change it, so don’t even try.”

She shook her head slowly, her lips curving up slowly into a smile. “Fine, I give up…give in…whatever,” she said, laughing. She leaned forward and kissed him solidly, her lips smacking as she pulled back. “Just take me to Scotland, baby.”

He grinned. “I can do that.”

They climbed quickly from the Range Rover, both with small carry-on bags aboard, as their main bags would be loaded separately. Harry motioned for her to climb up the steps in front of him and she did, stepping into the elegant cabin first.

Alex’s mouth dropped opened as she took it in the luxury. There was a small table with two plush chairs along one side of the cabin and a small couch built in along the other. At the far end of the couch was a fully stocked bar with a small sink. She didn’t even wait for Harry before tossing her bag onto the couch and moving further back into the plane to inspect. She passed a bathroom, unlike any other airplane bathroom she had ever seen – definitely larger and with dark wood cabinets, a porcelain sink, and granite counter tops.

She moved past the bathroom, pushing a door that was slightly ajar and stepping foot in a bedroom. She walked in, turning as she took in the room. There was a full size bed, low to the ground, a plush chair in the corner, and a small dresser built in to one of the cabin walls below the windows.

Harry walked in behind her, entering the room and shutting the door softly behind him and locking it with a click. She had just turned forward and he watched her as she took it all in, processed it. Then her eyes fell on his, her soft, languid, blue eyes, and he had to stop himself from lunging for her. She was here, all his for the next four days and he couldn’t wait to claim her in the most basic way he knew how.

“Harry?” she asked softly, her head tilted to the side.

“Yes?” He stepped closer to her.

“Do all private planes have bedrooms?”

He chuckled. He knew where she was going with this. “No,” he said, shaking his head slowly. “I usually only take planes that have bedrooms if I’m flying somewhere that takes longer than eight hours or so.”

“And how long does it take to get to Balmoral?” she asked softly, teasingly.

Harry smirked. “About two hours.”

“So I’m assuming this isn’t to sleep then?” She smiled up at him as he settled in front of her, their bodies almost touching, but not quite.

“No,” he murmured as he pushed his hands into her hair, tilting her head as he brought his lips close to hers. “This is most definitely not for sleeping.”

She licked her lips, her tongue brushing against his lips that were mere millimeters from hers, causing a groan to escape from Harry’s throat.

“Harry…” she murmured.

“Hmmmm?” He was done talking, but humored her anyway, loving that she didn’t just let him get have his way all the time.

“Are you about to induct me into the Mile High Club?”

He laughed quickly, loudly, before leaning down and finally capturing her mouth with his, his tongue thrusting into her mouth hotly, tangling with hers before he pulled back and winked down at her.

“Hell yes I am.”


	13. Chapter Thirteen

They were forced by rules and regulations to take their seats at the front of the plane while it took off. To say Harry was irritated by the delaying of Alex’s induction into the Mile High Club was putting it lightly. He fought against sending glares to the flight attendant every minute that the plane was in the air and the fasten seatbelt sign was still lit.

“You know, if we aren’t at full altitude, it isn’t really the ‘Mile High Club’. We wouldn’t want to be cheating now,” Alex whispered at Harry from across the table.

“Don’t care,” Harry grumbled from across the table.

Alex giggled. “Aren’t we Mr. Grumpy Pants?”

Harry raised his eyebrows. “The things that are going on in my pants have nothing to with being grumpy and have everything to do with getting you naked and panting under me on that bed back there.”

Alex’s mouth dropped open in shock just as they heard the ping and the seatbelt sign went off. Harry didn’t miss a beat, bolting up right and grabbing her hand, yanking her out of her seat and pulling her behind him. She gasped but went easily, intrigued at what was going to happen once they hit that bedroom.

Once they got down the hall by the bathroom, Harry maneuvered her so that she was in front of him, pulled tight back against him, his arm tight across hers as he held her against his hardening body as he walked them the rest of the way down the hall.

“Alexandra…do you know how much I want you?” He murmured as they reached the door. He pushed it open with his free hand and walked her through, shutting it behind him and locking it. He leaned back against it, keeping her pulled tight and leaning against him. Moving her hair out of the way he leaned down in her ear. “Not just now either. It’s all the time. I can be sitting in a room with the most powerful men in the United Kingdom and my mind wanders to the way your hair looks spread out underneath you while we make love and I’ll get so hard that I can barely stand it.

Alex moaned and closed her eyes at his words, her head falling back against his chest. His teeth grazed her earlobe and he pulled on it gently before his tongue quickly darted out, swiping hotly where his teeth had just been.

“Harry….” she whimpered as she ground her hips back against him, wanting him…needing him…as much as he needed her.

He had really wanted to drag this moment out, to make slow, sweet love to her in the sky, but he was so desperate for her that this was going to be a different kind of sexual experience for them together. Up until now they had always been passionate and tender and consumed by each other, but this was going to be needy and rough and hard and Harry and Alex both knew it and wanted it.

“Oh Alex, the things you do to me…” Harry chuckled. His free hand ran slowly over her shoulder and down her chest. It passed in between the valley of her breasts, and moving over their arms that were wrapped together around her middle; he came to the waist band of her jeans. He unsnapped them and slid the zipper down before sliding his hand down inside, his fingers moving along her bare skin and under the satin panties covering her.

“Ohhhhh…” she moaned when his fingers slid over her already slick sex. They dipped down low and pulled back up, having gathered her moisture and moving it up to rub it over the tight, throbbing button of nerves at the top of her cleft.

“Alexandra,” he groaned into her neck. He pressed hot, slow kisses there, fighting for some small bit of control, though feeling just how ready she was for him wasn’t helping his cause. He moved on against her though, pressing hard, intense circles against the center of her world. She pressed her backside hard into him, moaning and whimpering as he tormented her body closer and closer to its peak.

Then he moved his hands away, bringing a whimper of protest from her before he turned her in his arms. He pulled her close, front to front, before crashing his lips down to hers. Her mouth opened under his, accepting his tongue, sliding her own alongside it, matching every motion. Her hands went to the hem of his shirt, tugging it up over his head and throwing it across the room. She attacked his chest, using her lips, teeth, and tongue to work Harry into a frenzied state as he alternated between ripping her clothes off and groaning with the sensations she brought to his heated frame.

He had her shirt and bra off and made his way down to her jeans, pushing them quickly down her legs along with her panties. He moved her backward until the backs of her calves hit the low bed. He lowered her gently to the mattress and knelt back, his knees on the ground and looking at her laying there for him, legs spread slightly, lips swollen from his kisses, face flushed, chest rising and falling rapidly. He had a fleeting thought that he would never get used to seeing her like this, completely ready for him and whatever he wanted to bring upon her.

He grabbed her hips, pulling her so that her bottom was on the edge of the bed. She was resting on her elbows, watching him with heavy lidded eyes. He put his hands on her thighs and pushed them wider, his eyes never leaving hers as he leaned down to her, pressing a light kiss on her slit, right on top of the hardened ball of nerves he had been so relentlessly teasing just minutes before.

She threw her head back, her hair pooling on the bed behind her. “Harry…please…” she cried out.

He was useless against her plea and gave in, dipping his tongue out to taste her.

Her elbows gave out and she fell back on the bed, her eyes closed. He was so good at loving her with that amazing mouth of his and it always made her completely lose her mind when he did this to her. She reached down and threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him tight against her and he licked and sucked at her flesh, heating her body and pushing her closer and closer to the edge with every passing second.

“I love doing this to you…love how you respond to me…love how you taste…love you…” Harry murmured against her. His voice and its vibrations made her shudder in delight and then…and then he moved, slipping two fingers inside of her, pressing just so, and flicking his tongue and sucking in just the right place and she exploded, gripping the hair in her fingers and crying out into the room. She whimpered his name over and over again as he stayed in place, albeit more gently, while she rode out her climax against his mouth.

And then he was up, sliding his pants and boxers off and moving over her. He pushed her further back on the bed and leaning down to capture her mouth he entered her in one swift move, slamming into her more forcefully than he had meant to. She cried out against his mouth and he quickly moved to soothe her, apologizing against her lips with whispered kisses and stilling his hips.

She pulled her head back from him. “Harry, stop apologizing…please…for the love of God keep moving…” she said frantically against his mouth. She thrust her hips to his to prove her point and the last bit of his control snapped.

With a groan he pulled back and slammed home again and again and again. Alex matched him thrust for thrust, her head buried in his neck, holding on for dear life, whimpering each time their bodies met completely.

It was primal.

It was intense.

It was rough.

It was exactly what they both needed and they both gave everything they had in that moment.

He felt her reaching, wanting, but not being able to get there. Needing to get her there, for her and for him, he slid a hand in the hair at the base of her neck, pulling her back so he could see her. “Alexandra, look at me,” he demanded, never losing pace as her drove them towards the end. She opened her eyes, completely clouded with lust for him, and he held them as he pushed harder against her. “Come for me…” he begged. He was close, oh so close, but he wasn’t going to go without her. He wouldn’t dare give himself the satisfaction unless she had it to.

“I can’t…” she cried.

“Yes, you can…”

She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears at the intensity of it. It was too much, he was taking all of her and she knew it. She wanted to give it to him, but she just didn’t know how to let go.

“Please Alex…I need it…”

And then he shifted just enough and in the right place and it caught her off guard and she finally let go, gloriously, loudly. He covered his mouth with hers, muffling her scream of pleasure, and joined her in her climax, blissfully falling over the edge with her.

**************

A little over an hour later they landed at the airport, which was a little over an hour’s drive from Balmoral. It was late afternoon and the sun was already beginning to begin its descent into the horizon. Even if it was March and spring was beginning to bloom in London, it was still pretty cold way up north in the Highlands, and Alex was glad she had packed as warm as she did.

They slid into the waiting Range Rover and Harry pulled Alex to the middle of the big backseat, buckling her in there and snuggling her under his arm.

After what they shared on the plane earlier they hadn’t been able to stop touching each other. They had cuddled in the bed until they were forced to go back to their seats for landing. He had held her hand under the table, running her fingers through his as they talked and laughed and enjoyed each other. Now in the Range Rover, his hands never left her, rubbing her arm or her leg or pressing kisses to her cheek as he pointed out landmarks along the way.

“Harry?” she asked as it grew dark outside the windows and he was unable to talk very much about the passing scenery anymore.

“Hmmm?”

“Where are we staying? I mean, you said Balmoral, but I’m assuming we aren’t staying at the actual castle.”

He smiled as he looked down at her. Her head was lying on his chest but she her head tilted up towards him so she could look at him. He shook his head, “No, we’re not. Too many tourists around since Granny’s not up there this time of year. We’ll be staying at a small cottage a couple of miles from the castle.”

She smiled but wrinkled her nose at him.

“What?” he asked with a chuckle. “You wanted to stay in the big house with all the servants?”

“No,” she laughed, shaking her head. “It’s just…odd. You know, your family has houses that people pay to go into and look around.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You mean everyone’s family isn’t like that?”

She giggled. “Certainly not mine.”

“Is that weird for you, Alex?”

“I imagine it would be weird for anybody, Harry.” Her eyes were earnest, open, as she answered him.

He grinned. “That’s true. Now tell me something, Alexandra…have you ever done any of the tours of the family homes?”

She blinked. “You mean, like as a tourist?”

“Yes, like as a tourist.”

She blushed and tried to hide her grin. “Yes.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Alex, you don’t have to be embarrassed. Loads of people do those tours.”

“Yes, but they don’t have to tell their boyfriends later that they paid money to tour their family estates.”

“Okay, fair enough,” he conceded with a grin. “Now, which ones have you been to?”

She groaned. “Harry…”

He ran his fingers down her side then, digging in just a little bit, testing the waters to see how ticklish she was. She immediately wiggled in his arms, giggling in surprise.

“Did you just tickle me?” she asked, her cheeks flushed as she tried to move away from him. He kept a tight hold and nodded, a smirk playing on his lips.

“I’ll do it again to if you don’t fess up,” he said in a low voice.

“I am not telling you. Keeping dreaming Your Highness.” She folded her arms over her chest to prove she meant business.

“Did you just seriously ‘Your Highness’ me, Alexandra? Ha! If you think that got you out of anything you are so wrong. In fact, that just made it worse,” he said, fighting back the laughter as his fingers dug into her sides again. Alex squealed as fought to get away from him, but he wasn’t letting go.

“Fine!” she finally huffed, and he relented, letting her slap his hands away before smirked at her and wrapped her right back up in his embrace.

“Fine what?” he asked with an eyebrow raised.

Alex rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll tell you which tours I’ve taken.”

He grinned. “Go ahead…”

“Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Holyrood.”

Harry nodded. “All great choices. See, was that so hard?”

“Yes,” Alex said with a laugh.

Then Harry’s attention turned all of the sudden and an almost faraway look came over him as he looked out of the window.

“What?” Alex asked as she sat up, looking for what Harry was seeing.

He turned and smiled at her; a slow, sweet smile that made her heart thump in her chest.

He pointed. “We’re here. The cottage is just up over that hill.”

********

Alex loved the cottage. It cozy and warm and everything she imagined a cottage in the Scottish Highlands to be.

The best part though was the pictures that were hung on the walls and placed on bookshelves and end tables throughout the cottage. They were all candid shots, or at least not taken by professionals of Harry, William, their father, and the rest of family. Alex was enamored, going from room to room looking at every single one she could find while Harry gave instructions the small staff that had prepared for their arrival.

It was in their room for the weekend that Harry found her, a picture that had been sitting on the dresser in her hands, her fingers lying lightly on the glass. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and setting his chin on her shoulder.

“You look just like her here,” Alex said quietly.

“Thank you,” Harry said, turning his head to kiss her cheek softly. “I don’t often hear that. I like it.”

Alex leaned her head into his, loving how he seemed to just wrap himself around her at times. It made her feel so warm, so protected.

“All of these pictures in this house…they are so wonderful. But this one…of you and her…it’s just beautiful,” Alex murmured, the emotion evident in her voice. “You had to of been what? Eleven?”

He gulped. “Twelve. That’s the last…” He stopped and took a breath. “It’s the last picture we took together.”

“Harry…” she whispered softly, reverently. Her fingers still lightly stroked the picture of him and his mother. “Why is it here? Why don’t you have it at home?”

He smiled. “I have copies of that picture everywhere. In my rooms at every house we have, my office, when I’m in Army training and…on deployment…it’s always with me.”

“Oh…” Alex murmured as she leaned forward and set the picture back on the dresser, adjusting it so it was just how she found it. She turned in Harry’s arms then, and his heart dropped when he saw the tears in her eyes.

“Hey…” he said as he reached up to catch the tear that escaped with. “Don’t cry for me.”

She smiled then. “I’m not…I’m crying for her…”

“What do you mean?”

“She never got to know the man you’ve become, Harry. She never got to see how wonderful you are; how full of life, how fun, how loving you are. She never got to see you with children, and here I am, and I get to watch you with my daughter and…” She stopped and looked for the way she wanted to say the words. Eventually she just took his hand, pressing it to her heart, letting the action speak the words she couldn’t find. “Listen, I know about as much about your mother as the next person, but I do know that you couldn’t have become the person you are if she hadn’t of been at least a small percentage of how amazing everyone said she was.”

Harry was beyond speechless. Most people felt sorry for him, for losing his mother so young, but Alex…she got it. She got Harry’s feelings at her loss; that his mother would never get to see the good he did in her name, the good that she ingrained in his heart.

“Alex…” Harry stopped, swallowing the lump that was threatening to force its way up.

“No, Harry. Don’t cry,” she said, cupping his face with her hands, forcing his eyes to hers. “I love the man you’ve become and she would have too. That’s the answer to any questions you could possibly raise from this conversation.”

He nodded then, and then making the biggest effort he could possibly muster, he forced the lump back, focusing back on Alex. “Okay. You’re right,” he said simply, leaning down and kissing her softly. “Are you hungry?”

She smiled. “For food?”

He laughed. “Yes, for food. I’ve got something set up for us. You game?”

She leaned into him, staring up into his eyes. “For anything.”

“I knew you would be. C’mon, let’s go.” He pulled back and reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers as he led her out of the room and downstairs. He stopped by the door and pulled her coat from the rack there, holding it out for her.

“We’re going somewhere?” she asked, surprised.

“Not far. We will be outside though and it’s pretty chilly. Is that okay?”

She shrugged as she put her arms through the coat, turning back to him. “Sure. I trust you.”

He grinned and buttoned her up and then wrapped a scarf around her neck. He bundled himself up similarly, grabbed a flashlight from the table by the door and led her out into the cold night air.

He found the path easily and kept a tight grip on her fingers as he walked them down it. It wasn’t a long walk, just a few minutes, but she loved it all of the same. It was so quiet, peaceful. It was just them, the POs not needing to join them on this adventure, and as they moved through the trees, the half frozen ground crunching under their boots, Alex felt so connected with him. She loved that she got to share something with him that he obviously enjoyed so much.

Finally Harry slowed just a touch, coming to a break in the trees. Alex saw the light and the smoke before they even stepped out into the open space and her face broke into a smile. Then sure enough, a small bonfire came into view. There was a thick blanket set up a little bit away from it; a basket sitting there which Alex was sure contained their dinner.

“Well, what do you think?” Harry said as they walked towards the fire.

“I love it,” she said excitedly. She threw her arms around him and kissed him soundly on the lips before taking his hand and pulling him closer towards the warmth.

He laughed, letting her pull him along to the blanket. He let her sit first and then joined her, sliding in behind her so her back was against his chest and his legs spread out on either side of hers as they looked towards the fire.

“Why don’t you break open that thing over there?” Harry asked, motioning towards the large wicker basket near her foot. She leaned forward, pulling it toward her and opened the lid, pulling items out. There was two bottles of her favorite wine, two glasses, and a selection of sandwiches and small finger foods that would be easy to eat without plates and utensils. There were also some small chocolate cakes for dessert.

“This is perfect,” Alex said. “And I’m starving.”

Harry wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tighter against him. “Me too,” he growled in her ear.

She giggled. “Food first, then we get to enjoy the fire, and then, if you’re lucky, you can make love to me again.”

He smirked. “I’m always lucky, Alex; especially when it comes to you.”

“Yeah, yeah…” she said with a laugh. “Food first, I’m not kidding.”

Harry relented, and they ate, talking and laughing, cuddled up together in front of the fire. They made their way through every bit of the food and all of the wine.

And then…very full, very content and a lot tipsy…Harry got very lucky and Alex let him make love to her for the second time that day…this time wrapped up tight in a blanket right in front of a blazing fire on the grounds of Balmoral.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Harry woke Alex early the next morning. Nursing a slight hangover from all of the wine and a bit tired from staying up so late out by the fire, she wasn’t entirely ready to get out of the warm bed and begged Harry to get back in with her, promising him a morning filled with things that he would normally never say no to. Not today though, today he had plans and nothing was going to deter him; even if it was Alex and her newly found dirty mouth.

“C’mon Alexandra, get up,” he said, pulling her up by her arms. “Get in the shower and I’ll go get you a bottle of water and some Advil.”

She pouted. “Get in the shower with me?”

He shook his head and chuckled. “Stop it. We have things to do. Don’t you want to see what I have planned?”

And because he was right and she really did want to see everything he had set up for them, she sucked it up and climbed out of bed. She showered, and when she stepped out into their room from the bathroom, wrapped tightly in a fluffy white robe, there was a cold bottle of water, two Advil, and a note, folded in half. She picked it up and smiled when she read it.

Alexandra,

Dress warm and wear jeans. Don’t worry about footwear, I’ve got it covered.

I can’t wait to kiss you.

Love,

Harry

She took the two Advil, even though she felt better already from the shower, and got dressed. Putting on jeans, a long sleeved flannel plaid shirt, and her warmest socks, she padded downstairs to look for Harry.  
She found him in the kitchen, sitting at the old wood table on his laptop. “Hey,” she said, moving up behind him. She ran her hand over his shoulder as she moved in front of him.

“Hi,” he murmured, his attention immediately leaving whatever he had been looking at on his laptop and turning to her. He grabbed the hand that was on his shoulder and tugged her so that she moved to his lap. Her legs moved to either side of his, straddling him, and she settled into him.

“Did you mean it?” she said quietly, her eyes searching his.

He tipped his head at her, confused. “Did I mean what?”

“That you couldn’t wait to kiss me?”

His lips curved into a smile and his tongue darted out, wetting his bottom lip. “I can never wait to kiss you Alex.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “So what’s the hold up now then?”

He laughed. “I have no idea.”

He leaned forward and captured her laughing mouth and the result was a sweet, playful, loving kiss that Harry was reluctant to pull away from. In the end though, he had plans for them that wouldn’t wait. He could get back to that sweet mouth of hers later.

She smiled when he pulled back. “So what’s the plan today?”

His eyes lit up. “A few things, but first on the list is horses.”

“Horses?”

“Do you not like horses?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m from Texas, Harry. Of course I like horses. Don’t you know people ride them down the roads there? We save lots of money on gas.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “You’re joking.”

She nodded, laughing at the look on his face.

He smirked. “Brat.”

She winked at him before climbing off of his lap and moving to a chair next to him. “So are we riding horses?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Better. There is a place on the land here where all these wild horses roam free. I’d like to take you out there to watch them.”

“Okay,” she said with a smile. “That sounds wonderful.”

Harry clapped his hands together, rubbing them in anticipation. “Great. Now, let’s get you fed and we can be on our way.”

He stood and pulled some light pastries and fruit from the fridge, letting her choose what she wanted as he had already eaten while she was getting ready. She ate quickly, washing everything down with some fresh orange juice, excited to see what Harry wanted to show her.

When she was done he led her to the door and handed her a pair of Wellies. “It’s going to be wet out there with the ground starting to defrost” he said with a grin as he slipped his own pair on.

She grinned back at him as she slid her feet into the Wellies and reached for her coat and scarf. “Just remind me to clean them when we get back, I don’t want to leave these dirty for whoever they belong to.”

Harry stopped, looking at her with that slight smug grin that seemed to be almost permanently present.

“What?” she asked.

“Those are yours, Alex.”

She shook her head. “No they aren’t. I don’t own a pair of these.”

“I know you don’t. That’s why I bought those,” he stopped and pointed at the shoes and then up at her, “for you.”

She laughed then, at herself mostly, for not getting it. “Wow. Score one for Alex,” she said, still giggling. “Just blame it on all the wine and smoke from the fire last night. It clouded my brain.” She waved a hand alongside her head to prove her point.

“Don’t worry about it,” Harry said, grabbing her hand and kissing her palm softly.

Smiling, she leaned up on her toes in her brand new Wellies and kissed him swiftly on the mouth. “I’m not. I love you. Thank you for the boots.”

He grinned. “You’re welcome. And I love you too.” Having gotten his jacket and scarf on as well, he handed her a pair gloves before sliding a pair on his own hands. Then opening the door he slapped her right on the ass as she moved out the door in front of him. “Let’s go sweet cheeks.”

*****************

“So, I have a question,” Alex asked as they walked hand in hand from the Range Rover that had dropped them close to the spot where Harry knew the horses would be.

“Ask away,” Harry said, smiling over at her.

“You are being deployed for four months, correct?” she asked quietly.

He sucked in a breath. “Alex…”

“No, don’t brush me off. Besides, this isn’t really about you and me. It’s about…your brother and your sister-in –law.”

“Oh?” Harry asked, intrigued.

“Kate…or Catherine…she’s due in July, correct?” Alex asked.

“Kate,” he said, wanting Alex to feel comfortable calling her that when she did finally get to meet her. “And yes, she is.”

“You aren’t due back until the middle of July. You could miss the baby’s birth,” Alex said softly.

Harry looked over at her, trying to hide the hurt that appeared in his eyes. He’d already gone over that with Will and Kate, feeling very sad that it was likely he wouldn’t be around for a week or two of his first niece or nephew’s life.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean…”

He shook his head at her, pulling her close to his side. “Never feel bad about asking me questions, Alex. Never. I love that you feel you can and I’ll always be open and honest with you about things, I can promise you that. It’s not in my nature to skate around the truth or sugar coat things.”

She nodded, “I just didn’t mean to bring down your mood.”

He leaned down and kissed her temple. “You didn’t,” he sighed. “I’m would be lying if I said I wasn’t upset about it. This deployment…it really came at the most awkward time. But you know that’s as close to the real world as I’ll get. I shouldn’t get to choose when I go because of who I am. Other blokes don’t get to say when they’ll go or complain that it isn’t convenient because their brother is having a baby…” he stopped walking and gazed down at her. “Or because they just happened to meet and fall in love with the most amazing woman.”

She met his gaze and then winked up at him. “You are too smooth for your own good.”

Her smart comment took him by surprise and he laughed loudly, loving that the tension of the moment faded right away, that she did that for him; for them. His fingers played lightly along her sides, tickling her softly.

“Eeeee!” she shrieked, swatting him away. “No tickling!”

He put his hands up in the air. “Fine. I promise. No more tickling.”

She looked at him with narrowed eyes before she moved back toward him. “I don’t believe you.”

He chuckled and grabbed her hand, entwining her fingers back in his. “You shouldn’t.”

She laughed, delighted in their playful banter. “Are you excited about being an uncle though? I know how much you love kids.”

His lips turned up at the corners and his eyes lit up. “I do love kids. I always have and I’ve made no secret about it.”

“Right, wasn’t that during the Jubilee last year when you gave that interview that sent ovaries everywhere into overdrive?” Alex teased.

He rolled his eyes. “Ah yes, boy did I ever learn a lesson how to keep my mouth shut on that one,” he said, trailing off as a smile curved onto his face. He turned and winked at Alex. “We’re here.”

She turned and looked out before her and her breath caught. They were standing up on a hill, at the very top, looking down at a huge open meadow below. Dozens and dozens of horses were in the meadow, grazing and moving amongst themselves. They all had different markings and colors and sizes and shapes…a mismatch resulting in true beauty.

“Wow,” Alex breathed. “They are…amazing.”

“Aren’t they?” Harry answered, echoing her wonder. “Come on, let’s sit.” He pulled a thick blanket from his backpack and laid it out before sitting and pulling her down next to him.

“How did you even find all of this?” she asked as they sat there at watched quietly.

“My dad showed them to William and I when we were young. William thinks they are beautiful, but he isn’t as connected to this spot, to these beautiful animals as I am, which is weird when I think about it.”

“Why?” Alex asked, pressing on.

Harry sat in thought for a moment, trying to find a way to put the connection he felt to these horses, this place, into words.

“Alexandra, these horses have been here as long as anyone can remember. They are a society unto themselves. They are free, wild. They breed with who they want. They aren’t raised and mated for pedigree to make the perfect thoroughbred show horse or riding horse. They just…are.” He looked at her when he finally finished, hoping he made a little bit of sense.

She didn’t miss a beat before she answered. “It is how you wish it could be for you and it’s strange to you that William doesn’t see it the same way.”

He blinked. “You get it.”

She shrugged. “I’m smart.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean to imply you aren’t. I know how incredibly smart you are. What I meant was you can see it the way I see it, can’t you?”

She nodded and leaned into him, watching the horses with fascination.

“Harry?”

“Hmmm?”

“How many other girls have you brought up here?” she asked softly, as if she almost didn’t want to know.

He took a deep breath. “Just one.”

“Besides me?”

“No, including you.”

She turned her face up to his in surprise. “Just me?”

He nodded slowly. “It’s always something I said to myself I’d share with someone someday, but it never felt right.”

She blinked back tears. “Until me?”

“Until you.”

She couldn’t help herself and she leaned up, kissing him hard, throwing her weight behind it. He had to reach an arm behind himself to prevent her from toppling him backwards, but he didn’t mind. He let her kiss him and kissed her back with equal fervor until she slowly pulled her face away, staring up at him with bright eyes.

“I won’t lie Harry, I wouldn’t have been mad if you said you had brought another girl up her, but I would have been so jealous that someone else got to share this with you.”

He burst out laughing, his head falling back. “Alex, you have no reason to be jealous of anyone.”

She laughed with him, biting her lip. “Sometimes I can’t help it.”

“What?” he asked incredulously. “You get jealous? You’ve never seen me with another girl besides Charlotte,” he stopped, his eyes getting big as he pointed at her. “Don’t tell me you get jealous of Charlotte!”

She nudged him in the side with her elbow. “Quit making fun, Harry,” she said, fighting off a giggle. “And no, I do not get jealous of Charlotte…even though I know you kissed her.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed. “Oh God, she told you about that?”

Alex laughed. “She did…as much as it grossed her out…she did.”

Harry shuddered. “Good, I’m glad she is still as grossed out as I am.”

“You should have seen her face when I started talking about how hot I think you look in uniform and all the things it makes me want to do to you,” Alex teased.

He raised his eyebrows. “Horrified, was she?”

“Completely.”

Harry shook his head. “You two are insane.”

“We both love you though. Albeit, in very different ways.”

He smirked. “God, I hope so.” He grew serious then, leaning over and resting his head on hers, his attention shifting back to the horses. “Really though, Alex, you shouldn’t be jealous over anyone.”

She sighed. “It’s not that I mean to be. Sometimes the thought pops into my head that there were others before me…other…girlfriends,” she says, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.

He nods. “There were other girlfriends.”

“And you loved them…”

“Oh Alex…” he said, his fingers coming up to trace her cheek before pushing back and threading themselves through her hair. They finally find home at the back her neck, cradling it, holding her tilted up to him. “I loved one. I didn’t love the others.”

“Okay…now don’t get mad at what I’m about to ask…” she whispered nervously.

“I won’t get mad,” he promised. His eyes were wide, open, and honest.

“How many did you sleep with?”

He sucked in a breath. “Alex…”

“I know it’s crazy and you don’t have to tell me, Harry. I promise I don’t think about these things all the time, but I think I have a right to know,” she said, rushing over his words.

He sighed. “You are right. You have a right to know.”

“You hate talking about this, don’t you?” she asked.

“I hate talking about this,” he confirmed, although he smiled. “But just so you know, I tell, you tell, okay?”

“I have no problem with that,” she answered right away.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, mussing it more than it already was. He had literally never had this conversation with anyone. He didn’t tell anyone about this in fear that it would get out, but he would tell her because she asked and because he wanted her to know that he would tell her anything. “Five,” he finally bit out. “There has been five, including you.”

“That’s not so bad,” she said, biting her lip. “I was expecting more.”

He threw a hand up in the air. “What do you think I am, Alex?” he asked, half joking.

She looked at him wide-eyed. “A prince who must have had a shit-load of opportunities before he was even able to drive a car.”

He looked at her, mouth agape, before finally nodding, conceding the point. “True. But I told you weeks ago Alex, casual sex doesn’t work with me. Now please, don’t ask me names…cause then I’d have to tell you and if you ever run into any of these people…”

She held up her hands. “No. No names please. I know of Chelsy and that’s fine. I don’t want to know more than that.”

He breathed a sigh of relief and then as quick as that came he realized that he made her promise to tell him her number, and he found himself…totally and irrationally jealous already. He shook his head, trying to snap out of it.

“What?” she asked, sensing his change in mood.

“I’m jealous.”

“Over what? I haven’t even told you.”

He rolled his eyes. “Now I’m not sure I want to know.”

She shrugged. “Okay.” She leaned back into him.

He sat there for a few moments, stewing over it, his jaw ticking, and his body tense.

“Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“Two.”

He looked down at her in surprise. “Two? Including me?”

She nodded. “Just you and John, and you better feel so fucking lucky, because I made John wait until our wedding night and…”

And then he was kissing her, cutting her words off, his hands shoved into her hair.

“Wait…” she said, pushing him back. “Are you kissing me because my lack of sexual partners makes you happy? Because if you’re going to be that guy…”

He shook his head quickly, silencing her. “I’m kissing you because this conversation is over and you were right…we both deserved to know that. I don’t care how many people you slept with, I care that you made me be honest with you, you didn’t let me hide it. It felt good to share that with you, even if it was painful to hear for both of us. That’s why I’m kissing you.”

“Well okay then, that acceptable,” she murmured, her eyes dropping to his lips. “Kiss me again, sweet cheeks.”

****************

They were driven back inside that afternoon by rain, but Harry and Alex went with it, choosing to change into comfy clothes and curl up on the couch together. Harry pulled his laptop out and used the opportunity to get some work done, while Alex called Emma to check on her and then took out her Kindle and dove headfirst into a book she had been dying to read.

The sun was almost fully set before Alex’s stomach started to grumble and she asked Harry if she could make him dinner.

“Sure,” he said, smiling. “I’m not sure what’s in the in fridge, but whatever you need we can always call over to the castle for.”

She smirked.

“What?” he asked at the look on her face.

“Oh nothing, we’ll just ‘call over to the castle’ for whatever we need,” she said with a giggle.

He laughed, “You’ll get used to it.”

She was stunned for a second at the implications of that statement but she chose not to correct him. Instead she just winked as she flounced from the living room, knowing that she would never, ever get used to calling a castle to borrow some sugar, but for Harry…she would try.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

It was Alex’s turn to be up early on Sunday morning. She woke just before the Sun began to rise and seeing Harry looking so peaceful and quiet beside her, she decided to let him sleep a bit longer. She slipped quietly from the bed and pulled on some leggings and a big comfy sweatshirt along with her thick socks. She padded downstairs into the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea, and then, grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch and her Kindle, she made her way to the back porch, settling down in the chilly morning to enjoy the peace and solitude this beautiful land had to offer.

She sipped her tea and read a few pages of her book, but ended up putting it down as her thoughts were wandering all over the place and she kept having to re-read the same page over and over again. With a sigh she set down the Kindle, and let her thoughts take over as she looked out over the mist of the foggy morning.

It was still amazing to her how hard and how quickly she fell for Harry and him for her. And God, she loved him. She loved everything about him. He was funny, witty, smart, considerate, and compassionate; the list just went on and on from there.

Her heart beat a little bit faster when she thought of the events from yesterday. He took her to see those beautiful horses, letting her know that he had never brought another woman up there before her, but that it was always something he had wanted to do. He had been with Chelsy for close to seven years and had never taken her there…but he had taken Alex. He was telling her something with that and she knew it.

And then there was the comment about “getting used” to calling the castle when she needed things. That felt less deliberate, but no less real, and no less meaningful. It alluded to some sort of future he saw with her. It hadn’t made her feel uncomfortable or freaked out, but it did raise some questions about how they started that future when they were still very much a secret beyond just a few people.

“Good morning,” she heard from behind her, startling her from her thoughts. She turned, a smiling forming on her lips when a much mussed from sleep Harry appeared in her line of vision.  
“Hey you,” she said softly. She opened the blanket she had wrapped around herself. “Join me?”

“Absolutely,” he said with a grin. He moved, motioning for her to slide forward in the chair so he could move in behind her. She moved and he slid in, pulling her back against him and wrapping the warm blanket around them both.

“Tea?” she asked, holding her cup up for him.

He shook his head but leaned forward and nudged her head with his so she would turn towards him. When she did he took her mouth with his, his tongue moving out to tease hers with this slow, warm, good morning kiss. He pulled back, kissing her nose softly before leaning back against the chair again. She leaned back against him, her head resting on his chest under his chin. They sat there together in the quiet morning, neither of them wanting to ruin the peacefulness by speaking first.

Finally Harry spoke up, breaking the silence. “What have you been out her thinking about so early?”

She snuggled closer to him, her fingers finding his under the blanket and toying with them. “You,” she said.

He smiled. “I’m not going to complain about that. Anything specific about me?”

“Oh you know, how much I love you…” she murmured, squeezing his fingers.

He moved to kiss her temple, his lips lingering there. “And?” he pressed with a low voice.

She took a deep breath. “And wondering what happens when you come back from deployment.”

“Are you ready to talk about that?” he asked quietly, even though inside he was doing a little jig. He’d been in this place for a while, wanting to have a plan for when he returned, when he got back to life with her and Emma.

She turned then, bringing her knees to her chest and moving so she was curled up and sitting sideways with her face turned to him.

“Yes I am,” she said clearly.

His face broke into a wide smile before he realized it and his eyes sparkled in excitement. “Okay, let’s talk about it.”

Alex sat there for a moment, waiting. “Harry, you have to start. I have no idea how any of this works,” she said when it became apparent that he was waiting for her.

He chuckled. “Actually, what happens when I come back is entirely in your hands. If…how we go public is completely up to you.”

“So weird,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “Okay, what are our options?”

Harry took a deep breath. “Well, we can just move about our lives, not hiding anything but not making waves. We would essentially be waiting for someone to catch on; waiting for someone to snap a picture and then wait for the next picture, and then the next until eventually the rumors become fact in the minds of the press and the public. It’s what they call the ‘Slow Roll Out’. Think Will and Kate.”

Alex nodded, absorbing it. “Or?”

“Or…we make a splash. I take you to some event on my arm, making it obvious that you are with me. The press gets wind of it and it runs right away, within hours. It will be quick, intense, speculation, but you won’t have to wait for the other shoe to drop so to speak.”

“What do you think is best?” Alex asked quietly, her fingers fiddling with the hem on his long sleeved pajama shirt.

He reached for her hand, stilling the actions that were working to distract him. “Alexandra, I’m not trying to be difficult when I say it is up to you, I mean that it is up to you. Although…” he trailed off, bringing her hand to his lips, kissing her palm. “By that point we will have been together…six months?” He looked to her for confirmation.

She nodded, smiling.

“Okay, at the point I would say that I’d probably be absolutely dying to show you off to the world.”

“So we just jump right in then?” Alex asked, her lips twitching.

Harry laughed. “Well shit, that’s what we’ve done so far, why stop now?”

“Okay then, it’s decided,” she said excitedly. She turned then, fully facing in, straddling him. “For the record, Harry…I can’t wait to show you off to the world either.”

Then her lips settled over his, intense and purposeful. She wrapped herself around him, pressing as close as she could. His mouth opened under hers, allowing her tongue to move in and slide alongside his.

“Baby?” she whispered, pulling back just enough that their lips were still touching but she could speak.

“Yes?” he murmured, leaning forward to get back at her mouth. It was cold outside, but he was hot and hard and wanting to seal the deal they had just made.

“Do you have plans for us this morning? Or can you take me back to bed for a few hours?” she asked. She kissed him again the captured his bottom lip between her teeth before releasing to lean back and look at his face.

He groaned at her actions and then at the lust in her big blue eyes. “I think I can re-arrange a few things for a morning in bed with you.”

*****************

The afternoon was warmer than expected, which after a morning of slow, delicious, soul-altering lovemaking with each other, only served to lift both Harry and Alex’s spirits even higher. Harry’s grin was from ear to ear as he put some small provisions into the big wooden canoe at the lake while Alex stood by with an identical grin and waited. The sun was shining and they didn’t even need jackets, just a light sweater and jeans for both of them was more than enough.

Once he finished he went over and picked her up into his arms, walked her back over to the canoe and deposited her in it, loving her laughter and ease at the situation. He pushed off of the bank and climbed in after her. She helped him paddle easily out to a spot in the middle of the small lake and once they were in place they pulled the paddles inside and they each reclined back into the boat to enjoy the sunshine.

“I love how in tune you are with the land,” she said while she let the sun warm her face.

“You should see me in Africa,” he responded softly.

She squinted at him through the sunlight. “You’ll have to show me sometime. I’ve always wanted to go myself.”

He smirked. “You sure? You’re not just saying that?”

She rolled her eyes. “Come on, Harry,” she laughed, reaching into the cold water and splashing a tiny bit of it at him with her fingers. “You know I wouldn’t tell you something like that just because I thought it might make you like me more.”

“I was teasing,” he said with a chuckle, wiping a drop of water from his cheek. “It’s just funny though how many people…women mostly…say, ‘Oh, I’d love to see Africa!’ but what they really mean is they’d love for me to pay for them to go on a guided Safari and stay at a swanky resort. Don’t get me wrong, that’s always a nice trip to take, but not the true Africa I love.”

“Tell me about the true Africa you love,” Alex asked, nudging his leg with her Wellie clad foot.

He grinned and grabbed her leg, sliding the boot off of her foot so he could rub her it. She sighed in pleasure as he rubbed and told her of Africa – his Africa.

He spoke of Lesotho, of his friend Prince Seeiso, of all the underprivileged and special needs kids he had met over the years.

Alex listened intently, soaking up every detail and asking questions that prompted more information from him, more stories about one of the most precious things in Harry’s life.

“I’m hoping that when I get home from Afghanistan I can plan a trip. I haven’t seen Seeiso or any of the kids in forever,” he said when he had gotten just about all of the information out that Alex could pull from him.

Alex smiled. “I think you should.”

Harry watched her intently. “I think we should.”

Her eyes were closed again, her head tipped back into the late afternoon sun. “Who? You and William?” she asked, distracted.

“No, Alex. I mean we should go…you and me,” he said with determination.

Her eyes opened slowly and she regarded him cautiously. “Harry…I can’t just go do visits with you.”

“No, you can’t, but you can travel with me if I pay for it. I can do the public stuff and I can show you everything when the damn media isn’t around.”

Alex gulped. She wasn’t fond of him offering up his money for her convenience so easily, but she bit a retort back at that, knowing it was useless. There was another concern though. “What about Emma?”

“What about her?” Harry asked.

“I can’t just leave her and go to Africa when it’s convenient for you. This weekend was one thing; I’m still close enough to get to her quickly if she needs me. Africa is so far…I would love to go, but it’s something that has to be planned months and months in advance, not just when you get back from Afghanistan and can fit it in.”

“I wasn’t saying…”

Alex wasn’t done though, and Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing as she talked right over him.

“And you know when we go public that any time I am seen without her people will talk. I am okay with that if I am in London and she is well looked after for one night out of the week while I’m out with you. People can talk shit all they want because I know how good of a mom I am. But I won’t leave her in England while I go to Africa.”

Harry stared at her in amazement. “Just so you know, Alexandra Morgan, I would never ask you to leave her in England while you leave the country with me. She can come with us. It will still be summer if I can plan it out right and she will be out of school.”

Alex sat up and leaned forward, balancing herself so she didn’t tip to boat as she moved forward to lean on Harry’s chest. She looked up into his eyes and sighed. “I can’t promise anything. I don’t know yet if that’s how I want this to go, you flying me and my daughter around the world with you on your dime.”

Hurt flashed in his eyes and he shifted uncomfortably under her. “I just want you to be able to experience these things. I’m not trying to overwhelm you. You just brought up that you wanted to go and I got so excited…”

Alex immediately felt guilty and terrible and crappy for making him feel bad in any way. She was overreacting to a situation that hadn’t even happened and she knew it. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes for a second, gathering her thoughts. When she opened them again to his she made an effort to smile and put him at ease.

“I’m sorry, I’m not overwhelmed and I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. What I’m saying is that I need to think about it. Plus, I have work to consider as well. I have meetings to run and clients to consider. My role in HFTF is really, really active.”

Harry nodded. “I know. I love your commitment to Healing Families Through Friends. I love how serious your job is to you, how much of a part of you it is. It’s just that…” He trailed off.

Alex cocked her head to the side. “It’s just that what? You said you don’t dance around things, remember? Spill it, Wales.”

His eyes got wide and she felt his heart start to beat faster. “Okay Alex,” he finally said in a low voice. “I’m not making any declarations here or saying for sure that I know things are going to go a certain way…”

She waited with eyes wide open for him to continue.

He sighed. “If things progress and someday we find ourselves…considering…things,” he stopped and raked his hand through his hair, frustrated at just how inarticulate he was being.

Alex blinked up at him a couple of times before her brain finally caught on. “Oh…” she breathed, her heart picking up speed to match his.

He rushed on, somehow finding his words when she picked up on what he was referring to.

“I’m just saying Alex, that at this point there is wide range of possibilities and that will always be considered one of them; not just by me, but by every reporter, newspaper, blog, and fan until it either happens or it doesn’t. And if it does…”

“Things would change,” she whispered.

Harry snorted. “That’s putting it mildly.”

Alex leaned her head on Harry’s chest and wrapped her arms around him. “Harry?”

“Hmmm?”

“Those ‘things’ are a long way off, should they ever become an option, right?” she asked softly.

“Years,” he replied as he leaned down to rest his chin on her head.

“Then let’s not worry about it now. Let’s just make it through the next four months and then going public and then see what the future holds. Who knows, you may decide that ‘things’ are not an option with me down the line.”

Harry chuckled and then tipped her face up to his with a gentle finger under her chin. “That’s the thing Alex, I don’t think I will.”

She searched his eyes for a long moment before she spoke. “Yeah, me either.”

It was the last time they spoke of that subject for the entire trip and for a long time after that. He knew it was too early and she knew that they both weren’t ready. But if Alex had any doubt in her mind if Harry saw a future with her, it had just been eradicated. She just hoped that they would survive these next four months apart first.

*************

“Okay Wales, I know you’ve got something up your sleeve for our last night here,” Alex said as they sat in the backseat of the Range Rover driving them back to the cottage from the lake.

Harry’s lips twitched and he nodded slightly, but didn’t offer an answer to her question.

“No clues?” Alex asked with a laugh.

He put a finger to his lips and pretended to think for a moment. Then he shook his head in the negative, trying not to laugh when her eyes narrowed slightly at him.

“Wales…” she said in a low tone, drawing his name out.

“Morgan…” he responded, mimicking her tone.

“There is a lot on the line here if you don’t tell me.”

He smirked. “Like what?”

“You wouldn’t want to sleep alone on our last night here, would you?” she asked lightly with a shrug of her shoulders and the raise of an eyebrow. It was a challenge, but one that he had already easily beaten.

“Ha! Oh, I can guarantee you I won’t be sleeping alone, Alex.”

She narrowed her eyes further. “And why is that?”

He laughed as the Range Rover pulled up to the cottage. He slid out, leaving her hanging, before coming around to open her door. He took her hand and helped her out, then he pulled her away from the door, shut it firmly, and then he backed her slowly against the closed door with his body.

“The reason I know I’m not sleeping alone tonight is because you are absolutely going to need to be snuggled up next to me for warmth.”

“Harry…”

“Alex…”

“Where are we sleeping?”

The POs had moved away from them so Harry leaned further into her, pressing his body tightly against hers. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her ear. “I’m taking you camping.”

A slow smile spread across her lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love camping,” she murmured as she buried her face in his warm neck and slowly kissed her way from there up to his jaw. He hadn’t shaved since they had been in Scotland and she couldn’t get enough of his scruff.

“You do?” he asked softly, although he really wasn’t that surprised. She had been up for every outdoor pursuit they had gotten themselves into while they had been there. Hell, she had even let him make love to her outside by the fire the first night.

“Yes,” she whispered absentmindedly, her attention decidedly fixed on his jawline.

He groaned. “Alexandra, you are distracting the hell out of me right now. If you don’t want to go camping, just say so and I’ll take up upstairs right now.”

She giggled against his jaw. “I’d rather go camping,” she murmured.

He threw back his head in laughter before forcing himself to untangle himself from her arms. “You are a liar of the worst kind,” he said, wagging a finger at her.

She grinned as she sauntered past him into the cottage. “Come on Sweet Cheeks,” she called behind her, motioning him to follow her. “You are costing us valuable camping time.”

And Harry, as he would always do, followed her where she asked him to.

********************

He surprised her by driving them himself to the camping spot, which was just actually back to the bank of the small lake where they had canoed earlier. The vehicle he drove them up in was what looked like to her like an old vintage Army truck, but it rode a lot smoother than she had anticipated. The ever present POs were there, although they drove in a different vehicle and kept their distance at the lake.

When they arrived, Harry unpacked quickly, waving Alex away when she tried to help him set up the tent. She had to admit that he really didn’t need her help, he was getting everything done in record time and enjoying himself by the looks of it. Alex pulled out her iPod and the portable speakers they brought, plugged it in and sat down in one of the fold up chairs they brought, enjoying the music and scenery before it got dark.

Once Harry was finished he joined her, pulling up a chair beside her. He reached over and found her hand, pulling it into his own and kissing her palm before pulling it into his lap. His thumb stroked her knuckles gently as they sat there silently watching the sun go down.

“Our last night,” Alex said so softly that Harry wasn’t totally sure he heard it.

When he looked into her eyes though and saw the unshed tears there, he knew she had said the words.

“Baby…”

“I love you,” she said instantly, cutting him off. “Whatever happens after this weekend, after you go to Afghanistan, just always remember that okay?”

He gulped, his eyes searching hers. “I know that. I know you love me, but you’re talking as if you won’t be here when I get back, Alex.” His words were soft, pained.

She blinked, the tears falling from her eyes. She shook her head slowly and then getting up she moved to his chair, climbing into his lap. She put her hands on his cheeks, cradling his handsome face in her hands.

“Harry, you come back and I’ll be here. I can promise you that. Just come back to me.” Her last word was almost a sob, and he hated that her heart was breaking because he had to leave her. He moved his arms to pull her against his chest but she resisted as she wasn’t done yet. Gathering her nerve and forcing the lump back she continued.

“I loved my husband, Harry, I’ll never deny that. But…and maybe this makes me a terrible person, I don’t know. I…I love you more than….Losing you…God…I can’t…”

“Oh baby,” he said, pulling her tight as she broke down into sobs. She clutched his shirt in her fists and her whole body shook with it.

He knew she needed to get it out. He knew this wouldn’t be the last time she cried like this before he left, but he knew nothing he could say would make her feel better in this moment. Although he was confident in himself, in his abilities, he couldn’t promise her he would come back. All he could do was let her cry it out.

Long minutes later her sobs subsided and she raised her head to look at him. Her eyes were red and swollen and her face was wet from her tears. He reached up and wiped away the trails with his fingers.

“Better?” he asked, after her breathing had returned to normal.

“No,” she said, but she laughed quietly after she said it. “I won’t be better until you are back in four months.”

He gave her a small smile and leaned up and kissed her lips quickly. “I have an idea. I promise it’ll take your mind off of this for right now.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Me crying makes you want to do that?”

He laughed, shaking his head. “No, not that. C’mon,” he said, tipping her so she was forced to stand. He took her hand and led her in a slow walk down to the water’s edge where he turned to look at her and dropped her hand.

Then he started taking off his clothes.

“What are you doing?” she asked with wide eyes.

“Going skinny dipping. You are too. Get undressed.” The ever present smirk was back on his face.

She scoffed. “You’ve got to be out of your mind. I am not getting in the water, especially not naked.”

“Why?” he asked. His shirt was off and he was working on his jeans, pulling the belt open and unbutton and unzipping his fly. His breath was visible in the night air and she knew he had to be cold.

“Because it’s freezing,” she replied, exasperated. “It’s freezing out here and it’s even colder in there.” She pointed at the water.

He nodded as he pulled his pants from his legs. “Exactly. You get in the water and all you’ll be able to think about is the cold. Everything else will take a back burner for right now.”

She stared at him for a second, watching as he pulled off his socks. All that was left were his boxers.

“Alex, get undressed. You’re going in. You do not want me to throw you in fully clothed, believe me,” he said. His voice was determined.

“You wouldn’t,” she said, her eyes wide.

He stepped toward her.

“Fine,” she snapped as she took a deep breath and pulled her sweater over her head. The cold air hit her and she sucked in a breath, hesitating before she moved to her jeans.

“The faster you do it the faster you are in the water and the faster you can get out,” he said, his lips turning up at the sides.

“Oh my God, you are certifiable,” she cried out. But then she moved, pulling off her jeans, her socks, her bra, and finally at the same time as Harry pulled his boxers down she pulled her panties off, tossing them quickly into the pile of clothing while she stood there shivering.

And then she totally caught him off guard when she turned and ran towards the lake first, squealing when she hit the freezing water. He took off after her and dove headfirst in just after she did, his whole body taking the shock of the water at full force. He came up sputtering, looking around for her and finding her already high tailing it from the water.

“Alex,” he called over the chattering of his teeth. “Wait!”

He moved as fast as he could, catching up with her as she stood fully from the water. She was wet, shivering, and had no towel or blanket.

“Harry, what…?” She was looking around for something, anything to wrap around her.

Harry laughed despite being so cold he could hardly see straight. “Car,” he said, a shiver ripping through the word.

They both ran as fast as they could, naked as they day they were born, the twenty feet or so to the car. Harry pulled a blanket from the back as quickly as he could and wrapped it around her before finding one for himself and pulling it around his body.

“Get in the car,” he ordered and she obeyed, climbing into the passenger seat as he climbed into the driver’s side, starting the car with the key he left in the ignition. He immediately turned the heat up to full blast and they both sat there shivering until the car warmed up and the heat was flowing freely.

Alex could believe how good she felt when she started to unthaw. Her body was on high alert, her mind concentrating on nothing but getting warm. Her skin was tingling all over…she felt so alive.

“Told you,” Harry said, watching her face. “You feel good don’t you?”

She nodded and then threw him a big smile. “You were right. That was…terrible…but I’m glad I did it.”

He laughed. “I’m glad I could do something to make you feel better.”

Her eyes caught his and he caught his breath at the life that had appeared back in there.

“I know what else you can do to make me feel better,” she said confidently.

He cocked an eyebrow. “Tell me what that is, Alex…no wait…show me.”

She immediately climbed out of her seat and over to his, straddling him. He dropped his hold on his blanket, moving into hers when she opened her arms around him. He groaned as her warm, naked form met his and he was almost instantly hard, aching to be buried inside of her.

He pulled her close, an arm snaking around her waist and his other hand moving under her to touch her, see if she was ready. She moaned when his fingers found her and he discovered that she was more than ready for him. She was hot and slippery and he needed to be buried in her right that second.

“Alexandra,” he whispered, looking up and capturing her eyes.

“Yes,” she breathed simply. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his, his mouth opening under hers and her tongue sliding in just as he guided himself straight into her.

“Oh God…” he mumbled against her mouth at the feeling.

The ride was fast, hot, and intense. Alex rolled her hips along his and he gripped at her; her hips, her waist, her breasts, rolling the hard nipples through his fingers. Their mouths stayed fused together and every moan, groan, whimper, and cry was caught in between them, sending shivers down their bodies at the intensity of it.

Then Alex was going over the edge and she tore her mouth away, throwing her head back and she cried out his name into the night. The way his name rolled of her tongue, the way it reeked of need and desperation sent Harry following her over the edge, moaning her name into her neck as he went, squeezing her tightly against him as he struggled to gain use of his brain again.

As he held her there in that moment, he knew there was no way he could ever let her go.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

When Harry woke in their tent on Monday morning his first conscious thought was that waking up with Alex in his arms probably made him the luckiest guy in Scotland at that very moment. She was warm and soft and she smelled…God, she always smelled so good. His arms reflexively tightened their hold around her as his thoughts centered on her.

His eyes traveled down over her. Her hair, having air dried the night before after the dip in the cold lake, was in its natural state, wavy and wild and spread out behind her. Her eyes were closed but the color of them, the lightest of blue, was permanently burned into his brain. He followed the lines of her face down, over her nose and her rosy cheeks and down to her lips where his gaze halted for a minute. Her lips…lord knew that he wasn’t much for the written word…but he was sure he could write pages about her lips. They were so full and soft and the things they did to him…

He smiled to himself and shook his head, forcing him to turn his thoughts away from that subject before his caveman desires overtook him.

As he stared down at her he marveled that he really couldn’t ever get enough of her. She made him laugh constantly, even when he withdrew within himself and became moody, which he was known to do. She wasn’t intimidated by him when he was like that, or any other time. She would just bring him out of it with a corny joke or a silly face that he normally would have rolled his eyes at but always found funny when it came from her.

And he was always excited to hear the next thing that was going to come out of her mouth; any bit of information she wanted to share with him, any question she wanted to ask him, any joke she wanted to tell him…he soaked it all up willingly.  
Quite simply, she was perfect for him and he knew it. He had known it since that first night at Kensington when she made fun of him for going to all the trouble to find the right wine for her and then made him watch Dirty Dancing and didn’t ever stop to ask if that’s what he wanted to watch. He loved that she didn’t defer to him in those things. He loved that she asked his opinions on things and then made her own decisions, considering everything. She was her own person and he knew she would always remain that way.

He smiled as her eyes fluttered open. When she saw he was awake her lips curved upwards and she automatically moved closer, snuggling up to him in the chilly morning.

“Hey,” she said softly as she pressed her cheek against his warm chest.

“Hey,” he murmured back, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

“Do we really have to go back today?” she whispered.

He sighed. “Yes and soon. Our plane is scheduled for noon.”

She let out an exasperated breath. “I have got to talk to my boyfriend about scheduling things so early in the day.”

He laughed into her hair. “I’ll let him know you need to have words with him.”

She giggled and then pulled back to look up at him, her eyes growing serious. “Let’s not drag this morning out, okay? Let’s just pack up and go. The longer we lay here, the sadder we will get.”

He nodded and leaned over to kiss her softly. “Okay.”

Harry was glad Alex made that decision. He knew she was right. He knew if they delayed getting up and packing their campsite, they would only become sad and frustrated and he didn’t want this perfect weekend to end that way for them.

So they got up. They packed the tent and with one last look at the lake Alex took Harry’s hand and they climbed into the old Army truck and drove back to the cottage.

They packed quickly, sharing small glances, smiles, and touches as they moved about the rooms together, but the conversation was kept to a minimum. They were both incredibly happy with the trip, with all they had said and done here, how much more solid their bond was, but they were both melancholy to be going back to London where the real world, where his deployment and their forced separation, was waiting on them.

Their bags were loaded into the Range Rovers and they both settled into one of them, Alex snuggled up under Harry’s arm as she had done when drove up from the airport three days before. They watching the scenery fly by together, both of them still keeping quiet, trying to come to grips with what came next for them.

“Alex?” Harry asked, breaking the silence.

She turned her head immediately to look at him. “Yeah?”

“I’ll be leaving for training tomorrow and be gone most of the week, but I’ll be back on Saturday afternoon. Do you think you and Emma could come to Kensington for dinner that night?” he asked softly.

She smiled. “Of course.”

He took a deep breath. “It wouldn’t just be me at dinner though; there are a couple of people I’d like you to meet.”

Alex’s heart picked up. “Who?” she asked quietly.

“I wanted to introduce you to William and Kate, but William has RAF duties that night. I’d still like you to meet Kate…and my father.” He looked at her, hoping she wouldn’t turn him down.

She blinked. “You want me and Emma to meet them?”

He nodded slowly. “Yes. I called this morning while you were in the shower and they were both very excited to meet both of you.”

She leaned up, kissing him hard on his lips before pulling back, tears in her eyes. “I swear to God, Wales, all you do is make me cry these days.”

His eyes got wide. “I don’t mean…”

She put a hand up. “No…not in a bad way. I mean, of course there have been sad tears, but there have been so many more happy tears.”

He leaned forward at her words and placed his forehead on hers. “So you’ll come?”

“Of course.”

**********************

Alex got back to work on Tuesday, throwing herself into her job, making up for her two missed days and giving herself something to concentrate on while Harry was away training.

That night after dinner, as she was about to put Emma to bed, she finally worked up the courage to tell her daughter about Harry’s deployment.

She had always been honest with Emma about what happened with John and Emma was a smart little girl who understood the concept of death and that the father she had never known was in Heaven. Alex had always been glad that Emma had understood so easily, but now she was nervous, because she knew Emma would grasp the fact that Harry could die in Afghanistan.

She tucked Emma in and then sat for a second, trying to find the words. She took deep breath. “Emma, I need to talk to you about something.”

“Okay Mummy,” she said, her eyes open wide as she looked up at Alex.

“You know how you stayed at Granny’s this weekend because I went on a short trip with Harry?”

“Yes, I had so much fun,” Emma said excitedly.

Alex laughed. “I’m glad. I did too on my trip.”

Emma giggled. “Harry is fun. Maybe someday I can go on a trip with him too.”

Alex’s breath caught and she swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. “I hope so too baby. There is a reason I went on that trip though. Harry wanted me to go because he’s going to go away for a while and he wanted to talk to me about some things before he leaves.”

Emma’s smile faltered and Alex’s heart broke a little bit. “Where is he going?”

Alex reached over and smoothed back her daughter’s hair. “He’s going to go fly a helicopter in Afghanistan for a few months.”

Emma blinked a few times and Alex saw the moment that understanding dawned. “Like Daddy?”

Alex had tried to hold back the tears back but lost the battle when Emma asked that. She quickly swiped them away and made an effort to smile at Emma, to be strong and not fall apart for her daughter.

“Yes, Harry does the same job that your daddy did,” Alex said softly.

“Is Harry going to die too?” Emma asked, going straight to the point, for which Alex was both grateful and devastated at the same time.

Alex took a deep breath. “Honey, Harry is very good at his job. The chances that something would happen to him are very small. His bosses and his own father would not let him go if they thought that he would die.”

Emma turned under the covers so she was lying on her side and Alex reached over and rubbed her back under the covers.

“Is that why you’ve been sad, Mummy?” Emma’s voice was soft, inquisitive, worried, and Alex was struck by how intuitive her daughter was.

“Yes, that’s why I’ve been sad.”

“Are you going to keep being sad?”

Alex laughed. “I’m going to try my best not to. I’ll miss him very much.”

Emma’s lip started to tremble which caused Alex’s to do the same. “I’ll miss him too,” Emma said with a wavering voice.

“Well,” Alex whispered, trying to breathe through the sadness. “Let’s make a deal, okay Em?”

“A deal?”

Alex nodded. “Let’s try, for each other, to not be sad all the time. While he’s gone we will still have all the fun we had before Harry was around and then when he comes back we can make him join in as many tea parties as possible.”

Emma giggled. “Harry loves playing Tea Party.”

“I think it’s you he likes playing Tea Party with, Em,” Alex laughed.

Emma sighed dramatically. “I do have good tea parties.”

Alex burst out laughing and then leaned over and kissed Emma on the cheek. “Maybe when we go to his house for dinner on Saturday you can ask him to come over for a special tea party before he goes to Afghanistan.”

Emma’s whole face brightened. “We get to go to Harry’s house?”

“Yes. And you’ll get to meet his father and his sister as well.”

“Yay!” Emma squealed. “What are their names?”

“Harry’s father is called Charles and his sister is called Catherine, but when you meet them you will call his dad ‘Sir’ and his sister ‘Ma’am’ unless they tell you otherwise. Can you do that?” Alex asked, tapping Emma on her cute little nose, causing her to giggle.

“Yes, Mummy. Are they Prince and Princesses too?”

Alex halted for a second before answering, just at the sheer weirdness of the fact that she had to answer that question. Once she recovered herself she smiled and Emma and said, “His father is a prince, yes. Catherine is a Duchess, but she will be a Princess someday.”

“Someday?” Emma prodded.

And then Alex knew that an endless stream of questions was about to ensue and she wasn’t about to let Emma stay up later than it already was to answer them. “Yes, someday. But you are going to have to wait until tomorrow for the full explanation on that. It is past your bedtime.”

“But…” Emma started.

“No buts, Emma Rose. Sleep now.”

Emma sighed. “Ooookay.”

Alex laughed and switched off Emma’s lamp and turned on the night light. “Goodnight Emma, I love you.”

“I love you too, Mummy.”

********************

An hour later Alex, having dozed off on her couch while working on some stuff for work, was startled awake by her phone ringing. Expecting it to be Harry she jumped for it. It wasn’t Harry, but it was one of her other favorite men.

“Matthew,” she said to her brother with a smile in her voice.

“You know I hate when you call me that,” he retorted quickly.

“That’s your name,” she laughed.

“Nope, my name is Matt,” he said, saying the last word slowly, as if he were telling a toddler.

Alex chuckled. “Okay Matt, what’s going on?”

“Oh you know, calling my sister who seems to have taken her kid and dropped off the face of the damn Earth.”

She sighed. “Sorry. I did talk to Dad last week.”

“Yeah, I know. He told me you were going to call me the next day and yet…no call ever came,” Matt chided.

“Some stuff came up, Matt.”

“Is that stuff named Prince Harry?”

Alex sucked in a breath. “Dad told you?”

Matt chuckled. “Uh…yeah.”

Alex suddenly got nervous. “Who else did Dad tell?”

“Relax, Alex. He told me and Mom. And by the way Mom is piiiiissssed you didn’t tell her first.”

Alex groaned. “How pissed?”

“Well, she said she was going to write you a very strongly worded e-mail,” Matt said, throwing a little bit of an imitation of their mother in for effect.

Alex giggled. Their mom was generally the nicest person in the entire world and she hated chiding her kids unless it was something really bad. Alex could imagine that her mom wasn’t really mad as much as her feelings were hurt as Alex had always been able to tell her mom everything.

“Oh no,” she moaned. “I’ll call her tomorrow.” She did feel bad her mother had to find out like that. She had never been one to keep secrets from her mom before, and she hated that she had gotten so caught up in Harry that she had neglected her family and not trusted them or her own self enough to bring them in on her relationship.

“I seem to remember you telling Dad the same thing last week about me,” Matt joked.

“Ugh. You are the worst brother. I promise that I will call Mom tomorrow, Matt. Promise. Now, Dad said you were thinking of coming during the summer and then taking Emma back for her two week visit,” Alex said, changing the subject.

Matt perked up. “Yep. Have you decided when to send her yet?”

Normally Alex sent Emma at the end of June, but suddenly she had a thought. “How about we change things up this year and you come towards the end of July? You can stay for a week, take her back with you, and then send her back in the middle of August,” she stopped and took a deep breath. “And then you can meet Harry.”

“Ha! Are you sure that you want to introduce your prince to your redneck brother?” Matt teased.

“Please Matthew, you are not a redneck. And yes, I would very much like to introduce you to him. You two are a lot alike in a weird way. He reminds me of you.”

“Oh man, Alex. I think you’ve just given my ego a huge boost, comparing me favorably to the World’s Most Eligible Bachelor and all.”

Her mouth dropped. “He is not.”

Matt burst out laughing. “Yes he is. Some magazine had it on the cover last week. He beat out George Clooney.”

Alex rubbed her face with her free hand. “That’s so…weird.”

“Well, he obviously has good taste in woman, dating my little sister,” Matt said teasingly, even though Alex knew he was hiding a complement in there somewhere.

She shook her head. “Whatever. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around that. So, do you want to come over in July?”

“Visiting my sister in jolly ‘ol England and hanging with royalty? Heck yeah, count me in. Maybe I’ll find some rich princess to take pity on poor little me. Why don’t you go ahead and set that up now little sister.”

Alex shook her head but couldn’t help the laughter that escaped. Right then her call waiting beeped in and checking it she saw that this time it was Harry calling her.

“Speaking of Harry, he’s beeping in on me. I’ll call Mom tomorrow and make sure it’s okay if Emma comes later and then we will look at flights, okay?” Alex said happily.

“Deal. Love you, Boot,” Matt said, using her old family nickname.

Alex grinned. “Love you too, Matthew.”

She heard him groan as she switched the line over. “Hey you,” she said to Harry.

“Hello yourself, it’s good to hear your voice. You sound happy,” he said, smiling through the phone.

“I just got off the phone with my brother. How do you feel about him coming to visit at the end of July? I’d like you to meet him,” Alex asked excitedly.

Harry’s heart lifted. “I think that sounds fantastic.”

“Harry…” she said, his name trailing of in somewhat of a question.

“Yeah?”

“Did you know that you beat out George Clooney to be the World’s Most Eligible Bachelor?”

Harry’s burst of laughter could be heard all the way down the hall at the Army barracks.

*******************

Alex made it a point to invite Molly over for dinner on Friday so she could fully explain her relationship with Harry. Even though Molly was aware of the relationship, Alex knew she hadn’t been fair by not opening up to her mother-in-law who had never been anything but wonderful to her.

“Oh honey, I understand where you were coming from, keeping it to yourself. But I see the way he looks at you and you at him and I didn’t have any worries at all,” Molly said, patting Alex’s hand gently at they sat at the kitchen table.

“I don’t want you to think he’s replacing John, because he’s not,” Alex said softly. “John was my first love, my husband, and he gave me Emma. Nothing could ever make that go away for me.”

Molly shook her head. “I know that. Alex, you’ve always been so protective of your emotions and rarely let people in. It’s part of why John’s death took such a toll on you. You only got better when you started the group meetings and forced yourself open to up. But with Harry, you are so open and honest and you just let him right into that heart of yours. It’s a joy to see, really. Plus, he’s so good with Emma and she just adores him.”

“When he comes back we are going to go public,” Alex said, her eyes searching Molly’s.

Molly chuckled. “As you should, I would expect he can’t hide you away forever.”

Alex smiled. “People are going to want to know things. Reporters will try to call you. They will try to trick you into talking.”

Molly shrugged, taking a sip of her wine. “They can try, but they won’t get anything from me. What about Emma? Do you have a plan for her?”

Alex sighed. “As long as the paparazzi don’t get too close or she isn’t being harassed we will carry on as normal. If anything should happen, Harry has offered to pay for security if she is out without me, say if you or Mia were taking her somewhere.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Molly had her eyebrows raised.

“Do you mean do I think people will talk if he pays for security for my kid? Yeah, people will talk,” Alex shrugged. “But if my daughter is safe I don’t care. Honestly though, the Palace has the press controlled enough here in England that I don’t see it to be that much of a problem. They’ll follow me, but they’ll catch major crap for following a six year old if her mother isn’t there. But, I trust that if anything at all should happen, if one person follows you if you are out in public with her, you’ll let me know right away. The second we let one of them get away with snapping pictures of her they will all start.”

Molly nodded. “I think you need to talk to Mia about this as well, make sure she understands what might happen if she’s sitting for Emma and one of those photographers gets too crazy. She’s young and a bit silly sometimes, but she’s smart and she’ll be able to do the right thing. Bring her into your circle. She thinks the world of you and Emma and will be a good asset. Other than that my dear, it seems like you’ve got a good head on your shoulders about this. That Harry…he’s a fine young man.”

Alex nodded but was silent for a second, and then taking a shaky breath she reached across and grabbed Molly’s hand. “You know, I know that Harry is in my life in part because John isn’t. If John had lived…”

Molly put her hand up, silencing Alex. “But he didn’t. We can’t go into all these ‘what ifs’, Alex. John died and you had to move on. I would never think anything bad of Harry because he isn’t my son. If it wasn’t him, it would have been someone else someday.”

Alex smiled shyly. “I’m glad it’s him.”

Molly winked before taking another sip of wine. “Me too.”

*****************

Harry had been training hard, and he was tired, but as he sat with his father and Kate on Saturday evening and waited for Alex and Emma to arrive, the exhaustion was forgotten in his excitement for them to arrive. He had sent a car for them, as he knew they would be having wine at dinner and he didn’t want Alex to drive home if they had been drinking. He hoped she would stay, but if she was uncomfortable having Emma spend the night there he wanted her to have a way to get home safely.

“Son, she’ll be here soon. Relax,” Charles said with a small smile on his face after Harry checked his watch for the fifth time in less than a minute. He took a sip from his drink, watching Harry over the rim of his glass.

“Charles, leave the poor guy alone,” Kate chided teasingly to her father-in-law as she came into the room from the kitchen. Dinner was being served in her apartment and she was cooking, preferring to make Harry’s girlfriend and her daughter feel at home. No servants would be about tonight and Kate was glad to play hostess. She had heard from William all about him finding Harry in a sorry state the week before, and she was anxious to meet the woman who had such an effect on her brother-in-law.

“Yeah Dad, leave the poor guy alone,” Harry said with a smirk.

“Harry, can you please get the dishes down from the cabinet and put them on the dining table? The plain white ones please. I’ll set the table but they are too far up and too heavy for me to try to mess with,” Kate said, pointing at her growing belly and shrugging. She was trying to give Harry something to do other than wait for the call that their guests had arrived and get harassed by his father.

“Sure,” he said, rising from his seat and moving into the dining room to do as she asked. He had just come back into the sitting room when the secure phone line rang. Harry jumped to answer it but Charles snapped the receiver up before Harry could get there, raising his eyebrows and giving a little chuckle as he did so.

“Yes?” Charles said into the phone. “Thank you, Harry will go down and greet them at the door.”

Harry was heading out of the room and towards the stairs before Charles even hung up the phone, leaving a laughing Charles and Kate behind him.

He opened the large front door to Will and Kate’s apartment just as the Range Rover pulled to a stop outside. He walked down the steps and hit the gravel drive just as the driver opened one of the back doors and Emma came flying out.

“Harry!” she squealed, her excitement overriding the talk her mother had just had with her about using an inside voice tonight and remembering her manners.

“Emma!” Harry responded, kneeling down and opening his arms as she ran into them, throwing her little arms around him for a hug. He laughed and stood, picking her up and settling her on his hip. She looked at him with a big smile on her face and he winked at her and tugged playfully on one of her braided pigtails before turning to look for Alex. His breath caught. She looked beyond beautiful.

Dressed in a green knee length dress, heels, with simple, classic jewelry and her hair down and wavy she was a vision as she walked toward him.

“Emma, your Mummy looks so pretty,” Harry mock whispered as Alex stepped close to him, making sure he could hear her.

“She’s always pretty,” Emma answered pertly.

Alex grinned. “You two do wonders for a girl’s confidence,” she said with a wink. “Hey you,” she said to Harry. She wanted to kiss the lips off his face right then but wasn’t about to do it in front of her daughter.

“Hey yourself,” he said softly.

Emma giggled and leaned over to Harry’s ear, whispering something. Harry’s eyes got wide and his lips twitched.

“Are you sure?” he asked Emma who nodded and grinned.

With that he set Emma down and leaned over and kissed Alex quickly, but softly.

“She told me to,” Harry said, nodding towards Emma and laughing at Alex’s surprised look.

The corners of Alex’s lips turned up. “Well, don’t I have the smartest kid ever?”

“I’d say so,” Harry laughed. Then he clapped and rubbed his hands together. “Come on ladies let’s go inside so I can show you off.”

He led them inside and up the stairs towards the sitting room.

“I’ve told Emma to call your father ‘Sir’ and to call Kate ‘Ma’am’, but why do I call them?” Alex whispered as they climbed the stairs.

He looked at her. “Charles and Kate.”

Alex’s eyes went wide. “I don’t…”

“Believe me. Don’t curtsy unless it will kill you not to. My father will introduce himself first, as will Kate. They will both ask you to call them by their names. We don’t use titles around here,” he said reassuringly.

“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath as they reached the top step. Emma was almost bouncing on her feet in excitement to meet new people.

“Ready?” Harry said before they moved down to the doorway.

Alex looked down at her dress, smoothing it down quickly before looking back up at him with the confident smile that always knocked his socks off. “Yes.”

Harry was right. Charles introduced himself first, first firmly shaking her hand and then pulling her into a tight hug, surprising her. Then Kate moved in, flashing her world famous smile and instantly making Alex feel perfectly at home. Both Charles and Kate were instantly taken by Emma, who did Alex proud with her manners…with a little bit of sass thrown in of course.

Charles asked questions of Alex as Kate finished up dinner, while Harry sat with Emma, laughing and joking with her and every once in a while looking over to check on Alex. He smiled he found her laughing at something his father had said and then throwing a joke of her own back at him. Charles’ laugh was genuine and Harry couldn’t help but be proud to have her here with him.

The only uncertain moment for Alex came at dinner. Charles and Harry brought out the cooked dishes for Kate while she went in search of wine – for everyone but her of course. When she brought back the bottle of red and began to pour, Alex wasn’t sure what to do. She didn’t know if she should refuse, citing the migraine the red wine would cause her, or just not drink it. Either way seemed rude and more than anything she didn’t want to insult these lovely people who had welcomed her with such open arms.

Harry saved her in the end. “Hey Kate, I’m not really feeling red tonight. Do you have white? Something sweet?” he asked with a tilt of his head and his trademark grin.

Kate narrowed her eyes at Harry playfully. “Why are you are always so difficult?”

Harry shrugged. “I gotta bug someone, might as well be you.”

Kate laughed but told him she had some and went back into the kitchen to find it. She came back out with a chilled bottle and Harry stood up and took it from her, insisting he would do it himself.

“Alex, would you like to share this with me or would you prefer red?” Harry asked. His face was completely straight and not letting on that this was completely for her benefit.

“White, please,” she said. Then her lips curved up into a mischievous smile and she said, “Someone has to make sure you don’t drink the whole thing.”

There was a slight second where Harry blinked and Alex thought she had gone too far. But then, Kate started laughing, which prompted Charles to cover his mouth with his hand, trying to hang onto his manners.

Then Emma, in her infinite ability to take any situation and make it her own leaned over and whispered to Harry, “What’s so funny?”

Harry, shaking his head but barely containing his mirth leaned over and said, “Apparently your Mum is hilarious.”

Emma stared at him for a second before she shrugged her shoulders and said, “I didn’t hear her say anything funny.”

This set forth another round of laughter, and this time Harry joined in, winking at Alex as Kate finally fought off the giggles to tell everyone to start serving themselves.

Alex had just done something that Harry had been trying to do for his entire life and had never succeeded. She got the Prince of Wales, with his ingrained manners and tendency towards formality even with his family, to crack up laughing at the dinner table.

*************

Many glasses of wine later the evening was drawing to a close. Emma had long ago fallen asleep, with Kate letting Alex put her down in one of the guest rooms for the time being.

Alex had helped Kate clean up from dinner, chatting with her about general things. Kate asked about HFTF and Alex asked about the organizations Kate did charity work for. Alex had a feeling that Kate, however sweet and welcoming she was, didn’t let people in easily so she stayed away from personal questions.

After they finished cleaning up, they made their way back into the sitting room, joining Charles and Harry who were both drinking a small glass of whiskey.

“Ah, there they are,” Charles said, standing and setting down his empty glass. “I hate to leave such a wonderful night, but alas, I must be on my way.”

“Really Dad? Alas?” Harry laughed.

“Yes Son, it’s called speaking eloquently, you should try it,” Charles joked. Harry shook his head but stood up and shook his father’s hand, bidding him goodnight.

Charles hugged Kate and then Alex, patting her gently on the back when he pulled back. “It was lovely to meet you, Alexandra. Tell Emma I bid her good-bye as well.”

“I will. Thank you. It was lovely meeting you,” she said, smiling softly at him.

He nodded and then was gone. Right then Kate’s phone rang from the other room and she excused herself with an apology, knowing from the ringtone it was William.

Harry turned toward Alex has soon as Kate left the room and pulled her in his arms, kissing her soundly on the lips.

“That went well,” she said when he pulled back.

He laughed. “Very well, they both liked you and Emma very much.”

Alex beamed. “I liked both of them very much.”

“Good,” Harry said. His eyes grew serious as he looked down at her. “Can you stay?”

There had never been a doubt in Alex’s mind about staying with Harry tonight. He was leaving on Tuesday and she knew this would be their last night together. Tomorrow night would be reserved for his family and Monday he would come say good-bye to her and Emma, but she knew he wouldn’t stay that night. It would be too much for them the night before he left, especially considering how early on Tuesday he was leaving. Tonight would be it for them for the four months and she was going to take complete advantage of it.

She laughed. “I think they’ve probably already unpacked our overnight bags from the Range Rover, so I’d say it’s a possibility.”

Harry leaned forward, putting his forehead on hers. “Thank God…” he said with a laugh before he pulled away from her as Kate came back into the room, confirming it had been William on the phone.

They all said their good-byes then, Kate hugging Harry and then Alex, telling her how glad she was to have met her and raving about how wonderful Emma was. Alex thanked Kate for dinner, praising her cooking skills, and then she went and pulled Emma from the bed in the guest room. When she walked back into the sitting room, Harry immediately pulled Alex’s sleeping daughter into his arms, as she was getting almost too big for Alex to carry around at this point.

Harry and Alex made their way across the grounds to Harry’s cottage, quietly talking in the chilly night air. Once inside Harry put Emma down in the guest bedroom and then he found Alex, pulling her into his own bedroom with intentions to love her well into the night.

Back in the main house, after she had shut the door behind the trio as they left; Kate had rushed to her phone and dialed her husband back. She relayed what she saw, and then she bet him a hundred pounds that Harry was done for. He laughed and bet against her because that’s the game they played, but he never doubted his wife for a second.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

If there were ever a day that Alex didn’t want to arrive, it was the Monday before Harry left.

When she woke up that day, she wished she could just shut her eyes and go back to sleep. She had to get up though, she had to get Emma ready and take her to school, she had to go to work, and then she had to come home and wait for Harry to come and spend the last few hours with her and Emma. Emma had asked Harry for a tea party tonight, and Harry had happily obliged, wanting to spoil Emma rotten before he left. Alex wanted to curl up in a ball and cry just thinking about it.

But she couldn’t.

So with a groan Alex got up. She showered and got ready before pulling Emma from her bed and getting her dressed and ready before sitting her down for breakfast.

“Mummy?” Emma asked as she took a mouthful of cereal.

Alex looked up from her laptop where she was checking the daily news. “Hmmm?”

“Can I make Harry a picture to give him tonight?”

Alex smiled, thinking of her own gift she had to give to Harry. “Of course, Em. What do you want to make him a picture of?”

“Me, you, and him playing tea party,” Emma said with a grin.

Alex’s heart surged. She was one hundred percent sure that Harry would love that.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Emma,” she said, reaching over to ruffle Emma’s hair. “Are you going to do it at school?”

Emma nodded. “After lunch we have playtime. Usually I go play outside but today I’ll stay in and draw my picture.”

“You really are a sweet little girl, you know that?” Alex said proudly.

“Yeah, I know,” Emma said somewhat dramatically, causing Alex to laugh.

It was then that Alex remembered her deal with Emma to not be sad all the time. With a determined deep breath she then decided that she needed to snap out of her funk and not let the day bring her down. If Emma could be so positive, then so could she. There was absolutely no use in moping around all day; it would serve her no purpose and it would only make tonight worse for her.  
That day Alex did something she hadn’t done in a while. At work, instead of leading group meetings and being an intermediary, she joined in.

Without giving specifics – even if it was not yet public knowledge that Harry was being deployed - she explained that she was dating someone who was leaving for Afghanistan shortly. She talked about her feelings regarding it and how they were so much more intense because of her husband’s death years earlier. The support from the group members, their offers to be there for her anytime she should need it and their rock solid advice, made something click in Alex’s brain.

After the group meeting she went in to see Duncan, the on staff counselor. Alex needed his professional expertise, and so for the first time in a long time, she spent an hour on a therapist’s couch, spilling all of the thoughts that were rattling around in her brain.

She came out of his office with a new understanding of the changes that were happening in her life and the reactions she was having to them.

The tendency she had to bottle everything up, and to feel her emotions so fiercely because that, had been slowly taking her over since she met Harry.

She loved him, in an intense, scared that life won’t be the same without you kind of way. She wouldn’t change that for the world as she truly believed that is how love should be. But, she had gotten caught up in it too far and she had gotten close to forgetting how to be her own person apart from Harry. She hadn’t realized it was happening, as it happens most times. She had closed everyone off except for Emma and Harry, creating her own little bubble that was about to burst.

Duncan gave her what turned out to be the best advice anyone could have given her right at that moment in her life. She needed to get busy. She couldn’t just wait for Harry to come home in four months. It wasn’t healthy. She needed things to do, things that would be positive things for her life.

Armed with Duncan’s advice and a new sense of self, Alex made her way back to her office, shut the door, and started to make herself a plan.

***************

Alex opened the door with a big smile that night, somewhat startling Harry, who had been steeling himself for tears.

“You look…scared,” she said with a laugh. She smiled and nodded at Mark as he brushed his way past her to check the apartment.

Harry shook his head. “I was expecting…”

“A blubbering mess?” she interrupted, her eyebrows raised.

He had the grace to look sheepish. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“That’s because you’re amazingly polite,” she teased.

Mark came back through, nodding the okay at Harry, who thanked him before moving into the apartment and shutting and locking the door firmly behind him. He had several large gift bags in his hands and set them down just inside the door before turning to her.

Alex moved into him instantly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head down to hers. When his lips found hers he groaned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight to him. Her mouth opened under his and his tongue immediately dipped in, teasing and stroking in that sexy way he had about him.

She was kissing the hell out of him, and damn if he was enjoying it, but suddenly a thought crept into his brain. He pulled his mouth back from hers slightly. “Alex, where’s Emma?” he asked, opening his eyes to look down at her flushed face.

Alex cocked an eyebrow. “I kiss you like that and you’re worried about where Emma is?”

Harry laughed and shook his head. “It’s the fear of your daughter walking in on you kissing me like that that has me worried.”

“Molly picked her up from school and is keeping her for about another hour. I wanted to talk to you about some things before she got here.”

“What kind of things?” he asked as she disentangled himself from his arms. She took his hand and pulled him toward the living room.

“Come in here and sit with me, I’ll tell you,” she said with a small smile.

He gladly followed, enjoying how relaxed she seemed. She pulled him to the couch, plopping herself down on one of the cushions and watching him as he did the same. She turned toward him, curling her legs up under. His lips turned up at the corners and he reached one of the hands in her lap, pulling it to his mouth and kissing her palm softly before pulling it down to his own lap.

“Alright Alex, you’ve got me all kinds of curious. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“A lot, actually,” she said with a small laugh. “But let’s start with this. Today I sat in on a group session at work. I didn’t lead it, I joined. I didn’t give any specifics, but just kind of told them I was with someone who was going to Afghanistan.”

He lifted his eyebrows. “Alex, that’s wonderful.”

She nodded, her eyes bright. “It was wonderful. I felt so good after talking to all of them that I went and did a counseling session with Duncan.”

His fingers gripped hers. “And?”

“And I realized some things.”

Harry laughed. “You’re dancing around the subject. Spill it, Morgan.”

She took a deep breath. “I was on the verge of losing myself in you, Harry.”

He blinked and his lips fell. “I don’t know…what…” he trailed off, his brain completely failing him.

She immediately reached over and grasped his other hand, holding both of them tight.

“Don’t freak out, please. Just listen to what I have to say. I promise you this is not a bad thing. Let me get it all out before your mind goes berserk, okay?” she said quickly, holding his eyes with hers, making sure to keep steady.

He relaxed a bit, blinking a couple of times before he moved to strokes her knuckles with his thumbs, prompting her to continue.

“For my whole life, I’ve been very organized, very much a planner. I keep things in their nice little places and I keep my days on a schedule because that’s what works for me. The exception to this is when something gets right into my heart. When my heart wants something badly, nothing is going to stop me. I know that and, apart from the night I left you, I listen to it every single time.”

He grimaces at the mention of the night he told her he was being deployed, but shakes it off quickly, focusing back on the task at hand. “Was I one of the things that got right in your heart?” he asked, a small smirk playing on his lips.

“Absolutely,” Alex said swiftly, loving the smiled that appeared on his lips when she said it. “The problem with that is, when that happens I tend to put myself in a bubble. When I met John it happened, and I focused everything on him. We’ve talked about that briefly before, how I really didn’t make friends because of it. My whole entire world revolved around my relationship…and then he died.”

“Alex…” Harry said, his voice low and sympathetic.

She shook her head. “No, I have to get this out.”

He bit his words back squeezed a hand in his.

“I lost it, Harry. I mean…I really lost it. I was twenty years old, had just found out I was pregnant, and before I could even tell my husband he was dead. I couldn’t get out of bed. I laid there and stared at the wall, or the ceiling, or the back of my eyelids for weeks. I was losing weight too fast and if Molly wouldn’t have come in and forced me up and to the doctor, I would have lost Emma.”

Harry closed his eyes and she saw him swallow. When his eyes opened she saw the sheen of tears in them. She felt bad that she had to tell him all this right now, but it was all part of what he needed to know. She should have told him this long ago, but now she knew he had to know things things before he left tomorrow. It was therapy she needed to be able to tell him good-bye.

“My doctor recommended me to a psychologist that specialized in people who lose their spouses, and it helped, but paying someone to listen to me wasn’t what I needed right then. Sure, I had Molly, and my family took turns flying over to be with me, but I felt that none of them understood what I was going through. So, I didn’t talk to them. I ate because I had to, I kept myself healthy because I had to, but mentally…well, I was pretty fucked.” She stopped and looked at him, her eyes open to him and letting him absorb the most absolute honesty she could give him.

“Go on…” he said quietly.

And then she breathed a sigh of relief. If he could hear that and not walk out the door then the rest she could make it through. So she gathered up the rest of her courage and gave him the rest of it.

“That’s when I had the idea for the group meetings. I reached out and found other people like me, other people who had lost their significant others at war. I set up a weekly meeting where we could all get together at someone’s house and just cry on each other’s shoulders. These people understood me, and I understood them. It made me a person again to know let those people into my life, to talk to someone about my emotions.

“By the time I had Emma, I wasn’t completely better, but I wasn’t a shell anymore. And Emma…God I loved her so much from the second she born. I threw myself into becoming a good mother and it was such a healing process for me. Over time, my life fell into a pattern with her and with forming Healing Families Through Friends. Eventually, I became somewhat of my old self again, although I’ve always remained somewhat closed off and protective of myself and Emma,” she said, stopping to smile at Harry.

He understood the smile right away. “Until you met me,” he said with a soft voice.

She nodded. “Until I met you. And now, you’re going to war and up until this morning I was sliding fast into letting my whole world revolve around you. The result was that I didn’t know how I was going to deal with it you leaving and the fear that what happened to John could happen to you. I was struggling.”

“You could have talked to me, Alex. I knew you were sad, but I had no idea you were struggling so much.” His voice was full of hurt for her.

“I’m talking to you now.”

He nodded. “That you are, and I’m so happy that you are coming to me with this. So, tell me…you said that up until this morning you didn’t know how you were going to deal with this. What’s your plan now?”

She smirked. “What makes you think I have a plan?”

“Because I know you and you have a plan.”

“Okay, I have a plan.”

He laughed. “Come on, out with it then love.”

She sat up a little straighter, a smile spreading across her face. “I need to do something for myself. I’ve been doing for Emma for six years, and yes, I have HFTF, but it’s well under control and now I feel like I have all this attention that needs to go somewhere. I focused it all on you, and you deserve so much of it, but I need to reserve some for something that’s just mine. So…I’m going back to school. I’m going to finish my degree.”

His lips curved into a slow smile. “Alex, that’s…fantastic. What are hoping to get a degree in?”

She almost bounced up and down she was so thrilled her was happy for her. “Sociology,” she said with a grin. “I have two years left. There is a mini-term that starts in two weeks and I’ll just do one course. Then I’ll start really diving in for the summer term. I’ve always wanted to finish but it was never the right time.”

She was beaming and he was so incredibly proud of her. He was proud that she was doing something for herself, something completely separate from Emma, or her job, or him. He was proud that she had opened up to him about her life right after her husband died. He knew that she had been nervous talking about her depression and the continuing mental repercussions that came with that. He would never, ever think less of her for that. If anything, he loved her more for having the guts to find a way to pull herself out of it for the sake of her own mind and for their relationship.

“I love you, Alexandra. You are truly an amazing woman. I’m a lucky, lucky guy,” he finally said, tugging her hands so she moved closed and into his lap.

She sighed dramatically as she settled into him. “That you are.”

He threw his head back laughing. “You remind me so much of Emma when you do that.”

She wrinkled her nose. “She does that too doesn’t she?”

He nodded slowly and then leaned down to kiss her.

“Wait,” she said, holding her hand up and looking up at him with wide eyes when he pulled back from her. “I’m not entirely done.”

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

She shook her head. “It’s okay. I just wanted to say that even though I’ve come through this day okay so far, with amazingly no tears shed, that doesn’t mean when it’s time to say good-bye tonight that I won’t…” she stopped and swallowed, forcing the lump back. “It’s just going to be hard. But, I love you and I want these last couple of hours to be something to look back on and smile.”

“I think you are an incredible and amazingly brave woman, my love,” he said, his voice quiet but reverent.

“Even if I will be busier when you get back and won’t be at your beck and call?” she teased.

He pretended to think about it for a minute and then shrugged. “I’ll just have to sneak over late at night and tutor you…privately.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

She laughed. “Cad.”

“Completely,” he growled as he bent to kiss her again.

It was then that he heard the key in the lock at the door, which meant that Molly was there with Emma. He almost groaned, having wanted to kiss her for the better part of the hour, but he was excited to see Emma, so he just chuckled, kissed her swiftly and stood up, tipping her off of his lap as he went.

She grinned at him knowingly as they moved into the foyer, greeting Emma and Molly as they came in.

“Haarrrrryyyy!” Emma screeched.

“Emma, inside voice,” Alex chided, although she was trying to bite back a smile. She turned to Molly and gave her a hug as Emma ran into Harry’s arms. “Thanks for watching her for a little while.”

Molly waved her off. “No problem, my dear.” Then she turned to Harry and smiled. “Well, young man, I hear you are going to serve your country tomorrow.”

He grinned. “Yes ma’am.”

“Come home safe, you hear?”

He nodded. “I have every intention of doing just that.”

“Very good. Now, I’ll leave you kids to your evening as I have to meet some friends for dinner,” Molly said with a smile.

“Before you go,” Harry said, reaching out and putting a hand on her arm to stop her before she said her goodbyes. “I have something for you. I was going to give it to Alex to give to you, but since you’re here…” He walked over to the bags he had left by the doorway and picked one up, handing it to her.

Molly blinked, surprised. “You got me a gift?”

Harry shrugged. “You’ve helped out a lot with Emma since I came along and started monopolizing Alex’s time, and you have been so welcoming to me. I just wanted to show my appreciation.”

Molly looked to Alex, who had her fingers pressed to her mouth and tears in her eyes, and then to Emma, who was still had her little hand tucked tightly into Harry’s and was looking up at him adoringly. It was a beautiful moment and she didn’t know what to say.

“Open it,” Harry suggested. He gave her a small, encouraging smile; just a tilt of his lips that let her know he wanted her to open it while he was still there.

“Well, okay,” Molly said quietly. She pulled the paper from the bag, handing it to Alex. She pulled out a small, flat, velvet jewelry box and gasped, looking at Harry. “You shouldn’t have…”

He waved her off. “Of course I should have. Open it.”

She pulled it open slowly and smiled, pulling the necklace from the box. At the end of the fine silver chain was a pendant, the front of which was engraved with the British Army symbol.

“Turn it over,” Harry said quietly. When she did and saw the numbers engraved on the back, her eyes immediately flew to his and she clutched the pendent to her heart.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I called in a favor and found out his identification number and his date of death. I had them put on there for you. I just wanted you to know I don’t in any way expect anybody in this room, especially you, to forget that he lived or think I want to replace him,” Harry said, the sincerity radiating from his voice.

“Thank you,” Molly whispered before throwing her arms around Harry, squeezing him tight.

“I want to see,” Emma said, tugging on Harry’s hand.

Molly pulled back and mouthed one last “thank you” to Harry before leaning down and showing Emma the necklace. As she was explaining the symbols to Emma, Harry stepped back to let them have their moment and Alex moved next to him, taking his hand. She squeezed it tightly in her own and he turned his head down to look at her. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

“I’m not going to cry,” she whispered. “But that was…oh my God…”

“It wasn’t…”

She held up her free hand, silencing him. “It was and you know it.”

He shook his head but gave her a small smile, conceding to her as it was a fight her would never win.

Then Molly was back up and giving everyone hugs good-bye. She hugged Harry for several beats longer than the other, making sure to squeeze him extra tight.

“Be safe, young man,” she said, and then with one last wave she was gone.

As soon as the door was shut and Alex had turned the lock Harry, in his infinite wisdom, deflected any talk from his gift to Molly by instantly turning to Emma and saying, “Emma! So, about this tea party; I’d say this is just the right occasion to use the special set I got you for your birthday, don’t you?”

Emma eyes lit right up. “Really?”

“I think so. Should we ask what your mum thinks?” he said, turning his attention to Alex.

“Absolutely,” she agreed with a grin.

“But first,” Harry said with a wink at Emma. “You’ll have to open this.” He went over and grabbed another gift bag, the bigger of the two that were left, and handed it to Emma. “You’ll need this for a proper tea party.”

“What is it?” Emma asked ask she took the bag excitedly.

“You’ll have to open it to find out, silly,” Harry laughed.

Emma wasn’t as delicate with unwrapping her present as Molly had been with hers. She ripped the paper out of the bag, tossing it onto the floor, before reaching in and pulling out a dress.

Except that it wasn’t just any dress. It was a replica of Belle’s dress from Beauty and the Beast, similar to the one Emma had worn at their first tea party. However, this one wasn’t the flimsy kind that was sold in the stores. This one was professionally made out of fine fabrics and beautifully put together.

Alex gasped and immediately knelt down with Emma to look at the dress.

“Wow,” Emma breathed. “It’s so pretty.”

Alex ran her fingers over the material and then admired it as Emma turned it over in her hands, looking at every detail.

“What do we say to Harry for giving you this wonderful present?” Alex whispered to Emma.

Emma immediately looked up at Harry. “Thank you,” she said. Her voice was almost shy and very quiet. She was completely awestruck.

Harry then sat down on the floor, right there in Alex’s foyer, and pulled Emma onto his lap. “You are going to grow so fast in the next couple of years pretty girl, so wear this as much as you can, okay? This isn’t like the tea set that is for special occasions only.”

Emma nodded. “But what it gets messed up or dirty?”

Harry laughed and tickled her quickly, loving the little giggle that escaped. Then he said, “In that case I’ll have it fixed or cleaned for you.”

“Can I put it on now?” Emma asked with wide, hopeful.

“Of course,” Harry said. “You have to give me a hug and kiss first though.”

Emma immediately wrapped her arms around his middle, squeezing him tight. Then she leaned up and kissed his cheek quickly before scrambling out of his lap and almost sprinting down the hall to her bedroom. He laughed and looked at Alex when the door slammed behind her.

Alex shook her head at him, trying to rapidly blink away tears. “You,” she said pointing a finger down at him, “are ripping my emotions to shreds tonight. I told you I didn’t want to cry until…later…and here you are, forcing my hand.”

He immediately stood from his spot on the floor and moved to wrap his arms around her. “I didn’t mean to,” he said softly.

She laughed. “No, you didn’t. But you are ridiculously sweet and amazing that it just happens.”

He tilted her chin up with his finger and looked down into her eyes. “I’m neither of those things most of the time. I like doing these things for you and the people in your life. It makes you happy which makes me happy.”

“I love you, do you know that?” she responded with a smile.

“I do,” he said and then dropped a small kiss to her lips.

“Mummy!” Emma’s voice shouted from the bedroom. “I need help!”

Alex laughed and then moving from Harry’s arms went off to help her daughter with the beautiful dress.

****************

The tea party went wonderfully. They all laughed and joked and both Alex and Harry made sure to tell Emma that she made the best tea and desserts ever.

But as the party wound down and the clocked ticked closer to Emma’s bedtime, Alex could see Harry getting tense. She could see him beginning to get sad about the goodbyes that were imminent and he was withdrawing into himself.

Alex decided that she needed to draw things to a close. Emma was going to be sad to say good-bye to Harry and even though it was a special good-bye, she needed to get Emma into bed at a decent time otherwise the next morning was going to be twice as hard for both of them.

So with a heavy heart she looked at Harry with a sad smile and then turned to Emma. “Okay Emma Rose, it’s getting close to bed time.”

Emma looked up at her and immediately her lower lip started to tremble. “No…” she whimpered, her eyes pleading.

Alex nodded. “Yes. I’m so sorry, baby, but it’s time to tell Harry good-bye.”

Emma shook her head and the tears started to come. “No Mummy, I can’t.”

Alex’s breath hitched, but she dug deep and found the strength she needed to remain firm. “You have to, Emma.”

And then Emma’s face crumbled. The sobs started in earnest and Alex had to choke back her own that threatened to burst forward.

Harry, watching this unfold but not knowing what to say or do, finally moved. He stood and picked up Emma into his arms. She immediately folded her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. He moved with her to her bed where he sat, rocking her gently back and forth as she clung to him.

He heard Alex move from her spot across the room and he looked to her.

“I can’t,” she whispered, her hands held out in front of and her eyes wide. He nodded at her with sad eyes and watched as she left the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

“Emma,” Harry said softly, stroking her hair. “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to be okay.”

That only made her cry harder and Harry felt his heart breaking slowly. He was as attached to her as she was to him and he was just aching with the sadness of not seeing her for four months. He had always loved children, any and all children, but Emma was different. He connected with her beyond just the normal ease and comfort he felt whenever he was working with kids. He loved her like…well, he didn’t have children yet, but he could imagine that if he did he would love them like he loved Emma.

“Please don’t go,” Emma whimpered into his neck. “We haven’t gotten to do all the fun things together we want to do. It’s not fair that you have to leave before we can do those things.”

The tears Harry had fought hard against surged to the surface then, and he blinked, trying to push them back in, but it only served to push them out. They ran down his cheeks and he reached up quickly to swipe them away.

“Emma, I’ll be back in four months and then we can do all of the fun things I promised that we would do. I promise you that. But, I have to go. This is my job and it’s something that I have to do.”

She remained gripped tightly to him but her sobs eventually became sniffles. She was still breathing hard though with the emotion of it all. He remained quiet and let her continue to calm down, waiting for her to get it all out.

Eventually she released her grip on his neck and leaned back slowly to look at him. He had to force himself not to get upset when he saw how red her eyes were, how devastated she looked.

“But my Daddy didn’t come back,” she said in a small voice. “I never got to meet him. Mummy said he loved me, but he didn’t come back to meet me.” Her small hands wiped at her wet face as she said it. Harry reached up, brushed her hands away and wiped away her tears with the sleeve of his shirt.

“I’m sure he did love you, Emma. How could he not? I’m sure he’s up in Heaven right now, looking down and thinking how much he would have liked to meet you. And as for me, Emma; I am so glad I met you. You and your mum are so important to me. Nothing in the world could keep me from coming back here to both of you,” Harry said gently.

“Do you love us?”

“Yes,” Harry answered quickly.

“Mummy and me?”

“Yes Emma, I love both you and your mum very much.”

“I love you too,” Emma said in a small voice.

“I’m very glad,” Harry responded quietly. “Do you think you’ll be okay now if I tuck you in and then go say good-bye to your mum?”

Emma nodded. “Can I sleep in my new dress?”

“I think that would be okay, just this once,” Harry said, laughing.

Emma leaned forward and threw her arms around Harry one more time. They hugged each other tightly for a minute before Emma pulled back, climbed out of Harry’s arms and got under her covers.

“Mummy always turns my night light on over there,” Emma said, pointing at towards where the light was plugged in. “Then when she leaves she closes the door but not all the way. You have to leave it open just a bit.”

Harry grinned and went and turned the night light on. He returned to her beside and switched the lamp on. He leaned down and kissed her cheek quickly. “Goodnight Emma. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Emma nodded. “Goodnight. See you soon, Harry.”

He backed out of the room and left the door just as Emma had asked him. He stopped and took several deep breaths before moving to find Alex. That had been unbelievably rough and he was already emotionally drained.

And now he had to say good-bye to Alex.

He really didn’t know how he was going to be able to walk away from her tonight, but he had to. Giving himself a pep talk to get moving, he moved out to the living room and found her there, sitting on the window seat with her back against the wall, staring out into the night.

“Alex,” he said softly. It startled her and she turned quickly, blinking several time as she sat and tried to process how to do this. He moved over to her, sitting down on the window seat with her, his back propped up against the opposite wall. “That was really hard,” he murmured.

She nodded. “I couldn’t stay. It was too much. Now, how do we do this?” she asked. Her voice wavered and so did his control on himself.

He took a deep breath and wiped his hands on his jeans. “I don’t know how we say good-bye, Alexandra. But I do know that before we do, we need to talk about a few things.”

“If you’re about to tell me what happens if something happens to you then I don’t want to hear it,” she said. The first tear slipped from her eye and slid down her cheek.

“I have to,” he said firmly. “You know I have to.”

She swallowed and turned her face towards the window again for a few moments before turning back to him. “I know,” she whispered.

He decided to just say what he needed say. He would stall all night if he didn’t just get it out. With a deep, solid breath he began the speech he had planned out so carefully.

“Alex, if something happens, anything, if I am injured or…” he swallowed,” worse…you won’t hear about from anyone but my father or William. They have your phone number and all of the addresses to places you might be. They will find you before word even comes close to hitting the press. The military won’t let anything about me get out until my family is aware and has made decisions on it. Do you understand?”

Alex nodded, trying desperately to win the tug of war with her emotions.

“Say it, Alex. Tell me you understand,” he demanded. He needed to know she was listening and absorbing what he was telling her.

“I…I understand,” she said with a ragged breath.

“Also, if I don’t come home…the fact that you and I are together will never hit the press unless it is your decision to put it there. If you do go public, whether it be for HFTF or whatever you chose, my family will back up your story one hundred percent. You’ll have to disclose to them the details you wish to share, but they will stand behind you.”

The thought of that ripped through Alex and she covered her face with her hands, hanging her head down as she cried at the thought of a life without Harry.

He was dying to go to her, to hold her, to comfort her, but he wasn’t done. He had one more thing to get through before he could do all of those things.

“Alex, look at me,” he said quietly but firmly. She shook her head but a few seconds later lifted her eyes to his. He sucked in a breath at the heartbreak he saw there. “If something happens to me, I’ve set up certain provisions…for Emma.”

“What do you mean?” she asked hoarsely.

“Because we aren’t engaged or married there isn’t really any kind of monetary sum I could set aside for you. But, I’ve set up a scholarship fund for Emma. She’ll have access to the best private schools and the best education that could possibly be given to her. I want that for her and…” he trailed off when her face scrunched up and her shoulders started to shake. He took a shaky breath, knowing he didn’t have much left in him. “I hope that you would accept that in lieu of everything else I plan to give you.”

It was as close to alluding to a future with her as he could allow right now and she loved him more in that moment than she could possibly say. The fact that he had thought about her daughter’s future that seriously and had taken steps to secure it meant everything in the world to her.

“I would accept that,” she whispered.

He exhaled. “I’m very glad,” he said. Then he reached over and held out a hand to her. “I’m done now,” he whispered.

She didn’t waste a second. Bypassing his hand completely she crawled across the window seat and into his lap and his arms. She wrapped herself around him, laying her head against his chest, listening to his heart. He arms went around her and he held her there, so close against him.

She didn’t sob. She didn’t beg him not to go. She held him and he comforted her with gentle hands on her back while she let the hot tears roll down her cheeks until there were no more left.

When she was done she sat back and took a deep breath, raising her big blue eyes to his. “I saw you brought me a present,” she finally said in a small voice.

He was startled by the subject change for a second and then he laughed; amazed as always at her ability to draw him back from the edge of whatever emotion he was feeling.

“I did.”

“Good, because I have a present for you too,” she said. She scrambled off of the window seat and left the room, going to get his gift. He got up himself and picked up hers up from where he had left it in the foyer. He moved back into the living room, this time sitting on the couch. She joined him moment later, holding two wrapped rectangular packages.

He held out her bag when she sat. “Ladies first,” he said with a smirk.

She smiled and took the bag, pulling out the paper and threw it on the floor next to her, not caring about making a mess. She pulled out a small, leather bound book. Her full name was embossed on the front in gold. “A journal?” she asked, slightly confused.

“Of sorts,” he said. “I had one made for you and one made for me. There are 120 pages in each one, one for every day I am gone. I thought that if we could each write something we did in them each day, then we could read them together when we came back. I like the idea of being able to compare our days. I thought it may make everything more normal in retrospect.”

She stared at him for a second before recovering her wits. “Harry, this is so amazing. It’s so thoughtful and…perfect. I love it. I love you. Thank you,” she said.

He leaned across and kissed her softly. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.”

She shook her head and hugged it to her heart. “Love it.”

And then she reached over to the coffee table, sat the journal on it, and pulled the two rectangular packages from it and into her lap. She handed him the first one and he got inexplicably nervous.

“That one is from Emma,” she said.

His mouth turned up into a slight grin as he pulled the paper back and off of the present. When he pulled out the framed picture that Emma had drawn that day a huge grin lit up his face. “This is us?” he said, his eyes dancing at the three stick figures, two with yellow hair drawn in and one with a shock of bright red, playing tea party.

She nodded. “She drew it today for you at school. I ran by the school early this afternoon and got it from her so I could frame it for you. I think she wanted to give it to you herself, but must have forgotten in all the tea party madness.”

“I love it,” he said, “Make sure and tell her thank you for me.”

“I will,” she said softly and then handed him the other present. “Now, this one is from me.”

He pulled the paper back and then he felt the air leave his lungs when he saw what was in the frame.

“When did you…when was this?” he whispered, looking at the picture of him and Emma asleep together in Alex’s bed and then up at her, his eyes full of emotion.

“The night before we left for Balmoral; the night when we made up from me ridiculously leaving you after you told me you got deployed. I woke up early and saw you two like that. I couldn’t help myself and needed a picture. I got a copy framed for myself and it’s sitting on my nightstand.”

“Alexandra, this is wonderful. I love it so much,” he said. His fingers were laid lightly on the glass of the frame. He couldn’t tear his eyes from it.

“If you open the back of the frame there is an extra copy in there as well as one of the pictures we took at Balmoral of us. I know you can’t really display the frame in Afghanistan, but I thought you might like to have copies there with you,” she said with a small smile.

He couldn’t help the tear that escaped, but he still swiped it away quickly. “This is the best gift you could have given me. I mean it,” he told her, making sure she understand how important it was to him.

She was pleased he was so happy with it and threw him a big smile that warmed every part of him.

It was then that she made the mistake of looking at the clock. The smile slowly faded when she saw that it was almost ten at night and he had to be up in six hours to fly to Afghanistan.

“It’s time,” she murmured, looking back to him with wide, nervous eyes.

“I have to,” he whispered brokenly.

They both sat there for another minute or so, not wanting to be the first one to initiate this moment. Then Alex gathered strength she didn’t know she had left and stood, holding out her hand. “Come on Captain Wales; let me walk you to the door.”

His breath hitched in his chest but he took her hand and stood. He gathered the frames and held them under his arm as he moved slowly behind her to the doorway.

She turned around and faced him. “This isn’t good-bye, Harry, so let’s not say it. Just kiss me proper and tell me you love me and you’ll see me soon. Then go do your job and come home. I’ll be waiting for you right here when you get back.”

And because she was right, he set the pictures on the small table by the door and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her proper and then kissed her in a way that society would deem completely improper. He told her he loved her and told her he would see her very soon. Then he used every bit of willpower he had and moved from her arms. He picked up his gifts and then threw her one last sexy smirk of a grin and then he was gone.

It was then, only after the door was shut, locked, and Alex could no longer hear his footsteps in the hall that she let herself go. Her legs gave out and she sank to the floor, sobbing loudly into her hands as the man she loved left her to go to war.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

MARCH

Alex gave herself one day.

She took the day off of work, she kept Emma home from school, and she gave herself one day to cry it all out, to feel sorry for herself, and to let Emma be sad. They sobbed together, they watched hours and hours of Disney movies, they ate ice cream and cookies, and they got it all out of their system in one day.

Then on day two Alex got her shit together. She got out of bed in the morning and resolved to do what she had promised herself, Emma, and Harry that she would do. She was going to take these four months and do for her and not be sad all of the time.

So she did just that. Each day she got out of bed and went through the routine. She worked hard at work, and she played hard with Emma in the evenings. She kept herself going the best way she knew how.

*********************

That first weekend Alex, Emma, and Mia went to the Tower of London. Emma had been when she was very young, but Alex had wanted to take her back since the first tea party with Harry when he told Emma that little girls who lied to princes get locked in the Tower. Emma still laughed about that joke and when Alex had suggested going Emma’s excitement at the idea made it completely worth it. She called Mia and asked her to join, knowing Mia’s love of all things historical and wanting to talk to her about some things. Mia had readily agreed.

Mia really looked up to Alex. Alex had always been very warm and sweet to her, but had always remained somewhat closed off. As a result, her excitement at going with her and Emma to the Tower wasn’t completely about the historical aspect. She had been to the Tower plenty of times. She was excited that Alex had asked her to go and that she would get a chance to maybe get to know her better outside of work, other than just dropping and picking up Emma after Mia babysat.

The three of them had a great time going through all the different buildings. Alex had talked to Emma no less than three times before they went that she couldn’t tell the tea party story out loud at the Tower as they didn’t want other people to hear. Emma rolled her eyes the second two times, telling her mum that she understood the first time and she knew what a secret was. Alex had to laugh and concede that it was true. After all, Harry had been around for months now and Emma hadn’t gone around and told anyone about him. Even after her birthday party, when all the girls that had been there would ask if she saw Prince Harry anymore, Emma would just roll her eyes and say, “Prince Harry is far too busy to hang out with my mum, puh-lease.”  
They had walked through the buildings and now Alex and Mia were sitting outside on one of the benches while Emma was off to the side looking at the ravens that lived at the Tower and listening to a very eloquent older man who had probably worked at the Tower forever talk about the story behind the ravens.

Keeping an eye on Emma, Alex smiled at Mia and finally began the process of bringing her into the “circle” as Molly had called it.

“So, I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that I’ve been seeing Harry,” Alex said with a soft smile.

Mia’s eyes went wide for a second before she recovered. Of course she knew, but she never expected Alex to actually admit it to her.

“Yes,” Mia said quietly, nodding her head. “I knew…um…know.”

Alex took a deep breath. “What you don’t know yet is that Harry got deployed. He left on Tuesday.”

“Oh my God,” Mia breathed. Her eyes welled with tears for Alex. Something about Mia’s reaction was so sincere, so heartfelt, that it made Alex feel so much more comfortable in that moment.

“Yeah,” Alex said, blinking back her own tears. “It was rough.”

“That’s why you weren’t at work on Wednesday.”

Alex nodded.

“Are you doing okay?” Mia asked.

“I’m doing better. That first day wasn’t fun, but I made a promise to Emma that we weren’t going to be sad all of the time. So here we are, out and about, having fun,” Alex laughed, taking a sip of the small cup of coffee she had bought from a small vendor cart.

“Well, thank you for inviting me. It means a lot,” Mia said, offering a slight, shy smile.

Alex glanced towards Emma, making sure she was doing okay, before throwing a side glance at Mia. “I’m glad you came. But actually, there is another reason I wanted you to come. I wanted to talk to you about some things.”

“Okay, go for it,” Mia said, sipping her own coffee.

Alex took a deep breath. “When Harry gets back, we are going to go public.”

“Ohhhh…” Mia’s eyes were wide, her mouth half hanging open.

Alex giggled. “It is a daunting thought sometimes, but I love him and we will have been together six months by that point. It’s time for us.”

All of the sudden Mia turned toward her and grabbed Alex’s free hand with hers. “You’re in love?!” she screeched.

Alex laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Mia, shhhh,” she whispered. “But yes, I am in love. We are in love.”

“I cannot even…” Mia mumbled, her words trailing off as turned and stared off into the distance.

“Well, Mia, you’re going to have to,” Alex smirked.

Mia’s eyes, wide and excited, turned back to Alex. “What do you mean?”

“When we go public, the press is going to go nuts. They will dig, and they will dig deep. I don’t have anything to hide, but they will try to get to people in my life. They can find one sentence, one word, of anything anyone says and they can make it completely something it’s not.”

Mia immediately put a hand up. “I would never…”

Alex shook her head quickly, cutting her off. “I know, Mia,” she said, reaching over to squeeze her hand. “I know you wouldn’t. I’m just warning you because I have to. If anyone says my name, Harry’s name, or Emma’s name to you, you just cannot talk them.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Alex nodded. “Again, I know that. It’s just something I have to say. Also, you help me with Emma quite a bit, and there will be times when you are out with her; times you pick her up or take her to dance class, or pick her up from school for me if I’ve got a session going on at work.”

“Paparazzi?” Mia asked instantly.

“Listen, I’m not saying it will be bad. Hopefully they will know that Emma is not game if I am not with her. But, if anyone ever follows you, takes a picture of you, or approaches you while she is with you, I need to know immediately,” Alex said, her eyes were intense and were fixed on Mia’s, communicating with her how important this was to her.

“I would absolutely do that,” Mia said firmly, sincerely. “You know I love Emma, right? I would die before I let anything happen to her.”

Alex blinked, a slow smile forming on her lips at Mia’s touching words. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

“And Alex?” Mia continued, a little nervously.

“Yeah?”

“I’m not just agreeing for Emma. I’m agreeing for you too. I mean, I’ve known you awhile, and I’ve always liked you…”

“And I always kept you at a distance,” Alex interrupted with a sigh and an apologetic look.

Mia shrugged looking away slightly. “I don’t blame you for that. I’m younger than you and we don’t have much in common.”

Alex laughed lightly. “Oh I think we have more in common than you think, than I thought.”

Mia swung her gaze back to Alex. “Really?”

“Really,” Alex nodded. “And I think that I was wrong to keep you out. I like you Mia, and I think that I’ve missed out on a good friendship. Plus, you’re only a few years younger than me and it would have never occurred to me to distance myself from you because of that. Besides, I need good friends that I can trust. I’ve missed out on that because of my own issues.”

Mia grinned. “Friends, then?”

“Friends,” Alex said with a matching grin.

Mia gave an exaggerated sigh of relief and then with a sly grin she leaned in closer to Alex. “Okay, since we are friends now, can I tell you something?”

“Sure,” Alex said before draining the last of her coffee.

“Alex, your boyfriend is so freaking hot.”

Alex threw her head back and shouted her laughter. “That he is, Mia,” she said with a wink when she got over her giggles.

Just then Emma went running back over to them. The information session on the ravens was over and, with the exuberance that only a six year old can muster, was ready to move on to move on to the next part of their tour.

***********************

It was late Sunday night that the media was made aware of Harry’s deployment. By Monday morning there were pictures of him everywhere once the news broke. Harry in his camouflage popped up on every internet site, on every TV, and every newspaper on every newsstand in London.

It was somewhat of a conundrum for Alex. God, she loved that handsome face of his so she almost couldn’t help herself to look at the pictures of him. However, the fact that everyone else was looking at the same pictures as she was made her irrationally irritated. He was hers and these people should not be looking at these pictures and mourning his deployment. She knew it was such a silly thing to think, that these people didn’t really know Harry, didn’t have the real life memories of him that she did.

But it was the girls in the coffee shop that morning with tears in their eyes at the thought of their hero going off to war that really did it for Alex. It was when Alex realized that she wanted to punch both of them right into face that she needed some help rationalize her weird emotions. So, she called Charlotte and asked her to lunch.

It turned out to be exactly what she needed.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Alex, don’t let those people bother you. They don’t know Harry; they just think they know him based on an idea of him.

Alex rolled her eyes. “But you should have heard them. They were all like, ‘he’s my hero!’” she replied grumpily, imitating the girl’s voices.

Charlotte just laughed and shook her head. Then she put her fork up in the air and pointed it right at Alex. “You’re looking at it all wrong, darling.”

“What do you mean?”

“Those girls are jealous of you.”

“But they don’t know me. They don’t know that I’m Harry’s girlfriend.”

Charlotte sighed and put down her fork, leaning over closer to Alex and lowering her voice. “Listen to me. When those things happen, just remember that before he left, and when he comes back, you’re the one he’s fucking.”

Alex almost choked on her bite of salad.

“Charlotte,” she groaned when she was finally able to swallow.

Charlotte shrugged. “Whatever…you know what I mean.”

“I’m not sure I do.”

“I swear Alex, sometimes we speak different languages.”

“We always speak different languages. It’s just usually you aren’t talking about my relationship like it’s a one night stand,” Alex said as she leaned back in her seat, cocking her eyebrow.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Charlotte said with a wave of her hand. “Listen, you know I’m not flowery and romantic and all of that. I don’t do relationships so I don’t speak the language, but the gist of what I’m trying to say is that those girls…they don’t get what you do. They don’t know that of course, but they will in a little over four months. So, walk past them with your head held high and know that soon enough, they’ll be jealous of you.”

“I feel like that’s so…catty,” Alex murmured.

Charlotte groaned. “Oh my God. Alex. You are going to have to grow a pair. I’m not telling you to walk over to them and describe Harry’s penis in detail to get them riled up. I’m just saying, be proud of what you have and know that what those girls say means nothing and never will. Harry doesn’t love them, he loves you.”

It was then that Alex smiled. “Aw! Charlotte, you said love. You do speak the language.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “I do not. Don’t say that ever again.”

Alex laughed. “I can’t make any promises.”

******************

Alex’s first class was on Wednesday afternoon. She had been nervous to go, but once she was in the lecture she got completely caught up in it and she knew she had made the right decision. She would be so much busier when she started taking more classes, but it was so worth it.

That evening when she got home and checked her mail is when she found that the first letter had arrived from Harry. Actually, as Alex discovered when she ripped open the large envelope as soon as she got through the door and locked it behind her, it was two letters contained in separate smaller envelopes; one for her and one for Emma.

Alex was home alone as Emma was still at dance class, and if she was being honest she was little glad she got to read her letter without anyone around, even if it was Emma. Her hands shook as she pulled open the envelope and pulled out the paper it contained. She had to force back the tears when she saw his familiar scrawl on the page. She wanted to actually read the letter, not just stare at it through a haze of tears.

Alexandra,

Well, I made it here. It’s hot and dusty and I’m surrounded by a bunch sweaty blokes. It’s definitely an Army base and I am definitely in a war zone.

God, I miss you. I am already aching to come back to you. It’s odd not talking to you every day. In a way, it’s a good thing for my job because my attentions need to be here, making sure my men are safe on the ground, but at night when it’s quiet and I try to sleep, I can’t stop all of the thoughts of you and Emma that run through my head.

This will be in my journal, but I had to tell you here anyway. I taped your pictures up by my bunk as soon as I got here. I hope it is okay with you that the guys here see them. The guys in my regiment would never breathe a word of my personal life to anyone. It would be disrespectful to the Army and to me so it is just not done. Regardless of that, I took a fair amount of good natured ribbing over the one of me and Emma asleep, but they can all kiss my ass. That picture is…well, it makes me feel like I have a true home to go back to.

I would like to tell you though, that the picture you gave me of us at Balmoral caused quite a stir. The boys were pretty jealous of my luck in women. I can’t say I blame them on that one; I really do have the most beautiful girl at home. They all wish they were so damn lucky.

I’m not much of a writer, Alex, but I’ll try hard to write as often as I can. I may be able to get a few phone calls in, but I can’t promise you that. But, I will try because I’m dying to hear your voice.

I have to go now, but I hope to hear from you soon.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

Harry

Alex swiped away the tears that fell as she finished reading. It was a simple, beautiful, heartfelt letter that was very much who Harry was.

She had almost been afraid of this moment, the moment where the first words he had for her since he left arrived. In reality, the moment had been wonderful. She loved the letter, loved his words, loved that he took the time to send this to her. She went and placed the letter on her desk in her room so she could sit down later and write him back.

When she came back out she heard the telltale sign of a key being turned in her door and she suddenly got incredibly excited. Emma was home and she would be so incredibly thrilled she had a letter from Harry.

Molly and Emma came through the door, with Emma immediately running over and giving Alex a big hug. This is the way they were, always affectionate and open with each other.

“Thanks for picking her up,” Alex said to Molly as she gave her a hug as well. She noticed the necklace that Harry gave to her safely clasped around Molly’s neck and it warmed her heart.

“Of course,” Molly said with a smile as Emma ran back to her room to put her stuff away and change. “How was your first class?”

Alex’s eyes softened. “Wonderful. It’s good to be back in school.”

“I’m so glad for you,” Molly said. Her eyes softened then and she lowered her voice a little bit to ask, “Have you heard from Harry?”

Alex grinned, her eyes lighting up. “I got my first letter today, actually. I just read it. He sent one for Emma to. I’ll help her read it here shortly.”

“He’s a good man,” Molly said with a wink.

Alex chuckled. “That he is. I’ll make sure to tell him you said so when I write him back.”

“Please do, and give him my best as well,” Molly answered congenially before giving Alex another hug and turning to leave.

Alex locked the door behind Molly and turned to go find Emma.

“Emma!” she called down the hall to her room. “Hurry out. A surprise came for you today.”

Emma’s door immediately swung open and she went flying down the hallway towards her mom. “What is it?” she squealed.

Alex laughed and reached out for her daughter’s hand, pulling her towards the living room. “It’s a letter from Harry. Come on, I’ll help you read it.”

“He sent me a letter?” Emma asked, almost in disbelief.

“Yes. He sent us both one. Don’t you want to read it?”

“Yes, Mummy, I really want to!”

With an excited smile that matched her daughter’s, Alex grabbed the letter and sat with Emma on the couch. She let Emma open it, which she did very slowly, being careful not to tear any part of anything Harry had sent her. Once it was open Emma unfolded the paper and Alex helped her to read through it.

Dearest Emma,

I just wanted to let you know that I made it safely to Afghanistan. I know you were worried about me, but so far, I’m fine.

I hope that you cheered up a bit after I left. If you ever get sad, or if your mum gets sad, just remember what I told you…I will be back to do so many fun things with the both of you.

Why don’t you start a list of all of the things you want us to do? Keep it for me and when I get back we will see how many of those items we can check off of the list. I promise that anything you want to do, if we can do it, we will.

I will write you again soon, and I hope you will write to me. Give your mum anything you write and she will make sure I get it.

Keep your chin up and remember that I love you, Emma.

Harry

When they finished Emma was absolutely beside herself with joy and Alex had to blink back the tears.

“Will you help me write him back right now?” Emma pleaded immediately. She jumped off the couch and clasped her hands in front of her like she was begging. Well, she was begging, but Alex wasn’t about to deny her this.

“Of course,” Alex answered right away. She laughed to herself as Emma immediately ran from the room to get paper and something to write with. It was funny…Alex was dying to write her own letter to Harry, but somehow this seemed more important at the moment, helping her daughter write to this amazing man who had somehow become such a force in both of their lives.

***************

As the first two weeks of Harry’s deployment and the month of March came to a close, Alex felt as if she were finding her feet. Even if she missed him terribly and wished for him to be there every second of every day, she had filled her days with enough activities to keep herself occupied.

Little did she know that as they moved into April and as spring started to really bloom in London that even without Harry there, she was about to become embedded just a little bit deeper into his life.

It all started when Charlotte called her that Saturday afternoon, the last day of March. Alex was busy cleaning her apartment from top to bottom and wasn’t really in the mood to talk, but answered the phone away.

“Hello?” she asked, a little breathless the energy she had been exerting scrubbing her kitchen floor.

“Hello Alex, darling,” Charlotte sang through the phone.

Alex plopped herself down in one of the kitchen chairs, smirking at the tone in Charlotte’s voice. “Don’t you sound chipper? What’s going on?”

“Oh, I’ll tell you what is going on. Your presence has been requested tonight by a couple people I’d love for you to meet. Can you find a sitter for Emma?” Charlotte said eagerly.

Alex sighed. “I’m not sure I feel like doing anything this evening, Charlotte. I’ve been cleaning all day, I’m…”

“It’s Harry’s cousins,” Charlotte interrupted. “Beatrice and Eugenie. They heard about you from Harry and asked me if they could meet you. They are both good friends of mine and I think it’s about time you are introduced.”

Alex was stunned for a moment. “I don’t know if Harry…”

“Oh quit with the excuses. Harry would be thrilled for you to meet them. Find a sitter for Emma, put on a dress and some heels, and come out,” Charlotte said in that bossy way that only she could get away with.

Alex sat there in indecision for a moment before she realized how silly she was being. Harry’s cousins wanted to meet her and she was trying to make excuses to get out of it to do what…scrub her bathroom floors? Talk about being an idiot.

Here decision was made.

“Alright,” she said with a grin. “I’m in.”


	19. Chapter Nineteen

APRIL

Alex got home very late and more than a little bit tipsy but she didn’t care. She’d had a wonderful night with Charlotte, Beatrice, and Eugenie. She had been nervous, but they were both so welcoming when she and Charlotte arrived that she immediately felt at ease.

They were both full of questions about her and Harry, but they also contributed to the conversation, telling many, many embarrassing stories about him that she locked away in her mind to tease him mercilessly with when he got back.

They had all bought rounds of drinks and then hit the dance floor, where they had a blast until the club was about to close. At the end of the night, Eugenie had been the first to shove her phone in Alex’s face, telling her that she had to program her number in so that they could get together sometime. Beatrice did the same and Alex felt so glad that these wonderful, supportive women were in Harry’s life.

Now, as she locked the door behind her in her empty apartment, she couldn’t help the smile that was on her face. She kicked her heels off, and immediately went into the kitchen to dig for good drunk food.

She was just putting her frozen pizza in the oven when her phone rang from her clutch. Hoping it wasn’t Molly calling with an issue with Emma; she quickly popped the clutch open and pulled the phone. Seeing that it was a number she didn’t know, she almost didn’t answer, but by the third ring something inside her just made her press the answer button.

“Hello?”

“Hey you,” came the soft, deep voice across the line from thousands of miles away.

She gasped and her hand flew to her throat. “Harry?”  
The chuckle that came across the line confirmed it for her. “Yeah, it’s me. You sound awake. It’s so late there.”

She forced back the tears in favor of actually being able to talk to the man calling her. “I…I was out. I just got home. I can’t believe you’re actually calling me. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. Oh, I miss you so much.”

He grinned as she rambled out her sentence. “I didn’t expect to be able to call so soon. I miss you too, my love. And out? Where did you go?”

She sank down into a kitchen chair, feeling more at ease now that she was hearing his voice. “Some fancy club in Mayfair with Charlotte…and Beatrice and Eugenie.”

“Really? She introduced you to them? That’s wonderful. What did you think?”

“Oh Harry, they were amazing. They were so sweet and funny and…a lot like you come to think of it. Same sense of humor, a lot of the same mannerisms, same Windsor charm,” she said, smirking at her last words.

He laughed. “Windsor charm, huh? I thought that was unique to me.”

“Harry…” Alex said softly, her voice low and husky, her blood warm in her veins from the alcohol and hearing Harry’s voice.

His heart immediately beat faster at the tone in her voice. “Yes?”

“I’ll write all about meeting your cousins in my journal, but I don’t want to talk about them right now.”

“What do you want to talk about, Alexandra? I’m open…”

She closed her eyes, picturing his face in her mind. “I want to talk about you. Are you okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine, love. How are you? How’s Emma?” He said, his voice growing wistful as he asked after both of them.

“Emma’s good. She’s at Molly’s tonight. She misses you and talks about you all the time. I think we’ve sent you a letter a day since your first one came to us. Every day she comes home from school and that’s the first thing she wants to do. You should start getting them soon.”

Harry’s heart swelled thinking of that and he couldn’t help the grin that was plastered on his face. “I can’t wait, Alex. I can’t wait to see what both of you write me about. You didn’t answer part of my question though. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing okay. Better than I thought. If you want to know how I’m doing right now though…” she trailed off, waiting for his response.

He could detect the playfulness in her tone and it caused his lips turned up at the corners and the cockiness to creep back into his voice. “I’d love to know how you are doing right now…”

“Right now…I’m a little drunk.”

She heard him crack up laughing down the line and she couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips.

“How drunk?”

“Remember the night in front of the fire at Balmoral?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that,” he responded, the pride evident in his voice.

She giggled again. “I’m way drunker than I was then.”

“Ha! Is drunker even a word?” he asked, teasing her.

She shrugged. “Don’t know. You know what I do know though?”

“What?”

“I wish you were here. I can’t have sweaty, just got home from the bar, rip each other’s clothes off, drunk sex without you.”

He sucked in a breath of air and glanced around him, making sure no one was within listening distance. “Alexandra Mae…” he said in half-warning, half-desperation.

“Henry Charles Albert David…”

His voice dropped low. “Is that the kind of sex you’d like to have with me?”

“I’d like to have every kind of sex with you…but at this moment, that would probably be the kind that I would go for, yes…” She couldn’t help the satisfied grin that tilted her lips at the thought of the look that was gracing his handsome face right now.

“Alex, as much as I want to continue this…topic of conversation…anyone could walk in here at any second; so you are going to have to knock that off.” His voice was husky with the reactions her words caused in his body.

“Boo,” Alex whined, sticking her bottom lip out even though he couldn’t see her.

“Write me a letter about it,” he suggested, only half-joking.

She perked up. “Like, a dirty letter?”

He laughed. “Sure.”

She thought about it for a second as the possibilities raced through her mind. “Nah,” she said finally. “I think I’ll just save it all up in my head for when you come home.”

Harry groaned. “You are killing me here. Okay, enough of that. I’ve got a limited amount of time here. Tell me about what you have been doing. How was your first class?”

They spent the next few minutes catching up on the big stuff, although they both purposefully left little things out, things that were written in their journals or in letters.

Then Harry’s heart fell as he was given the signal and his time was up.

“Alex, I’ve got to go, they’re cutting me off now,” he said quietly.

She instantly blinked back her tears and held her phone a little tighter. “Okay. I…I’m so glad you called. Be safe, Harry.”

“I will, baby.”

“I love you, Henry Charles Albert David,” she said, her voice hoarse with unshed tears.

“And I love you, Alexandra Mae.”

And just like that the phone call was disconnected and the many thousands of miles between them opened back up. Alex pulled her phone down from her ear, looking at it desperately, wishing she could somehow get him back on the line.

She sat like that for several minutes, replaying their conversation in her head over and over again. It had been good to hear his voice. She loved the way he talked to her, so loving and appreciative of the connection they shared.

And then Alex’s mind strayed from the conversation when she smelled something…burning.

Her eyes got big and she jumped out of her chair.

“Oh shit! My pizza!”

********************

“Man, look at that cocky ass grin.”

“Kiss my ass, Geoff,” Harry smirked at his friend as he sauntered back into the tent that housed their bunks.

Geoff was on the Xbox and Harry went and plopped down next to him, picking up a controller. Geoff switched over to two player mode so Harry could join in.

“Talk to your girl?” Geoff asked as they game started up and their thumbs and fingers immediately went flying on the controls.

“Yep,” Harry said with a grin.

“How was she?”

“Drunk,” he said with a chuckle.

Geoff’s head turned towards Harry, which gave Harry the chance to swoop in and win the battle they were currently on. “Drunk?”

Harry pumped his fist in the air in victory and then looked towards Geoff. “She had been out with a friend of ours and two of my cousins. It was the first time she’s met Bea and Eugenie. They must have liked her if they got her smashed. She sounded happy though.”

“You sound happy, Wales,” Geoff observed. “Hell, you’ve got a picture of you cuddling with her kid. You are so done. Just invite me to the wedding, okay? That’ll score me some big points with my old lady.”

Harry scoffed. “Maybe you wouldn’t need to get big points if you didn’t refer to her as your ‘old lady.’”

Geoff rolled his eyes. “I would never call her that to her face.”

“Unbelievable,” Harry chuckled as he shook his head.

“I’m just messing,” Geoff said, leaning over to nudge Harry’s shoulder with his. “But in all seriousness man, I’m happy for you. If she’s half as great as you say she is, and half a good-looking as that picture of you two makes her out to be, then you are a lucky son-of-a-gun.”

Harry leaned back into the small couch, his fingers reaching up to scratch the scruff that had been growing on his face. “She’s amazing, man. She’s so fun and full of life. I…I don’t know…I just can’t wait to get back to her. It was too soon to have to leave her like this.”

George nodded. “What about the kid?”

“Emma,” Harry corrected with a big smile.

“Okay, what about Emma?”

Harry sat in silence for a few moments, trying to decide how to put what he wanted to say. “She’s like a little miniature version of her mum. She’s so much fun. She’s smart and hilarious and I adore every second I spend with her.”

Geoff nodded. “Okay. Can I ask you a personal question?”

Harry cocked a brow. “And this hasn’t been personal?”

Geoff chuckled. “True. This question is a little…deeper. It kind of digs into your royal life as well.”

Harry shifted in his seat. He was not usually comfortable talking about his royal life when he was on military duty. But, Geoff was the closest to him of the squadron and someone who he made a point to keep in touch with back home. “Out with it,” he finally said.

“If this girl is it for you, how does her daughter factor in?” Geoff asked, a little nervous with his line of questioning.

Harry took a deep breath. “I really don’t know. I mean, obviously she’d be a part of the family and she’d be treated as such. It’s tricky though…she would still be Emma Morgan, unless I adopt her, in which case she would take the family last name of Mountbatten-Windsor. She would be considered Lady Emma, but she wouldn’t be titled as any future children we had would be…you know, Prince or Princess…” Harry stopped and looked at Geoff who was listening but with a sort of amused smile. “Bit more than you were looking for there, huh?”

“The ‘she would be part of the family’ bit was all I was looking for. You’ve given this some thought though, yes?”

Harry ran a hand through his hair, which was badly in need of a haircut. “Probably too much. Hell, I’ve only been with Alex for a little over two months.”

Geoff shrugged. “Meh. When you know, you know,” he said softly, thinking of his own wife and young son at home.

Just then the alarm rang out, signaling that they were needed for a mission. Both Geoff and Harry were up and on their feet instantly, running off to their stations, their topic of conversation pushed completely to the backs of their minds for now.

***********

“He called you that night?” Beatrice squealed over lunch with Alex one afternoon later that month. They were at Beatrice’s flat as they didn’t want any paparazzi attention if they went out in public together.

Alex laughed. “Yes, and I was so drunk.”

“Ha! What did he say about that?”

“He laughed and teased me. I told him I had been out with you, Eugenie, and Charlotte and he was just delighted that I had gotten to meet you,” Alex said with somewhat of a shy smile.

Beatrice shot her a wide smile, her famous big blue eyes adopting that same playful look that Harry’s had so often. “We wanted to meet you before he left, you know. I think our lovely Henry was intent on being selfish and keeping you to himself.”

Alex smirked. “I don’t doubt it. He did introduce me and Emma to Charles and Kate though.”

“I heard,” Bea said with a nod. “Kate said that you were lovely and that Harry couldn’t keep his eyes from you. She also said that Emma was a doll; very sweet and polite.” She stopped and took a bite of her food then she winked at Alex before saying, “Oh and there was the part when she got all teary eyed telling us about Harry carrying your sleeping daughter out in his arms.”

Alex grinned. “It’s so odd to me that she said that. Kate was very nice, don’t get me wrong, but she was very…” she trailed off, not knowing the right word to describe Kate that night.

“Reserved?” Bea offered.

“Exactly,” Alex chuckled.

Bea sighed. “I hope you didn’t take offense. She is an observer. There is this preconceived notion that she’s dumb and just waits for William to tell her what to do, but nothing could be further from the truth. She always has her eyes open and William tends to lean more on her than the other way around. But, I’m telling you Alex, she saw what you and Harry have, and I’m more than a little jealous that I haven’t gotten to witness it yet. We’ve been waiting years for Harry to find the right one.”

Alex blinked, completely and utterly startled. “I’m sorry…did you…I don’t…we’ve only been together a few months. I don’t know how you could possibly say anything about me being the ‘right one.’”

Bea laughed. “Are you denying that you are in love with him?”

“No,” Alex shook her head. “I’m just…it’s a little too soon be saying ‘The One’ and all that.”

Bea shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t think so. Not with what we’ve all seen in you. Besides, when you know, you know, right?”

Alex offered up a small smile, not wanting to give too much away. It was funny, for however private these people were they were in regards to the public and the media they were, for the most part, completely comfortable talking about her relationship, with or without her present. It reminded her quite a bit of her own family; always ready to give their opinion and their assessment of a situation, not really caring if they were butting in.

“Can I ask you something, Beatrice?” Alex said softly, ignoring Bea’s previous statement.

“Of course, and please, call me Bea.”

Alex smiled. “Okay, Bea. I’ve met you, Eugenie, Kate, and Charles so far, and everyone is just so open and accepting of me, when I really haven’t been in Harry’s life that long. Plus, I’m not naive, I know that the fact that I have a daughter is…could be…an issue.”

“I heard all of that, but what is your question?” Bea teased when Alex finished.

She really was a lot like Harry and Alex couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry. I guess my question is…why are you all so accepting? And how come no one brings up Emma and the problems that could cause?”

Bea sighed and leaned back into her chair. “We are accepting because Harry accepts you. Despite the fact that we are a closed knit bunch, if one us brings you in, it is the job of the rest of us to make you feel welcome. We aren’t here to make you prove yourself. You’ve already done that with Harry.” She stopped to take a breath and to think for a second how to address the topic of Alex’s daughter.

She sat up straight and looked Alex dead in the eyes, making sure her new friend knew she was being as honest with her as possible. “The thing about Emma is that it’s never really been done before in our family. Yes, Camilla has two children, but they were grown and had their own lives when her and Uncle Charles married, so the issues of titles and all that never came up. But here is the other thing Alex; so many things are changing. Will and Kate lived together before marriage. Camilla is divorced but will still be Queen someday. Things that would have never been accepted thirty years ago are perfectly fine now.”

After listening to Bea’s reasoning Alex felt the rush of air leave her lungs, not even realizing she was holding it in. “Okay. I’m good with that for now. Even if it were to become an issue, it wouldn’t be for a long time. I don’t know why I needed that reassurance.”

Bea tilted her head to the side. “Because you love him, you need to know that you aren’t getting into this for nothing, and I suspect you want to protect your daughter more than anything.”

Alex looked at Bea gratefully. “Thank you for this.”

“Anytime,” she said. “Now, when can I meet Emma? Everyone says she’s the cutest thing ever.”

“She is absolutely the cutest thing ever,” Alex confirmed with a wink. “Anytime you’d like.”

“Oh, I’ve got it!” Bea exclaimed. She clapped her hands and rubbed them together.

“You’ve got what?” Alex laughed.

“Another girl’s night, except this time…we are going to have a slumber party.”

Alex’s mouth dropped. “A slumber party?”

“Oh yes! We used to do them all the time. That way we can have girl’s night and Emma can join,” Bea said excitedly. “Come on, Alex. It will be fun.”

“Okay, you win,” Alex laughed as she relaxed back in her chair. “When should we do this said slumber party?”

Bea thought about it for a second, doing a mental inventory of her calendar. “Two weeks? The second Saturday in May?”

“I’d say it’s a date.”

Bea squealed and then leaned over and hugged Alex, who was taken by surprise at the show of affection. Still, she hugged Beatrice back, thankful for the wide new circle of friends that was beginning to form in her life.


	20. Chapter Twenty

MAY

Alex could hardly believe the company she and Emma were keeping.

She looked around the giant family room of William and Kate’s Kensington apartment at all of the women who had joined for Beatrice’s slumber party.

Emma and Harry’s little cousin Louise were sitting with Beatrice. Emma was painting Beatrice’s fingernails while Louise went to town on her toenails. The two young girls were putting a different color on each nail, with plans to add sparkles and all kinds of crazy things. Emma was in Heaven and was charming the pants off of Bea, who was game to let the two girls do anything they wanted with nail polish.  
Charlotte had taken Mia under her wing and currently had her sitting on one of the big couches with Eugenie. All three of them were chatting excitedly, and Alex was proud of Mia for holding her own amongst everyone. Mia had been dead nervous when Alex picked her up for the night, but Charlotte had really helped, and now it seemed she had adapted well to the situation.

As Alex sat in on of the big chairs off to the side, sipping a cup of tea and happily observing, she saw Kate coming towards her from the corner of her eye and turned her head to her, smiling shyly as Kate moved closer and then lowered herself down into the matching chair beside her. Her belly was getting big, being seven months pregnant, and it was getting harder to maneuver around with it.

“I remember those days, when it seems like you can’t move an inch with your belly getting in the way,” Alex commented with a small smile, gesturing towards Kate’s bump.

Kate groaned. “Tell me about it. Two months to go and I can’t even imagine getting bigger than this.”

“Oh, you will,” Alex chuckled. Her eyes drifted towards Emma, smiling as her daughter cracked up laughing at something Bea said. “But it is so worth it.”

“Can I ask you something, Alex?” Kate asked, her voice lowering a little bit.

Alex turned her eyes towards Kate, giving her full attention to the beautiful brunette next to her. “Anything,” Alex answered.

Kate bit her lip. “Were you very nervous about having Emma? I mean, you were so young and you’ve done such a great job. I’m thirty-one and I feel like I still don’t have the life experience I need to become a mother.”

“I was nervous,” Alex said with a smile. “But you find it is one of those things that you just figure out. I’m sure you’ll be an excellent mother.”

Kate nodded and then seemed to realize something. Her eyes snapped to Alex’s and she had a look of pure embarrassment on her face. “Here I am going on about being nervous and your situation was so different than mine. I have no reason to be nervous compared to you. I feel terrible that I even…I mean, you…”

Alex laughed and waved a hand in the air as Kate trailed off. “No worries, Kate. Yes, my situation was different. I had lost my husband and I was young, but I had my family around me for support and I knew that Emma would never want for anything as long I had my parents and John’s mother. Besides, I would imagine that no matter what your circumstances, becoming a mother for the first time is always nerve wracking.”

Kate smiled at Alex then; a true, friendly, appreciative smile. “Emma is lucky to have a mother like you,” she said with a wink.

“I’m lucky to have a daughter like Emma,” Alex replied with her own wink.

“Do you hope to have more children someday?” Kate asked.

Alex was a little surprised by the direct line of questioning, but then again, it went along with the rest of the tendencies that she had seen so far within this family. She wondered if Kate was like that before she joined the family or if that was an acquired trait.

“I would like to have more children…eventually.” She threw a meaningful look at Kate who laughed and held up her hands in front of her.

“Hey, you won’t get any pressure from me,” she chuckled before pointing a finger at herself. “Thirty-one remember? I’m also the woman who was on ‘bump-watch’ from the second I got married.”

Alex crinkled her nose. “That has got to be so odd.”

Kate shrugged. “It is what it is. William and I always had a plan and none of the close up pictures, or articles questioning my weight or fertility ever factored into that plan. You can never ignore it, but you learn how not to let it affect you.”

Alex absorbed that for a moment before turning back to Kate. “Why does it feel like you’re giving me advice?”

Kate shrugged innocently and then pushed herself up into a standing position. She clapped her hands and said loudly, “Alright ladies, who wants to make sundaes?”

Alex laughed and stood as well, moving to join the other ladies who all filed into Kate’s huge kitchen to make ice cream sundaes. Alex spotted her daughter, the shortest of the bunch, peering over the counter on the big island in the middle, her eyes wide at the plethora of ice cream and toppings spread out before her. She walked over and grabbed Emma from behind, tickling her slightly and loving the little squeal it caused, before hoisting her up onto one of the barstools so that she could see.

“Mummy, what can I have on my ice cream?” Emma asked.

“Anything you want, Em,” Alex responded. “It’s a slumber party so you can have whatever toppings you want. The only rule is that you can’t get more than you think you can eat. You don’t want to waste it, right?”

“Right,” Emma responded with a bob of her blonde head.

“Hey Emma,” Beatrice said, coming to stand next to her. “Want to make our sundaes together? I’ll bet you are the best sundae maker in England. I need a professional to show me what is good.”

Alex had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing as Emma immediately took over the sundae making situation. Her little bossy little girl directed the entire room on how to go about making sure everything was done properly.

When Kate tried to add her chocolate fudge before any of her toppings, Emma shook her finger at the future Queen Consort of The United Kingdom and said, “No, you put the fudge on at the end so all of your toppings are covered with it too.”

When Charlotte tried to steal a third scoop of ice cream when no one was looking, Emma caught her with her eagle eye and called her out. “Charlotte, why are you trying to sneak more ice cream? If you want it, just get it; but only if you’ll really eat it. You can’t waste it.”

When Eugenie wanted to gummy bears and M&Ms on her sundae, Emma just simply looked at her with a horrified face and said, “Ewwwwww.”

What was endearing to Alex was not only that these ladies just simply laughed and played along with her sassy, bossy daughter, it was that they liked how sassy and up front she was…because they were all like that…they were like her.

*************

A few hours later, once Emma and Louise had overcome the ice cream sugar high and were safely tucked into one of the guest bedrooms, the adult ladies convened together back in the family room and were doing their best to make it through as many bottles as possible of Kate’s wine collection.

“So, Alex,” Charlotte announced. She took a big gulp of her wine before continuing. “What do you think so far of all of this?”

“All of what?” Alex responded before taking a sip out of her own glass.

Charlotte gestured around her. “All of it. Dating Harry, the palaces, the family…” she smirked and then winked at the other girls.

Alex grinned. “Well…dating Harry is…amazing. As for the palaces, I’ve only been to this one and…” she trailed off and shrugged. “It’s alright, I guess.”

A giggle went through the room at her words and Alex sank back further in her chair as she pondered the last part of Charlotte’s question. “As for the family…all I can say is that everyone has been more welcoming than I could have ever imagined…” she twirled her wine glass in her hand and looked down for a moment, trying to keep the emotions in check. This was supposed to be a fun night after all, not a night for tears. When she raised her eyes back up they were watching her, all with smiles on their faces, waiting for her to finish.

“Before Harry…I had very few people in my life that I would call friends. Some might balk that the friends I have now are all my boyfriend’s family and friends, but I just… I think that shows how wonderful and accepting the people in his life are.” She smiled shyly at them when she finished.

Charlotte sighed and drained her wine. “Jesus Christ Alex, you are such as sap.”

“You asked the question!” Alex cried, laughing as she pointed a finger at Charlotte. The others in the room were giggling, while Charlotte fought to hold back her smile. She really loved this back and forth that they played at, though she would never admit it to anybody.

“And I had high hopes that you would have picked up on some of my amazing sense of humor by now and given us some smart ass answer, not douse us in your sugary sweetness,” Charlotte tossed back.

Alex nodded, tilting her glass in Charlotte’s direction as if conceding a point. Then she looked at Charlotte and her eyes narrowed, remembering a little piece of information Charlotte told her months ago.

“What?” Charlotte asked with her eyebrows raised.

Alex glanced around the room at the other ladies. Kate and Mia were completely enthralled with the conversation, watching the back and forth between them with wide eyes and laughter on their lips. Bea was leaning on Eugenie, her hand covering her mouth. Eugenie winked at Alex, clearly encouraging Alex to keep on going.

“Charlotte…do you remember at the event at Nobu when you were describing to me how you could never find Harry attractive except for that one…”

“STOP!” Charlotte shouted with wide eyes.

Alex’s hunch had been correct.

“…Except for that one time you kissed him when you were sixteen.”

“Shut up!” Eugenie squealed from the couch. “You kissed Harry?!”

Bea, clearly drunk, had dissolved into giggles and fallen backwards on the couch.

Charlotte groaned and rolled her eyes. “Come on, guys. I was sixteen…and drunk…and…”

“And you kissed Harry!” Eugenie squealed again. “Oh, my life is complete.”

Kate sat forward a touch. “Excuse me, why it so hilarious that Charlotte kissed Harry?”

“Because Charlotte has sworn on her life for many, many years that she has never and will never find Harry attractive,” Bea pitched in, her voice muffled by the hands over her face.

“How could you not find Harry attractive?” Mia pitched in out of nowhere; drawing looks from around the room. She blushed bright red when she realized what she said and immediately looked at Alex.

Alex grinned at her and shrugged. “My point exactly. How could you not find Harry attractive?”

Eugenie cleared her throat and motioned at her and her sister. “We don’t. But it would be quite gross if we did.”

“And I don’t,” Kate said with her hand raised. “But that’s because I clearly have the more handsome brother.”

“Well, we will just agree to disagree,” Alex said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

*****************

Alex awoke earlier the next morning than she had wanted to and despite the incredibly comfortable bed she was in she just couldn’t get back to sleep. Reluctantly she slid out of the bed and tied her robe around herself. Then she quietly moved from her room and down to the kitchen to get some water as her throat was incredibly dry from all of the wine she drank the night before.

She had just pulled the cold bottle of water from the fridge and was already gulping it down when the voice startled her from the doorway.

“Hello.”

Startled, she quickly turned around and almost dropped the bottle of water.

Standing there was William, Harry’s brother. He was fully dressed in a suit and tie, leaving her feeling at a distinct disadvantage in her robe and pajamas.

“Hi…um…hello,” she stopped and shook her head. “Sorry, you startled me. I’m Alex.”

He smiled knowingly and moved towards her from the doorway. “Yes, I know. I recognized you from the video of the event that Harry attended at your organization. It’s lovely to finally meet you. I’m William, but please call me Will.” He held out a hand as he approached which she took, returning his firm handshake.

“It’s lovely to finally meet you as well. I’ve heard so many great things about you from Harry,” she said with a shy smile.

“Ha! Now I know that must be a lie,” he responded cheekily.

She immediately felt more relaxed at his joke and shrugged her shoulders slightly. “Well, that’s what he told me to tell you when I met you.”

William chuckled and nodded. “That sounds more like it.” He checked his watch and then looked back up at Alex. “I stayed at Clarence House last night to give you ladies the run of the place. I just stopped in to say good morning to Kate before I run off to a breakfast meeting, but I have a few moments. Would you like to sit and talk for a bit?” He motioned towards the informal kitchen table.

“That would be great,” Alex said with a smile.

William nodded and then motioned for her to lead the way. She stepped in front of him and made her way to the table, settling down in a chair and taking a small sip of her water as he unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat.

“I spoke to Harry last night,” William said with a grin.

Alex’s eyes widened. “You did? How is he?”

“He’s good. He’s officially halfway through deployment. I think he’s glad it’s moving so quickly. He’s anxious to get home,” William said with a pointed look at her.

Alex sighed. “I think we are all anxious for him to come home. I’ve never forgotten that I’m not the only one he left here, I hope you know that,” she said softly.

He gave her a warm smile. “I don’t doubt that.”

Kate came padding into the kitchen then, the surprise registering on her face when she saw her husband and Alex at the table.

“Well, hello,” she said with a sleepy smile.

“Ah! My love,” William said, standing to go to his wife. He kissed her quickly, placing a hand on her belly as he did so. Alex smiled at that, the sweetness between them.

“I stopped by to say good morning to you and I ran into this young lady here, so I stopped to have a little chat. Did you know that this is Harry’s girlfriend?” he asked, playing like he was shocked.

Kate groaned. “It’s too early in the morning for your humor.”

Alex smiled to herself and then stood. “I think I’m going to try to go back to bed for a bit. You know, sleep off the rest of last night’s wine.”

Kate nodded her understanding and William moved to shake her hand again.

“It was great to finally meet you, Alex,” he said warmly. “I hope we can visit again soon.”

“I would like that very much,” Alex responded. When William dropped her hand she moved from the room to give the married couple a little bit of alone time that morning. She offered Kate a small wave and smile and then padded back down to the bedroom she was assigned to.

She realized as she closed her eyes she felt more at ease than we she had first woken up. William had spoken to Harry, he was safe, and that part of her brain that was constantly worried for him was appeased for the moment.

And as she drifted off, she was comforted by the fact that there was just two months more to go. They had made it halfway and could start the downward slope to the finish.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

JUNE

Harry had been dreading this day for a while.

The interviewer and the camera crew from the BBC had just arrived and Harry’s mood was deteriorating quickly.

“Captain Wales?”

Harry turned around to see who was addressing him. “Yes?” he asked the young soldier standing at attention.

“Sir, your presence is requested in Building One. You have a phone call.”

Harry’s brow furrowed. A phone call? Who on earth would be calling him all the way in Afghanistan?

“Thank you,” he told the young soldier before moving from his tent and briskly walking the short distance to Building One.

When he stepped into the building, one of his commanding officers was there and motioned to Harry over the where the secure telephone line was set up.

“Sir?” Harry asked when he stepped up to him.

“Captain Wales, you have a telephone call from you father,” his Commander said, handing him the heavy receiver.  
Always practiced at hiding his emotions, Harry kept the surprise off of his face as he took the receiver. He nodded to his Commander who stepped away and motioned at the others in the room to do the same to allow Harry his privacy.

Harry hit the button to open the line. “Dad?”

“Hello son, it’s good to hear your voice,” Charles’ deep voice came through the line.

“Is everything okay?” Harry immediately asked. His thoughts spun through the reasons he could think of that his father would be calling him here. None of them were good.

Charles chuckles. “Calm down son, everything is fine. I am actually just calling to offer you moral support.”

“I’m sorry…moral support? For what?” Harry asked, completely confused.

“I know that the BBC crew arrived today and I know how much you dislike that they have to be there,” Charles said, the sympathy evident in his voice.

“Dad…you didn’t have to call just…”

“Yes son, I did,” Charles interrupted. “I know you were upset when we struck this deal with them, but it was either that or there would have been no media blackout and you wouldn’t have been able to go.”

Harry sighed. “That’s true.”

“Son, just keep calm with them. You know I dislike the bloody press as much as you do, but unfortunately they are somewhat essential to us at this point. Answer their questions fairly and be friendly.”

“I’m always friendly,” Harry chuckled.

“You keep telling yourself that, my boy.”

“Okay Dad, I get it. I’ll play along for the cameras. How is everything going at home? How are you? How is Camilla?”

“We are fine. It’s finally warm enough here that we can go out to Highgrove and enjoy the gardens. And Polo season started last month. We went and watched William play, but missed seeing you out there.”

Harry groaned. “Ugh. You’re killing me here Dad. I’m so bummed I’m missing it. All we get to do here is play video games or play football in the sand and dirt. It’s not terrible, but I miss the green Polo fields.”

“You’ll be home soon enough. Which reminds me, Camilla was finally able to meet your Alexandra,” Charles said.

Harry smiled to himself at Alex being called “his”. It may have been somewhat old fashioned, but he like the idea that he was hers and she was his.

“That’s great, Dad. Did you have her over for dinner? What did Camilla think?” he asked excitedly.

Charles laughed lightly. He loved hearing how excited Harry was over Alexandra, whom he thought was a delightful young lady who would keep up with his son at every step. “Camilla thought she was lovely. She especially enjoyed Alexandra’s sense of humor, which I have to admit is great. She’s got sharp wit.”

Harry grinned. “That she does. Really though, I’m pleased she’s met her.” He glanced up then and noticed that his commander was back and waiting at the door. “Okay Dad, I’m being summoned. I think the media team is ready for me.”

“Okay Harry. Remember what I said, good luck, and we will see you in less than a month,” Charles said. Harry swallowed a lump in his throat at the sadness in his father’s voice at having to say goodbye.

“Bye Dad. Give Camilla my love.”

“Will do. Goodbye son. I love you,” Charles said softly.

“Love you too, Dad.”

Harry heard the line disconnect and replaced the receiver before looking back up at his Commander. “Are they ready for me, Sir?”

“They are, Wales,” came the crisp reply.

Harry nodded and stood, moving to leave the building. He was just passing by his commander when the older man placed a hand on Harry’s arm. Harry looked up at him questioningly.

“Make us look good, Wales.”

Harry grinned. “I always do.”

**************

Harry was charming and friendly as he led the camera crew and the reporter through the camp. He actually had fun showcasing his knowledge and talking about his job once he let go of the fact that this wasn’t his idea and he hadn’t wanted to do it. He managed to find friendly banter with them, told jokes, and was every inch the fun loving Prince Harry that people had come to know and love.

He let them film him playing video games with his friends from his squadron and he showcased his pride when he – yet again – beat the pants off of Geoff in their ongoing video game rivalry.

He had to fight to stay calm when it came time for the sit down interview. He was decidedly less comfortable with this, knowing they were going to ask him personal questions; questions that had nothing to do with his job there. He tried hard to stay loose as they grilled him about his dislike of the media, the Vegas photos, how he felt about William not being about to go to Afghanistan, and how he felt about becoming an uncle.

Then the question came that he had been most nervous about; the question that even as it came out of the reporter’s mouth, he still didn’t know how to answer.

“There are always questions about your love life back in England. Is there anyone special back home waiting for you?”

In the split second that it took Harry to answer that question, about ten different completely acceptable answers ran through his head. At the end of all of those acceptable answers though was Alex. Her face was the final thing that flashed through his mind and the words just came out.

“There is someone who is very special to me back in England. I’m anxious to get home to her.”

The reporter, who was expecting the usual tense and non-committal answer, was stunned into silence for a moment.

“Um…I’m sorry, sir. Are you saying that you are seeing someone?”

Harry’s lips tilted up at the sides. For once he had the reporter at a disadvantage, not the other way around.

“I think the answer was pretty obvious,” Harry grinned. He couldn’t help himself.

And when the interviewer tried one more time to prod, but Harry cut him off with his trademark smirk. “That’s enough on my love life, don’t you think?”

It was then that the alarms went off, signaling that Harry was needed. He glanced back, and seeing his men running to the ready, he stood, ripped off his mic and took off running.

As the interviewer sat and watched him run away though, he couldn’t help but be in shock. He looked towards the camera men and suddenly his face broke into a huge grin.

“Gentleman, Prince Harry just told us he has a serious girlfriend. And I’m so fucking pissed we have to hold on to this for another month before it airs.”

*************

Something was ringing in Alex’s dream and she couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. She searched and searched for its source, but she couldn’t seem to locate it.

Then suddenly her brain snapped to and her eyes flew open. She sat straight up in bed and reached over to her bedside table, fumbling for her phone in the dark. She found it squinted at the screen. Her heart thudded at the unknown number. It was the middle of the night and it was a number she didn’t know. That could only mean one thing.

“Harry?” she breathed into the phone.

“Alex,” he said, his rich, deep voice sending chills through her. “Did I wake you?”

Tears welled up in her eyes but she blinked them back. “You know you did,” she chuckled. “But it’s fine… it’s so good to hear your voice. How are you?”

He melted at her words. “Baby…it’s good to hear yours too. It’s been too long. I’m good. I’m safe and counting down the days. How are you?”

She grinned and sank back into her pillows. “I’m good. I’ve been busy. It’s been good for me though.”

Harry chuckled. “I’ve heard; lunching with my cousins, slumber parties at Kensington, dinner with my father and Camilla. Look at you, you little social butterfly.”

“Hey! You aren’t supposed to be telling me you know that stuff! You are going to know everything in my journal before we read them,” she pouted.

“Ha! Alex, the point of the journals was comparing our days and seeing what you were doing and what I was doing at the same time.”

She sighed. “I guess you’re right. Anyway, yes, I’ve done all of those things and you know what?”

“Hmm?”

“I love your family, Harry. I mean it. I love everyone I’ve met so far,” she said softly.

He swallowed the lump in his throat at the thought of her getting along so well with the closest people in his life. “So now that you’ve met quite a few of us you are still in this? You still want to be part of my crazy life?”

“Harry, I want to be part of your crazy life more than ever.”

He sucked in a breath. Boy, she was really kicking his emotions in the ass tonight. He took another deep breath. “That’s really good actually, because I’ve got something to tell you. I did something that I should have run by you first.”

“Oh?” she asked, intrigued and a little nervous.

“The BBC sent a team out here to do a story. There was an agreement made through the palace so that I could be here with a media blackout. They were here for two days. They followed me around, getting to know what I do here and then there was a sit down interview and…”

“For Christ’s sake Wales, spill it,” she interrupted with a laugh.

He blinked and then laughed along with her. She was right. He was nervous and dancing around the subject.

“Okay, I’m sorry. Alex, they asked me if I was single.”

She was quiet for a few moments. “What did you say?” she asked in a low, nervous voice.

He gripped the phone tighter in his hand, hoping she wouldn’t get freaked out. “I said that there was someone special waiting for me in England and I was anxious to get back home to her.”

He heard the rush of breath leave her mouth. “Did you…I’m sorry, did you tell them who I was?”

“No Alexandra, of course not,” he quickly assured her.

“Harry…” she breathed. “That’s…the whole nation…the whole world will see that? When will it air?”

He could hear the wheels beginning to spin in her head and he suddenly felt bad that he had to do this over the phone. He wanted more than anything to be with her in that moment so he could soothe her and stop her mind from spinning.

“A week or so before I get back,” he answered her. “Is this all okay? I can try to get them to trash the footage if…”

“No,” she interrupted. “Harry, I’m not mad…I’m…you said that in an interview? You don’t usually do that.”

He grinned. “I never do that. When they asked though…it just fell out. I don’t know, Alex. I was just so proud in that moment to be able to say that.”

“You love me,” she said quietly, fighting back tears.

“Of course I love you. And Alex, they don’t know your name. We’ve been so careful. You have been so careful. I doubt they will be able to figure it out, and I’m not going to lie, I kind of think it’s funny that they don’t have any idea. But, they’ll dig and they’ll watch me closely when I come home. We will just have to figure out how to handle that and how we want to make it known that it’s you,” he said, rambling somewhat.

“It’s me,” she whispered, still somewhat in shock and in disbelief.

He laughed. “Baby, it’s always been you.”

She groaned. “You are killing me, Wales.”

He chuckled. “I do love you, Alexandra. And…God, how did I not even ask? How is Emma?”

Alex giggled. “Emma is…” she broke off as Emma, with incredible timing, pushed open Alex’s bedroom door, peering in with sleepy eyes at her mum.

“I heard you talking,” Emma mumbled.

Alex smiled and motioned her over to climb up on the bed.

“Emma is great. In fact, apparently I was talking too loud and she heard me, because she just walked into my room. Do you want to talk to her?”

“Really?” Harry asked. “I would love to. I’ve only got a couple more minutes, but absolutely I would love to talk to Emma.”

“Okay, hold on,” Alex said. She handed the phone to Emma. “It’s Harry,” she whispered, her eyes bright, knowing just how thrilled Emma would be.

Sure enough, Emma went from sleepy to elated in half a second as she took the phone from Alex’s hand.

“Harry?” she squealed.

“Emma!” he laughed. “I’m sorry that we woke you up in the middle of the night, but I’m excited I get to say hello to you.”

“Harry, when do you come home? I miss you! I have a whole list of things to do just like you asked. Have you gotten all of my letters?” Emma rattled off quickly.

Harry laughed. “I’ll start from the beginning, Em. I’ll be home in less than thirty days. And, I’m glad you have a list going. I still promise to do everything we can. And…yes, I’ve gotten all of your letters, silly girl. I’ve written you back every time, remember?”

Emma giggled sweetly. “I know! I was just making sure. I can’t wait until you come home. It is summer and I don’t have school. That means you can see me more.”

Harry cracked up and heard Alex shout her laughter in the background as well. “Honestly Emma, I am dying to spend more time with you,” he said. He glanced up then and saw that he was being given the signal. “Okay Emma. I’m out of time. Can you hand the phone back to your mum now?”

“Okay,” Emma sighed. “I love you, Harry.”

He was pretty sure his heart skipped a beat. “I love you too, Emma,” he responded, his voice hoarse with emotion.

“You’ve made her amazingly happy,” Alex said when she got back on the phone.

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. “Well, you both make me amazingly happy.” He took a breath. “But, I’m out of time. I’ll see you soon, love; less than a month.”

She grew teary at the thought of having to hang up and the thought that she would be back in his arms so soon. “You will. I love you.”

“I love you too, Alexandra.”

The line clicked and Alex blinked, forcing the tears back before she looked up at Emma, who was beaming.

Alex clapped her hands together. “Okay Emma, since we are up, how about we go raid the kitchen for some cookies?”

***************

Harry was on cloud nine as he made his way back to his tent. Less than a month and he would be home. His deployment had gone smoothly so far and, even with the rash of insurgents they have been fighting in the past few days, they were doing their jobs well and handling them as they were supposed to.

He was only feet from his tent when he caught the lights out of the corner of his eyes. The lights that that signaled there was a soldier down and being brought back to the base and medical personnel were waiting for him there.

Harry had a sinking feeling. There hadn’t been one single casualty since he had been there. There hadn’t even been anyone wounded.

One of the men in his regiment went flying from the tent then and Harry caught him by the arm. “Portman, what is going on?”

“Wales,” Portman said, his eyes shifting nervously from Harry to the lights yards and yards away.

Harry’s heart thudded. “You know who it is, don’t you?”

Portman gulped. “Captain Wales…”

“Don’t give me the bullshit, Portman. Who is it?”

“It’s Geoff.”

“Fuck!” Harry yelled as he immediately spun and ran off in the direction of the lights. He got there just as the rescue helicopter appeared overhead and he stood there, refusing to listen to the medical personnel who tried to move him away.

“He’s my God damn soldier!” Harry yelled at one particularly pushy nurse, who immediately threw his hands in the air at the shout from the captain.

Harry’s chest heaved and he fought his impatience as the helicopter dropped slowly. Finally, it touched down and the medical team rushed forward, pulling a form attached to a board from the helicopter. Harry stayed back as long as he could, wanting to assure that they medical team did have him as a distraction as they triaged Geoff’s injuries.

It was when they slowly stepped back, one by one, that Harry’s head began to spin. He bolted over, looking at them as he passed, witnessing the looks in their eyes.

But it wasn’t until he stepped up next to the body on the stretcher that he let himself believe it. The burned, disfigured form on the stretcher was Geoff.

Geoff was dead. Harry’s friend, a person he trusted and was close to, was dead.

Harry’s mind spun. Geoff wasn’t originally on shift that night, but had offered to trade with Harry so that he could call Alex. Harry was supposed to be in that helicopter, but because he wasn’t his friend had died; his friend who had a wife and young child at home…was dead.

Harry hit his knees in anguish.

He would never forgive himself.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

JULY

Nobody except for a few high ranking officials in the Army and Harry’s father knew that Harry was supposed to be in the Apache that went down with Geoff in it that night. Harry did not want that getting out and the Army respected that.

Of course, back in England, Alex had heard about the death in Harry’s regiment. William had called and told her, as he didn’t want her to hear on the news and worry that Harry had been involved at all. She was heartbroken for Harry, that one of his men died, and wished she could talk to him about it. However, she knew his calls were limited and understood why William had to tell her. Besides, it was only two weeks until he came home. Two weeks until she could jump in his arms, kiss the lips off his face and then talk to him until she was blue in the face.

However, this particular day wasn’t being spent by Alex missing Harry and counting down the days until he was home.

This morning Kate had called Alex from King Edward VII hospital and asked her if she would come in that afternoon and meet the new little boy that had been born into the family just yesterday. And because that is an invitation that nobody would refuse, Alex had rearranged her schedule and was now just waiting for the driver that was being sent for her so she could leave her office to make her way to the hospital.  
She had been given strict instructions on how to get into the hospital to see Kate. As she still needed to go as under the radar as possible, they were sending the driver for her that would have the clearance to take her to the back entrance of the hospital. They had the street blocked off that led into the alternative entrance, and the paparazzi would be none the wiser of anyone sneaking through. Besides, the press was all camped out up front, snapping pictures of Kate’s family and of the various Royals who went into to visit the new heir. Once inside they would lead her up through the hospital to the secure floor where Kate was staying with the new baby.

Alex was giddy when her driver arrived. She said goodbye to everyone in the office before running out, throwing the driver a big smile as he opened the door for her. She slid into the backseat and then struggled to contain her excitement on the twenty minute drive to the hospital.

It wasn’t that this baby was in line for the throne. It wasn’t that this baby was famous already. It was that she had gotten to know these people over the past four months, and not only were they her boyfriend’s family, they were her friends as well.

Plus, Alex loved new babies. The smell of them, the look of them, cuddling them…it sent her heart into pitter patter overdrive. She had never been like that until she had Emma; until she held her own baby in her arms. Now, any baby made Alex’s heart melt.

Finally, they made it to the hospital, and sure enough, they had secured the street leading into the back entrance enough the no one was around to see the car pull in. When they came to a stop the driver immediately got out and opened her door. She slid out and had to force herself not to bounce up and down in excitement as she walked to the door to greet the woman who was obviously waiting for her there. For the millionth time since she met Harry she had the thought that everything around these people lives was so choreographed and timed completely perfectly.

“Ms. Morgan?” the woman asked with a smile.

“Yes,” Alex said, returning the smile.

“Very good. I’m Paula Hawkins. I’ll be taking you up to visit the Duchess.”

“Thank you, Miss Hawkins” Alex said with a smile. Then the woman turned and Alex followed her through the door and down the hall to a small elevator. When it opened and they stepped inside, Miss Hawkins slipped a key card into the control panel and the elevator immediately began moving upwards.

“Secure floor,” Miss Hawkins said to Alex with a small smile.

“That’s what they told me. I had no idea that such a thing even existed,” Alex said, returning the small talk.

Miss Hawkins raised a brow. “For the Royals they do.”

Alex gave a small laugh. “Now, that I don’t doubt.”

The elevator pinged as they hit the top floor and the doors opened. There were two Protection Officers standing in front of the elevator and they nodded to Alex and Miss Hawkins as they existed. Alex followed the older woman as she briskly led her down the hallway before finally stopping in front of a set of double doors with another Protection Officer waiting out front.

“Ms. Alexandra Morgan,” Miss Hawkins announced to the Protection Officer standing to the side of the door.

“Very good. You may go in Miss Morgan,” the PO said with a smile.

Alex almost clapped her hands together with joy, but managed to keep herself together…just barely…as she knocked softly and then entered the room.

It was a huge suite, with several couches, a table with four chairs, and big screen TV set up in the corner which was on, but the volume was turned down low. Alex peeked grinned as she saw Kate sitting on the bed…with something very tiny wrapped up in a blue blanket cuddled in her arms. She had a grin that stretched from ear to ear, and Alex immediately found herself with one too as she saw the new mom and baby together.

“Hi,” Alex whispered, mindful of the sleeping infant.

“Hello,” Kate whispered back and then she chuckled lightly. “He’s not sleeping,” she said in a voice that was still soft but above a whisper. “It seems that it’s automatic to whisper though doesn’t it?”

“See? What did I tell you? Learning to be a mother already,” Alex said with a wink.

Kate nodded. “You were right,” she said with a sweet smile. She looked down at her son and then back up at Alex. “Do you want to hold him?”

“Oh my, I thought you were never going to ask,” Alex said as she quickly put her purse down on one of the chairs and moved over close to the bed. Alex sighed as Kate gently passed her son over to her. She made sure she was supporting his head and then adjusted him so he was cradled in her arms.

“Wow,” Alex breathed as she took him in. He had a head of dark blonde hair that Alex was sure would become dark like his mother’s. He had his father’s nose and a perfect little mouth. His eyes were open but looked sleepy.

“Kate…he’s beautiful…just amazing,” Alex said. She had tears in her eyes when she looked up at Kate.

“Thank you,” Kate said with a grin. “Do you want to know his name?”

“Oh, yes please,” Alex said with an excited giggle.

Kate took a deep breath and reached over to run her finger along her son’s cheek. “Henry Phillip Michael Charles.”

“Henry?” Alex breathed.

“It’s a nice name,” Kate shrugged nonchalantly.

Alex laughed, reaching up to wipe a tear from her cheek. “It’s a wonderful name. I assume he will be called Henry and not Harry.”

“You would assume correctly.”

“I love it,” Alex grinned. She rocked Henry back and forth in her arms, watching as his eyes drifted closed.

“You can sit down with him,” Kate whispered, motioning towards a comfortable looking chair on the other side of the bed.

Alex nodded and moved slowly around the bed to sit in the chair. “Where is everyone?” Alex asked when she was situated.

“Most everyone came to visit this morning and William went to pick up something. He should be back any minute.”

“Good. I was hoping to say hi to the new daddy,” Alex grinned.

“Well, today is your lucky day then,” Kate said softly, a twinkle in her eye.

“So how are you feeling? Did everything go okay?” Alex asked.

“I’m great. Everything went easily. It’s amazing how a pregnancy that started so rough ended so smooth.”

Alex chuckled. “It works out that way. My pregnancy with Emma was easy from the beginning. No morning sickness or anything. But, oh boy…that girl gave me trouble when she arrived.”

Little Henry stirred in Alex’s arms then and started fussing. “Oh little man, I’m sorry,” Alex whispered. “I was too loud.” She stood and started rocking him gently again, lulling him back to sleep.

Then door to the suite opened and Alex looked up, smiling as William appeared.

“Alex,” he said warmly, his face full of excitement.

“Did you find you what you were looking for?” Kate asked with a sly look on her face.

“What are you two up to?” Alex asked with a grin, assuming the look on Kate’s face had to do with some inside joke.

And then William stepped inside the door and another form filled the doorway. A form dressed in full camouflage with a shock of bright red hair.

Alex gasped and her eyes went wide. Her heart skidded to a halt. She blinked several times, trying to assess if this was real or if this was some kind of dream or figment of her imagination.

“Harry?”

“Alexandra,” he said gruffly, his eyes searching hers, that smirk of a smile playing on his lips. He looked just like she remembered him. Maybe a little thinner, maybe a little tired. But he was still Harry. He was still her Harry…and he was here.

“Will, can you please take our son from Alex before she drops him shock,” Kate said with a giggle. William immediately moved forward and lifted his son from Alex, moving off to the side by the bed.

As soon as her arms were free they were moving towards each other, their eyes never losing contact. He opened his arms and she flew into them, wrapping herself completely around him as he lifted her off the ground. In that moment she didn’t care that she was in a room with two future Kings of Great Britain and a future Queen Consort, she didn’t care that she was probably being at least ten kinds of improper with the way she had her legs wrapped around him, and most of all, she didn’t care if anyone in the room cared about either of those things.

Harry was here and she was in his arms. That’s all she cared about.

“Oh my God, you’re home” she whispered against his neck just before he pulled her back to look at the face he missed so much.

“I’m home,” he whispered as eyes swept over her face. He brought a hand up and laid it against her cheek, rubbing his thumb against her lips. He was desperate to kiss her. He had been desperate to kiss her since he was told he was going home yesterday. But the kiss…the many kisses…he wanted to give her, he couldn’t do it here; not in front of his brother and Kate and his brand new nephew. He wasn’t going to sacrifice that kiss for anything.

“You’re early,” she said, leaning her face into his hand. She didn’t fight the tears that pricked at her eyes. She blinked quickly and they fell, sliding down her cheeks.

“Surprise,” he whispered, causing a giggle to escape her lips. His eyes searched hers as he fought the urge to pull her mouth down to his, to kiss the hell out of her. Struggling, he finally gained control and took a deep breath. “Alex, I have to set you down now. I’ve got…I want to, but…” He struggled to get the words out.

“You need to meet your nephew,” she said, nodding her understanding. She knew that she wasn’t the only person in this room Harry was here to see. She knew that soon enough she would be alone with him. She had waited three and a half months. She could wait just a little bit longer. She didn’t want to sacrifice the intimacy of that moment any more than he did.

He pulled her tight to him one more time, loving the feel of her against him, loving the smell of her – a smell that had stayed in his nose for months and months and that he had never once forgotten.

“I love you,” he whispered before lifting her off of him and setting her on the floor.

“I love you too,” she whispered back, wiping the tears from her face.

He grinned then, that fun loving, sneaky grin he had; the grin he gave when something made him really happy. Alex couldn’t help the way her heart sped up when he did that, and how that grin really got it through to her brain that he was here, right in front of her. So, she grinned right back at him, just as happy as he was.

Harry reached for her had then, taking it in his and threading his fingers through hers before he stepped forward towards his brother and Kate.

“Wait,” Alex said softly as they stepped up to the new little family. “You all planned this,” Alex laughed, pointing at Will and Kate, who were taking in the reunion scene with big smiles and knowing looks.

Will chuckled lightly and Kate held her hands up in the air. “I was going to ask you to come see the baby this morning with the rest of the family, but when we found out that Harry was coming home today, I just delayed it a bit. We just took the decision of where to go first away from him,” Kate said with a wink at Harry.

But Harry wasn’t even paying attention to Kate; his eyes were completely focused on the baby in Will’s arms. He still had Alex’s hand in one of his, but the other was laid against his heart while he looked in wonder at his new nephew.

Alex released his hand, smiling softly at him, wanting him to meet the baby. He returned her smile and then, being the gentleman he was, moved to greet Kate first, giving her a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“We’ve missed you,” Kate said, the tears shining in her eyes. “Welcome home.”

“I missed you too. Thank you for everything,” he said, looking back at Alex.

Kate nodded and patted Harry on the arm before he turned his attention back to his brother and his nephew.

Harry took a deep breath and grinned as William passed his son into Harry’s arms.

“Oh man,” Harry murmured. “Look at you…” He looked up to Will and Kate. “Are you going to tell me the name now? Or do I have to guess all four names?”

Alex put her fingers to her lips, excited that he didn’t know yet and she got to watch him find out.

“Ah yes,” Will said, his eyes dancing. “This little guy here,” he stopped place his hand on the top of his son’s head. “This is Henry Phillip Michael Charles.”

A slow smile spread across Harry’s face and his eyes welled up. “Henry, huh?” He looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms. “Well, little guy, that’s a lot to live up to,” he murmured, his voice catching with emotion. He slowly began to sway, rocking Henry as he spoke softly to him. “I think you’ll do just fine though.”

Alex tore her eyes away from him for a second and looked at Kate, who looked just as emotional as she felt as she watched Harry. She glanced at Will, who was every bit the proud papa watching his brother with Henry.

And Harry…he was perfect in that moment; back with his family, back with Alex, and so happy to be an uncle and ready to love this little boy with all of his heart.

****************

An hour later, Harry and Alex said their goodbyes to Will, Kate, and Henry. Henry needed to be fed and Kate was tired, but Harry promised to come back the next day. Alex would sit that one out, but promised to go visit them all soon at Kensington.

Harry took Alex’s hand as they left the room, throwing her a huge grin. Alex spotted his POs immediately, giving them a smile and a wave, and then they were walking; back to the elevator that would take them down to the exit.

“Harry?” Alex asked quietly as she leaned into him in the elevator.

“Hmmm?” He was content; having met his unbelievable nephew, being home with Alex, having her up against his side again.

“Where are we going?” she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

His hand immediately tightened on hers. Okay, so he was almost content.

“Where’s Emma?” he murmured.

“Molly’s.”

“We can go get her now if you want.”

Alex opened her mouth but quickly shut it again, thinking over the words she wanted to say. “I really, really want Emma to see you. I want you to see Emma. But…”

The elevator opened and they stepped out.

“Your place it is then,” Harry decided with a grin.

“Oh thank God,” Alex sighed, a look of relief on her face.

Harry laughed as they moved out into the alley behind the hospital. The ever present Range Rover was waiting and they both slid in. She moved over instantly, tucking herself under his arm as she always did.

His finger’s found hers and he toyed with them, bringing them up to his lips for small kisses that sent shivers through her body. She looked up at, hardly believing that his handsome face was so close.

“Why are you home early?” she asked softly, reaching up to run her fingers across his lips, wishing that they were the only people in the car, wishing she could just move into and remind them both of the way they were together.

His hands moved over her back, touching her in all the places he could as the Range Rover moved through Central London. He swallowed. “You heard about the death of the soldier?”

Alex nodded, her eyes growing sympathetic for him. Harry steeled himself, not wanting to bother her with it, with just how close he was too Geoff, with just how close Harry came to being in that Apache himself. He was home now and he wasn’t going to do that to her.

“Normally there is an overlap, where a new group of soldiers arrives and takes a couple of weeks to take over for the outgoing regiments. They had debriefed us all, had us talk to people about the death, and we were winding down. The Army made the call to send us home a bit early. It happens every once in a while, especially when there is a casualty like that.”

“It wasn’t due to the baby then?” Alex asked with a small smile.

He shook his head slowly. “No, it was just a spectacular coincidence. Although, I did fly back separately so I could get home a little bit earlier. Usually they fly you somewhere to decompress for a couple of days and then you go home.”

“You didn’t decompress?”

He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. “I’m decompressing now. I needed to see my family and meet my nephew. I needed to see you and Emma. I needed to see my girls, Alex.”

“I’m here,” she murmured, the tears filling her eyes. “Like you said, we can go get Emma right now…”

He chuckled. “No, I think I’m going to be selfish for just a couple of hours. Is that okay?”

“Yes,” she whispered; her heart pounding. The Range Rover pulled up to Alex’s building then and she looked up at him with big eyes and a tilted smile. She tugged at his hands as the car doors opened.

“Come on, Harry. Let’s go be selfish.”

And he always did, he followed her where she led him.

To Be Continued….


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

When Harry’s Protection Officer stepped from Alex’s flat and she had closed and locked the door behind him, Harry was done waiting.

He was home, they were alone, and he was just absolutely done waiting.

He moved to her instantly, pulling her into his arms and hauling her tightly against him.

“Hi,” she whispered, as she wound her arms around his neck.

“Hi,” he whispered back. “Alexandra…”

“Hmmmm?” She smiled up at him, her fingers finding their home in the red mess of his hair.

He smirked. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

And then because she was just as done with waiting as he was, she pushed up on her toes and beat him to the punch, pressing her warm, soft lips against his. His arms tightened around her instantly as he felt it; the energy that they shared, had always shared, slamming back into him with force. He groaned and slanted his mouth over hers, his tongue moving out to tease her lips open and then when they did, sinking into her warm, wet, welcoming mouth. He reveled in the taste of her, the way her tongue felt along his as they tangled together.  
He pulled away from her and a whimper of protest came from her, but it was short lived as he bent down and lifted her up into his arms, an arm under her knees and an arm wrapped around her back. He smiled down at her before he moved, carrying her back through her flat to her bedroom.

He carried her right over next to her bed and slowly lowered her to her feet, her body sliding down his as he did. His eyes met hers, his lips moving into a small, contented smile as he brought his hands up to the sides of her face, cupping her cheeks with his palms. His thumbs rubbed along her lips, swollen and red from his kisses before his hands slid back, his fingers moving into her hair. He loved her hair, loved the thick mass of it and how it felt in his hands and against his skin.

“I love you, Alexandra,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss her softly.

She moved her hands up his arms, to the back of his neck, holding him close to her.

“I love you too, Harry,” she whispered. Her voice was hoarse with her emotion and her need in this moment.

And then his lips moved back to hers, the hands in her hair holding her to him. He was gentle, reverent, with her; loving the sweet slide of their lips together.

She slid her hands from his neck, moving to his shirt and to the buttons lining the front. She pulled them open one by one, and once she got down to the last one she reached up and pushed it from his shoulders and down his arms, moving them from her hair, and not caring at it dropped unceremoniously to the floor. She immediately reached for his undershirt, pushing it up and smiling up at him as he raised his arms to take it all the way off.

Her hands went to his stomach, her fingers moving lightly over his taught abdomen, feeling the muscles clench under her touch. She leaned forward and placed a kiss right in the middle of his chest, sighing at his warmth and his smell.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I can see you, I can feel you, I can smell you…” Alex said huskily, trailing off as she leaned up pressed her lips to his neck and inhaled his scent. “I’ve had dreams of this moment, but they were nothing compared to this.”

He groaned. “Alex…you have no idea…”

She raised her eyes to his and watched the emotions play on his face as his hands moved to her own shirt, pulling at the hem and then all the way up, her hands leaving his torso as they rose up in the air. As soon as her shirt was off he immediately reached around her, his fingers flicking open the clasp on her bra and pulling it from her. Her nipples pebbled instantly at the release and the cool air, and he sucked in a breath at the sight of her before his pulled her back against him, needed to feel her skin against his.

Alex moaned at the contact and tilted her head up, seeking his lips again, sighing when they found hers. Her hands went to his pants, making quick work of his belt, the button, and the zipper. She pushed at them, suddenly filled with an intensity to get him naked, to see all of him. He chuckled against her mouth, and helped her, toeing off his boots before pushing his pants down and off. As it was only fair, he reached over and made quick work of hers too, loving her giggle as he struggled, having to tug three or four times, to get them off of her.

But once he had flung the offending pants across the room, he was back to business, standing back up and moving her to the bed. She sat back onto it, sliding backwards as he moved over her. Their eyes never broke contact as he covered her body with his, nudging her knees apart to settle himself in between her thighs.

He immediately captured her lips quickly before moving down to her jaw, then kissing and licking down to her neck. She gasped as he sucked lightly on the sensitive skin there, not enough to leave a mark, but enough to cause her breathing to quicken and her heart to beat faster. Then he was moving further down, his hands coming up to meet his mouth as he gently teased her breasts, pulling a nipple between his lips, worrying it gently with his teeth and tongue before moving to the other one.

She was a mess of emotions and building pleasure beneath him. She loved the attention he lavished on her, loved the way he built her up slowly just like he was doing now, until she would be at a fever pitch. The truth was that at any point during this she would have been ready for him, but she was too in love with him in this moment to do anything but let him love her slowly.

He moved his mouth down her torso, placing soft kisses on her stomach, smiling against her skin when she jerked at the sensation, moving lower and lower until his lips met the satin material of her underwear. His fingers pulled at them at her hips, sliding them off of her before moving to rest himself on his elbows between her thighs.

“Harry…” she whispered. He looked up at her and the sight made his breath catch. Her chest was heaving in anticipation and her eyes were cloudy and dark. He kept eye contact with her as he leaned forward, pressing his mouth against her.

She immediately bowed off of the bed, crying out into the room at the feel of his lips and tongue against her. He moved slowly, savoring the moment, savoring her. This was one of his most favorite places in the world and he loved that she let him do this to her, that she wasn’t shy about it, that she was never afraid to tell him how much she liked it. When she reached up and fisted her hands in his hair he almost smiled against her, but refrained, knowing she was close and not wanting to stop. And sure enough, with just a few more strokes of his tongue against her he felt the tremor begin. He looked up at her as he gave the final blow, flicking against her in just that way that he knew would end her.

And it did. She exploded against him, the past three and a half months without him…without this…slamming into her fiercely. Her thighs clenched around his head and she moaned his name over and over again into the room as she let it wash over.

Not until her fingers began to relax in her hair did Harry move away from her. He quickly pulled his boxers off, and then covered her body with his again, gathering in her arms.

“Oh my God,” she mumbled against his lips as he captured her mouth.

He laughed against her mouth. “I suppose that’s a good thing,” he whispered smugly.

Alex had a smart ass retort ready, just about to leave her lips, but in that moment Harry moved forward pressing himself into her, stretching her for him, and she lost all train of coherent thought. She was still sensitive from her first orgasm, which magnified every sensation she felt as he pressed slowly into her until her had buried himself to the hilt. She whimpered and shifted her hips, amazed that she went a day without this, let alone three and a half months.

He reached for her hands, threading his fingers through hers and pushing them up above her head and holding tight to them there. His body was pressed fully against hers, their heavy breaths moving their chests up and down together, their lips finding each other.

And then he began to move. It was slow at first, with just their breath and the sounds of their bodies moving together filling their space. But as the intensity between them picked up Harry moved faster and faster and Alex’s hips rose to meet his, her moans getting louder each time he hit home.

“You feel…so perfect…so good,” he murmured, lifting his lips from hers, his eyes meeting hers. “I missed you so much…I love you…”

She smiled softly up at him as his words tugged at her heart and her body, starting the build-up deep inside her belly again. Her eyes widened and she tightened her grip on his hands.

“Again?” Harry whispered. His eyes were dark and intense, but the corner of his lip turned up just a little bit, his cockiness meeting his desire for her.

Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him deeper, and she bit her lip as she nodded up at him. “Come with me?” she whimpered. She knew it was going to be intense; much more intense than the first one he gave her. She moaned and strained her neck to get to his mouth, wanting him completely joined with her when it came. He complied, opening his mouth over hers, and then picked up his speed a touch, just enough to give her what she needed.

For Harry, his end, his own climax, was usually brought forth by hers, by the sweet clench of her around him and the knowledge that he had given her that pleasure that she enjoyed so much. But this time, when Alex’s world exploded, Harry’s did at the exact same time. Her fingernails dug into his hands and she cried out into his mouth, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes and sliding hotly down her cheeks. He groaned, in a completely animalistic type of way, as he held himself tightly to her, pulsing over and over again into her, the release so strong, so utterly needed, that his entire world went a little hazy and he was a little surprised that his heart didn’t beat right out of his chest.

After a few minutes, once their breathing had evened out and once Harry found that he could form a coherent thought again, he lifted his weight from her and rolled to his side. He pulled a smiling and completely happy Alex up against him and then pulled the covers up around them. He looked down at her and his lips tilted slightly as he reached up and swiped the leftover tears from her cheeks.

“You missed me a lot,” Alex finally said, biting her lip and fighting not to look too pleased with herself.

He grinned. “Oh? Should I go away more often?”

“Nope. You can just stay right here, thank you very much,” she said pertly.

He lifted a brow. “Here in London? Or here in your bed?”

She laughed. “Definitely in my bed.”

“I will see what I can do to arrange that.”

She laughed and then grew serious as she took in his face, the handsome face she adored. “You’ve got a tan,” she said with a small smile. Her fingers reached up and ran along his cheek. You were wintertime pale the last time I saw you.”

“It’s the desert sun. I had to slather on sunscreen at least three times a day when I first got there.”

“I like it.”

He winked down at her. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I’ve got a question,” she said. He almost laughed at how fast she changed the subject.

“Go for it.”

“Today at the hospital when Kate said she took the decision away from you on where to go first, what had been your decision?”

With anyone else he would have assumed it was a trick question. If he said her, he was a jerk for not going to his nephew first. If he said his nephew, he was a jerk for not seeing her first. But he knew Alex, and he knew she wasn’t testing him; she just wanted to know where his head had been at.

“You know where I was going first,” he grinned.

“Nephew?”

He shook his head slowly.

“Harry! That’s your family…” she admonished softly.

Harry chuckled. “I wasn’t going to abandon them. My initial plan was to go to you and then take you with me to the hospital.”

She raised an eyebrow. “So which of them talked some sense into you?”

His body shook with his laughter. God, he loved how she knew him and how she understood automatically the problems that particular situation would have caused. “Will.”

“He reminded you that showing up in an office full of people in the middle of the day might not only lead someone to tipping off the media that you were home, but that you had also rushed to visit a certain someone? Namely me?”

“Ha! He wasn’t so eloquent about it, but yes, that was the gist of it,” he responded playfully.

Alex rolled her eyes and smirk played about her lips. “What happened to the man who sat me down at my kitchen table and warned me about his life? I seem to remember the words were, ‘You can never be too careful.’”

Harry’s eyes danced. “He fell in love and stopped giving a fuck about what everybody else thinks.”

Alex’s jaw dropped.

“You look shocked. I thought you knew that I am madly in love with you?” He teased.

“No. I knew that…I know that. It’s the not giving a fuck part,” she said with a small laugh.

He leaned down close to her, rubbing his nose along hers. “Alex, I stopped giving a fuck the moment I realized that I was done.”

Her brow wrinkled. “That sentence made zero sense.”

“I’m done. This is it. YOU are it.” He shrugged. “And all of them…” he stopped and waved a hand in the air. “They don’t matter.”

Alex just looked at him for a few long moments, her eyes searching his. He let her read him, let her take his words in.

“Oh, you’re good, Wales,” Alex finally murmured as she tilted her head, brushing his lips with hers.

“I’m telling the truth. It’s not a line, Alexandra,” he said, his eyes wide as he looked down at her.

She laughed. “I know.”

“You seem pretty calm about it,” he said, trying figure out her reaction.

“Why would I be anything but calm? I’m done too. Haven’t you figured it out yet?”

His eyes lit up. “I was hoping.”

Alex moved a hand in between them and pointed it at herself. “Done.”

She laughed as he grinned and then pumped his fist in the air in victory. Then he was leaning back into her, kissing her hard, silencing her laughter with his lips. And even though Alex would have been happy to stay there all afternoon letting that kiss lead to other things…they had things to do…people to see.

She pushed at his chest and giggled as he pouted at being pushed away.

“Sorry Wales, we can revisit this later, but we have somewhere to be,” She said with a smile.

He grinned. “Emma?”

She nodded her head. “Emma.”

************

An hour later, after a quick stop at Harry’s so that he could change clothes, they pulled up at Molly’s townhouse. Harry’s knee has been bouncing in excitement the entire ride over, and Alex adored that he was anticipating seeing her kid so much.

They walked up to the door and Alex rang the bell. Harry took her hand and gave her his biggest, giddiest smile. He really was a big kid sometimes, Alex thought to herself. But, she loved that about him, and she loved that it allowed him interact so well with Emma and to relate to her so well.

Alex turned when the door open, Molly looking at her in surprise and then her features changing over to stunned when she realized who was with Alex.

“Oh my God,” Molly breathed. She blinked a few times before a delighted smile spread across her face.

“Can my friend look around?” Harry asked, motioning to Mark who was standing behind him and Alex.

Molly nodded and ushered them inside into the foyer, which was as far as Harry could go until Mark was finished.

“Where’s Em?” Alex asked quickly, not wanting the PO to startle her, wherever she was in the house.

“Kitchen,” Molly said right before she pulled Harry into a tight hug.

Alex grinned as she rushed to go get Emma. She found her daughter sitting at the small kitchen table, playing some game on Molly’s laptop.

“Hey Em,” Alex said brightly, alerting her daughter that she was there.

“Mummy,” Emma said, looking up surprise. “You’re early!”

“Yep!” Alex said, trying but failing to keep the excited smile off of her face. “I got you a present and couldn’t wait another second to show you. Want to see?”

Emma immediately slid off of the chair, her computer game forgotten. She nodded her head enthusiastically as she ran over to Alex. “I love presents.”

“Well come on, kiddo. Let’s go have a look.” Alex held her hand out and Emma took it. Together they walked to the foyer, miraculously not crossing paths with Harry’s PO on the way.

The moment they rounded the corner into the foyer was a moment that Alex would remember vividly for the rest of her life.

The second Harry and Emma saw each other the room went silent. Whatever Harry was saying to Molly faded. Emma’s chatter halted and she just stood there, staring at Harry.

“Emma,” Harry said softly. “I came all the way back from Afghanistan just like I promised you I would. I would think that deserves a hug, don’t you?” He knelt down so he was on her level. His eyes were bright and Alex would swear anytime she told this story in later years that there were tears shining in them.

Alex expected Emma to squeal and run to him, but Emma surprised them all. Her lower lip began to tremble and then she just walked solidly to Harry and threw her arms around his neck. His arms immediately closed around her and then her little body began to shake, but they weren’t the gut wrenching sobs that had hit her when he had left. Pure relief was flowing through Emma, and being so young she dealt with the emotion the only way she knew how. She just cried it out.

With tears streaming down her face, Alex watched as Harry just held onto Emma, rubbing her back gently, letting her brain slowly realize that he was there and he was okay.

When she finally pulled back from him Harry smiled down at her as he wiped the tears from her face. And then he laughed as she started jumping up and down, the big smile that was so like her mom’s finally lighting up her face.

“You’re back!” she squealed, clapping her hands together. “You’re back! You’re back!”

Harry clapped his hands together too, echoing her delight. “I’m back! I’m back!”

Then grabbed her and picked her up into his arms, resting her on his hip. He tickled her quickly, loving her little giggle. Alex couldn’t stay away any longer and walked over to them both then, sighing as Harry immediately wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, pulling him to her side.

Molly watched the scene unfold with a small smile and full heart. She couldn’t wait to see what the future held for these three.


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

Harry and Alex’s peaceful little world post-deployment lasted exactly forty eight hours. And Harry was pretty sure that had baby Henry not been born the day before he came home and the press had not been otherwise occupied, it wouldn’t even have lasted that long.

Two days after his return, the Ministry of Defense announced that he was home. The BBC immediately went to Harry’s office, wanting final approval on the interview they had done in Afghanistan.

It was up until then that Harry had managed to push his anxiety and guilt from Geoff’s death to the back of his mind. He had filled up his first two days home with Alex and Emma, his family, and his adorable brand new nephew. But when the BBC wanted to air footage that Geoff was in, that Harry had to face it for the first time. His Press Office was able to talk the BBC into cutting a lot of it. It wasn’t a necessity to the interview, to showing Harry’s life in Afghanistan. But, there were things - the video games, the shots of them in the mess hall – that they wanted to keep.

And so Harry had to place a call, a call he knew needed to happen but was dreading. He had to call Geoff’s wife and let her know, get her permission, express his sympathies. He had missed the funeral, as it happened before he got back, and she should have placed this call as soon as he stepped foot back on British soil.

Susanna Griffin was still a new widow, still very much in shock over her husband’s death. But, despite the initial shock of Prince Harry of Wales speaking through her phone, offering his deepest sympathies, and telling her how wonderful her husband had been, she was a practical woman. She agreed to let the footage air and she thanked Harry profusely for being such a great friend to Geoff.

Harry hung up the phone, hung his head, and hated himself even more for not being on that Apache; for leaving Susanna Griffin without her husband and her son without his father. Even though logically he understood that it wasn’t his fault, it didn’t help the extreme guilt when it pushed to the service.

He took several deep breaths, closing his eyes forcing his mind elsewhere. He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to remember those moments in Afghanistan when they pulled Geoff from that helicopter. He closed his mind off to it slowly, working hard to push it back into the recesses of his brain.

After several long minutes he finally got himself under control. He opened his eyes, blinking at the familiar walls of his office. He sat back in his chair, checking his watch.

The interview would be airing any time now. But the time Alex arrived at Kensington with Emma tonight the media would be aware that Harry was seeing someone and the guessing game would begin.

Harry had already called Chelsy and warned her, as she was always the first suspect. She had laughed, used to it, but she thanked him for the heads up and wished him the best. He thanked her and they exchanged few pleasantries before hanging up. Such was the way with them; they hadn’t worked out, but they still had respect for each other and wished each other the best.

Harry took another deep breath, running through the things in his mind that he needed to do. The first was deciding how he and Alex would go public. It would have to be soon. The press was going to start following him around. He wouldn’t avoid her so place forever so that the paparazzi wouldn’t spot him.

It really was amazing that not a single word had been breathed of their relationship to the press. He knew a lot of it had to be attributed to the amazing way his family had pulled her in, giving her a safe place to talk about him, be with him. Their relationship was isolating for her as it had been with previous women. They hadn’t been able to talk about him to anyone, not knowing who to trust. The result was frustration, anger, and inevitably it all ended.

But not with Alex. He had made sure with her. He made sure the support system was there. And, it just so happened that his family loved her and Emma.

Harry was lost in all of those thoughts when there was a knock at his doorway, startling him. He turned his head quickly to the door and grinned when he saw who was there.

“Charlotte,” he grinned, rising to greet her. She had been out of town when he came back so he hadn’t gotten to see her yet.

She smirked at him. “Captain Wales. Welcome home.”

He moved to her and enveloped her into a warm, brotherly hug. Even though they bantered, bickered, and she bossed him around constantly, Charlotte and Harry were still close friends, and had been for a very long time. So for once, she just hugged him back, not cracking any jokes or making any snarky comments.

“I’m glad you’re home safe,” she told him quietly.

“Me too,” his answer was gruff, not used to hearing emotion from her. They both held on for one more beat and then moved apart.

And then Charlotte was back to herself, making herself right at home in his office, not caring what Harry had going on.

“So, the announcement has been made. You’re officially home. You’re an uncle. What’s next?” Charlotte asked, getting straight to the point as always.

Harry grinned. “Girlfriend.”

“I’m sorry…don’t you already have one of those? Remember her? Petite blond thing? Sweet as pie? Goes by the name of Alex?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “I meant going public with my girlfriend.”

“Ah. Yes,” Charlotte smiled. “How is that going to happen?”

Harry thought for a moment. “Actually, I could use your help on that.”

“You could always use my help.”

“For Heaven’s sake Charlotte, do you have an off switch?”

She snorted. “No.”

Harry sighed. “Anyway, the press is going to find out as soon as the BBC interview airs that I’m seeing someone. They won’t be able to figure it out right away, but eventually…”

“They’ll track you down and figure it out,” Charlotte finished for him.

He nodded.

“So you’re just going to jump in? Is Alex on board?”

“We talked about it before I was deployed. I gave her the options and this is what she wanted. It makes the most sense for us. Neither of us wants to wait around for the other shoe to drop,” Harry said, his voice taking on a softer tone when speaking about Alex.

Charlotte regarded Harry for a moment. She would never tell a soul this, but it really was something the way Harry’s face transformed when he talked about Alex. Everything about him softened, lightened. Even talking about the press wasn’t causing the irritation it always had with him.

“Well, alright. What do you need my help with?” Charlotte asked, her brain switching to work mode.

“I need an event. It’s the London Social Season, Charlotte, but I’ve only been home two days and I haven’t even begun to process what is coming up. I pay you to schmooze up the rich people at all those events so now you get to brainstorm with me.”

Charlotte sat for a second, just staring at Harry as she thought. That particular habit of hers unnerved people, but Harry was used to it, so he just sat there and stared back until she grinned at him.

He raised his eyebrows. “That was fast.”

“I’m good at what I do.”

“No argument there. Whatcha got for me?”

“How about taking her to Wimbledon? The ladies final is next Saturday, a week from tomorrow.”

Harry smiled. “Royal box?”

Charlotte shrugged. “That part, my friend, is entirely up to you. But…I can’t imagine that you would sit anywhere else.”

Harry nodded, mulling the thought over. “I need to talk it over with Alex and check and see who else from the family is going then. If my Dad and Camilla are going I would be hesitant to do that, it would cause a frenzy.”

Charlotte nodded. “That’s smart. See if Bea or Eugenie will be going. She likes them, and they like her. It would be good to show some support from your family.”

“I like it,” he murmured, his mouth pulling up at the corners. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, if you will excuse me, I have actual work to do. You know, kissing rich people’s asses is hard work. I deserve a raise,” Charlotte said, raising an eyebrow.

“Ha! I already pay you too much. Now get out of my office. I’m leaving. I’m not even supposed to be back here yet and I have a date tonight,” Harry said, standing and ushering Charlotte from his office, already looking forward to sharing his plan with Alex.

***************

“Harry, please can we go swimming? Please?” Emma begged as she sat on one of the barstools in the kitchen as Harry and Alex finished cleaning up the dinner dishes.

“Emma, who told you that I have a swimming pool?” Harry teased her as he lifted her off the barstool and set her on the ground.

She immediately put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “You did!”

Harry put a hand to his chest, acting shocked. “Me? I would never say such a thing. Emma, I think you need your little ears checked.”

Alex laughed as she watched them from a few feet away, leaning up against the kitchen counter by the sink.

“Uhhhh…no. I heard you say it. My ears are perfect,” Emma sassed back, her blonde head bobbing, punctuating her words.

Harry finally gave in, laughing. “I know they are, princess. If your mum says it’s okay, it’s okay with me.”

Emma looked at her mum, her eyes wide and hopeful.

“Emma, I wouldn’t have packed our swimsuits if I wasn’t going to let you swim. Go change and meet us back in the living room,” Alex told her daughter with a smile.

“Thank you, Mummy!” Emma squealed before making a beeline out of the room. They heard her footsteps pound up the stairs and into the guest bedroom. Alex winced when she heard the heavy wood door slam above them.

“Sorry,” she said to Harry apologetically.

He laughed. “I’m sure she didn’t hurt the door.”

“She may have knocked all the pictures off the walls,” Alex joked as Harry moved in front of her. He leaned forward, resting his palms on the counter on either side of her hips. She tilted her head, looking up and him, loving how it felt to be surrounded by him. She reached up and rested her arms on his shoulder, pulling him a touch closer.

It was like this with them. When they were alone they automatically moved into each other, filling each other’s space, even if it were just for a few moments as it would be now.

“I love you,” he murmured as he lowered his lips close to hers. “And I love that you and Emma are here…even if she does knock a bunch of priceless pictures off the walls.”

Alex’s laugh was cut off by Harry’s lips covering hers. Her eyes slid closed and her mind crashed to a halt, focusing solely on him.

He kissed her slowly, sweetly. His lips pressed softly, his tongue smooth and gently as it tangled lazily with hers. She sighed into him, her fingers moving into the mess of red hair on his head. She loved his body around hers, his mouth over hers.

When he pulled back from her she smiled softly up at him. “I should go get my suit on.”

His eyes flashed.

She laughed, pushing against his chest, moving him away from her. “Don’t you even think about it. We promised to take Emma swimming, not to leave her in the living room while you try to convince me I need help getting my suit on.”

Harry’s shout of laughter filled the room. He held his palms in the air in surrender. “I wouldn’t dream of such a thing.”

She shook her head at him. “You are a bad, bad liar, Wales.”

**********

The indoor swimming pool at Kensington was huge. Harry, Alex and Emma spent an hour inside the warm room, playing and splashing each other.

Alex and Emma taught Harry to play Marco Polo and then subsequently made Harry swear he would never, ever play with them again when they teamed up against him, leaving them both with stitches in their sides from laughing so hard at his level of frustration at not being able to catch them.

Harry picked Emma up and threw her in the air and into the water more times than he could count. He finally had to beg off when his arms started to feel like jelly, even though he could have listened to Emma’s delightful squeal and giggle every time she went airborne.

Finally though, they had to call it a night. It was past Emma’s bedtime and Alex could tell her daughter was tired. It had been a long, emotional week for all of them.

Once Alex got Emma dried off, into pajamas, and into bed in the guest bedroom she went looking for Harry in his room, but he wasn’t there. She went ahead and changed while she was there, peeling her wet swimsuit off, hanging it up in his bathroom, and putting on her night shirt and a pair of socks. She tied her wet hair back and then padded downstairs, finding Harry sitting the couch, waiting for her.

He had changed as well, into sweatpants and a t-shirt. He had his laptop open and resting on the arm of the couch and a glass of wine in his hand. She saw that one was waiting for her on the coffee table. She picked it up on her way over to him, taking a sip as she sat, cuddling up to his side.

“You found me,” he murmured, his lips pulling up at the sides as he looked down at her.

“I did, though I expected you to be in the bedroom,” she said, her cheeks growing flush.

He smirked. “Well, we will get there. But, I wanted to talk to you first.”

“Oh?” She took a sip of wine while she waited for him to talk.

He took a deep breath. “The interview has aired, you know that.”

“Really? Was that tonight?” she teased.

He chuckled. “Yes, it was tonight,” he stopped and nodded at his computer screen. “I’ve got it pulled up. Want to see it?”

Alex’s eyes danced. “I really do.”

“I thought you might.”

He pressed play on the video he had pulled up. He had it cued to the part where the reporter asked the first question.

Her face was one big smile as she watched, listening to the words that he said. When that small portion of the video was over he stopped the video and snapped his laptop shut.

“What? Wait…I want to watch the rest.” She pouted playfully.

He leaned forward to put his laptop on the table and then he was back to her, pulling her to his side. “We can watch later. First, I need to know how you feel about what I said.”

Her eyes softened. “I love what you said. You know that already though.”

“True.” He smiled and then pressed further on. “How do you feel about the entire world having seen that video by now?”

She took a deep breath. “Honestly?”

“Of course.”

“It’s a little…weird.”

“Just a little?”

“Okay…maybe a lot weird. Why are you asking me this? You knew this was going to happen, I knew this was going to happen. I’m not surprised by it.” Her eyes were wide, questioning.

He reached over to the side table, setting his glass of wine on it before taking hers and doing the same. Then he slid both arms around her and pulled her closer.

“Alex, I’m need sure you’re still on board before we make the decision to do this. It’s going to insane at first. I mean it, insane. I know I can handle it, and I know you are strong enough to handle it, but you have to want to handle it,” Harry explained gently. His eyes were heavy, searching, as they looked down into hers.

She reached up and cupped his face in her hands. Her lips formed a soft smile. “I love you, Harry,” she said simply.

“I know. But…”

“No. No buts. Everything you need to know is in those three words. You can ask me a million questions about whether I am ready, or whether I want to ‘handle’ it, but it will always come back to those three words. I love you…so yes, I am ready for it. I’m ready to be with you.”

Harry opened his mouth but closed it quickly. She watched him swallow the lump in throat, watched him blink in quick succession. “I love you too,” he finally whispered.

“Good. Now tell me your plan,” she grinned.

“How do you know I have a plan?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

She laughed and dropped her hands from his face. They both remembered the night he left, having this same exchange, only other way around.

“Because I know you, and I know you have a plan,” she said, loving this moment with him.

“Whatever we do, we need to do it soon. The paparazzi are going to start following me around. I refuse to stay away from you, to stay away from your flat, to avoid them,” Harry said, his demeanor sliding over to slightly matter-of-fact.

Alex nodded in agreement.

“So, what do you think about me taking you to the Ladies Finals at Wimbledon next weekend?”

“Next weekend…” Alex took a deep breath, letting the moment settle around her, doing a mental shake that this moment was finally here.

“If it’s too soon…”

“No, no. It’s not that. It’s just strange that we are finally here, at this moment,” she laughed lightly and then leaned into him a little bit more, she looked up at him. “Next weekend sounds good.”

“Fantastic!” he exclaimed, leaning down to kiss her soundly. Then he reached for their wine glasses, handing hers back over and offering his up for a toast. She clinked his glass with a smile and took a sip from her own.

She settled into him then, leaning against his chest, letting the quietness of the house settle over them. Then suddenly she had a thought.

“Harry…”

“Hmmm…”

“You’re going to laugh.”

“I won’t.”

“You will.”

“Alexandra…”

She sighed. “Harry. I don’t know shit about tennis.”

She was right. He laughed.

He laughed as he leaned over and captured her mouth with his.

He laughed as she squealed when he picked her up to take her up the stairs, clapping her hand over her mouth when she remembered Emma was sleeping.

And when, after they had made love, she tried to make him stay awake and explain the rules of tennis to her, he laughed softly, pulled her tight against his side, and firmly told her to go to sleep.


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

It was an odd thing, getting dressed for a day when you knew that hundreds and hundreds of cameras were going to be pointed at you; when you knew that everything about your appearance would be discussed, dissected, obsessed over.

Luckily for Alex, Eugenie was there to help. Her and her boyfriend Jack would be accompanying Alex and Harry to Wimbledon that day, and Eugenie had come over to Alex’s place early to help her get ready and provide needed assurance that what she had selected to wear would be acceptable.

“Perfect,” Eugenie said with a grin as Alex slipped a gold necklace over her head and slid her feet into her beige pumps. Her simple green dress, white blazer, and understated jewelry were elegant but understated. Her makeup was light; just a touch of mascara and some color on her cheek and lips. Her long blonde hair fell in soft waves down her back.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief and looked gratefully at Eugenie’s reflection behind her in her mirror. “Thank you.”

“Are you nervous?” Eugenie asked quietly. She offered up a small smile as Alex turned to face her.

“I would be the world’s worst liar if I tried to tell you that I wasn’t.”  
Eugenie laughed. “Yes, you would be. But…I think you will be just fine.”

“I hope so. Really though, thank you for coming over this morning. It means a lot and has helped calm my nerves quite a bit.”

“Please; it was my pleasure,” Eugenie said, waving a hand in the air. “Did you pack an outfit for going out tonight as well?”

The four of them, joined by Charlotte, Beatrice and her boyfriend Dave, and some other of their friends would be going out for drinks and dancing later. Alex suspected it was being set up as a celebration of sorts, but didn’t question it, letting Harry make the plans and looking forward to being out with him and meeting more of his friends.

Alex nodded and reached for a garment bag hanging on her closet door. She opened it and showed Eugenie her selection, which received a nod of approval and a smile.

The buzzer sounded then, indicating that Harry and Jack were downstairs.

Alex grinned. “Our boyfriends are here.”

“Well, let’s not keep them waiting,” Eugenie winked.

Alex laid her garment bag over her arm, reached for her overnight bag, and then they moved from her room. Alex buzzed them in and waited in the foyer for the knock at the door. When it came and she opened it Harry and Jack stood there both looking very handsome in their suits and ties.

“Good morning, gentleman,” Alex teased as she stepped back to let them in. As they wouldn’t be going any further than her foyer, Mark didn’t have to do his walk through, but he did take Alex’s items and then moved outside of the door to wait for them.

“Good morning, my love,” Harry grinned as he stepped to her. He leaned down and dropped a kiss to her lips, lingering for just a second longer than he would have if anyone but his cousin and Jack would have been in the room. “You look stunning, Alexandra,” he murmured when he pulled back.

“Thank you, you don’t look so bad yourself,” she responded with a soft smile as he stepped around to her side. His hand went to her lower back and he motioned toward Jack.

“Alexandra Morgan, this is Jack Brooksbank. Jack, this is my lovely lady, Alexandra.” Harry stood tall and proud as made their introduction.

Alex extended her hand with a grin. “Please, call me Alex. It’s wonderful to finally meet you, Jack. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She winked toward Eugenie.

Jack laughed as he firmly shook her hand. “Don’t believe anything she says, Alex. It’s nice to finally meet you as well.”

“Alright, are we ready?” Harry asked. The excitement was clear in his voice as his hand moved from Alex’s back to the curve of her waist, pulling her tight against him and looking down at her. His eyes were dancing and his lips were pulled into his cheeky grin. He looked so happy that Alex couldn’t help but let some of her nerves fall away. She leaned into him, her eyes getting lost in the look in his.

Eugenie groaned at the two of them. “Yes, we better go before you two jump each other in the hallway.”

“There will be no jumping,” Alex said firmly, breaking her gaze with Harry and shaking her head at Eugenie.

They all filed out and Alex locked the door behind her. She turned and took Harry’s hand as they made their way downstairs. There were two Range Rovers outside and when Harry led her to the front passenger side of the first one she halted.

“Wait. Why am I sitting up front?”

The corners of his lips tugged up. “Because I’m driving. Why would you sit anywhere else?”

Alex scrunched up her nose. “You get to drive?”

She heard Jack and Eugenie chuckle behind her.

Harry raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been a passenger in a car I’ve driven before.”

“Yeah, but that was at Balmoral. Not here.”

“What’s the difference?”

“There are other cars here.”

Eugenie and Jack’s chuckles had turned to laughter.

Harry fought the smile that was tugging at his mouth. “You think I can’t drive in traffic?”

“I think you almost ran us off the road twice up at Balmoral and without other drivers as a distraction.”

Harry’s eyes danced. “Alexandra…you know that’s not true.”

“It is true. Remember, you almost hit the ditch that one time and…”

He shook his head, cutting her off. “No. I mean the distraction part. I seem to remember a certain pair of hands and how they were making their way…”

“Harry…” Alex warned, her eyes widening.

Jack howled with laughter. Eugenie gasped and then hid a muffled giggle behind her hand.

Harry pulled the car door open and motioned towards the seat. “Alexandra, would you like to get inside the car?”

“I seriously cannot believe you,” she mumbled as she scuttled past him and slid into the seat.

Harry leaned into the doorway before closing her door. “I love you, Alex. Thank you for going with me today,” he whispered huskily.

She slid her eyes toward him, but kept her face forward. Her lips twitched. “You’re welcome. And I love you too. But you’re still in trouble.”

“Ha! Trouble has never stopped me before,” he said before pressing a quick kiss to her temple before closing her door and moving around to the driver’s side.

Alex’s cheeks were pink with embarrassment and she shifted uncomfortably as Eugenie and Jack got into the car. The POs would be trailing in the car behind them so they could all ride together.

Then, just as Harry got in the car and started the ignition, Jack leaned forward between the two front seats.

“Don’t worry, Alex. I’m a good driver, but because Eugenie can’t keep her hands from my…”

“JACK!” Eugenie screeched.

“I was going to say gearshift.”

The car erupted into laughter and Alex’s embarrassment faded, along with a little bit more of her nerves.

*************

The drive to Wimbledon took about forty-five minutes. The four of them chatted excitedly for most of it, but as they got closer Harry became less and less a part of the conversation.

Alex knew he was struggling with something. She knew it wasn’t the idea of press; they had both discussed and prepared for a week for that. It was an inevitable conclusion for them anyway; eventually they would have to deal with the cameras. She wasn’t sure what was running through his mind, but she knew she needed to find out before they stepped out of the car and out into the limelight.

When they finally drove up to Wimbledon they were escorted by event security to a secure entrance. They has discussed going through the VIP entrance, but because that was visible to the public and the press could wait outside of that entrance, both of them decided that the inevitable photographer crush that would cause would not do them any good.

They pulled up to the secure entrance and Harry stopped the car, killing the engine and unbuckling his seatbelt, still silent.

“Jack, Eugenie. Could you give me and Harry just a moment?” Alex turned and asked with a smile.

“Of course,” Eugenie said. She motioned at Jack to get out of the car and the two slid out, shutting the door firmly behind them.

Alex turned back to Harry. “Okay Wales, what’s up?”

He sighed and then turned his head to her. “When we step out there, this isn’t just ours anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

He reached over and took her hand in his, pulling over to his lap. “I mean, we are inviting them in. And that’s okay, we need to do that. I love you and I’m not scared to let them all know. But…I feel like now I have to share you with them.” He stopped and rolled his eyes at his own self. “That’s sounds incredibly selfish.”

Alex bit her lip to avoid the smile from breaking across her face. “It’s okay to want to be selfish about this, Harry. But…you don’t have to share me with anyone, ever. Well, maybe except Emma.”

A tiny smile appeared on his face. “I’ll always be okay with sharing you with Emma. The press though…”

She put a hand up, halting him. “They don’t know me. They will try, and even when they find out the facts of my life, they still won’t know me. You know me. Therefore, I don’t see it as you sharing me with anyone. Harry, everyone in the world knows who you are and I’ve never once felt like I’m sharing you with anyone. Well, maybe except Emma,” she finished with a smirk.

He grinned. “You know, Alexandra. You have this way…”

“Of telling you to knock it the fuck off?”

His shout of laughter warmed her heart. He was back, the anxiety gone. He leaned over and kissed her soundly once and then he was stepping out of the car and moving around to her side. He pulled open her door and then held out his hand to her.

“Ready, love?”

She extended her hand to his and slid from the car.

“Yes.”

****************

Entering the open air of Wimbledon stadium and being led by Harry to the Royal Box was one of the most surreal moments of Alex’s life.

The stadium got quieter as their presence became known. Everyone around them turned to look. People pulled out their cameras and their phones and immediately began snapping pictures. The cameras that were filming the action on the court, which was currently on break, immediately swung to them.

Alex could sense all of it.

But, she kept her eyes forward. She watched Harry in front of her. She watched her step as she moved down the stairs. She smiled lightly at those who were escorting them.

And then finally, they arrived to their seats. Harry put a light hand on her back when he showed her where to sit. She turned to him and shared a small, knowing look. And then, Harry, Alex, Eugenie, and Jack all sat in unison.

They were there.

They were public.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief.

“You doing alright?” Harry murmured, leaning over slightly.

She turned and gave him a small smile, her eyes meeting his. “I’m perfect.”

He grinned. “Now that I already knew, love.”

“Shut up and let me watch tennis, Harry.”

His laughter filled the air around him.

He leaned a little closer to her. “I love you, Alexandra,” he whispered.

She shook her head, trying to hold in her laughter. “Stop it. They will lip read you.”

“I don’t give a fuck.”

It was then that her laughter filled their space.

Eugenie leaned across Alex slightly. “Henry, can you please stop antagonizing the poor girl, be a proper prince, and watching the God damned tennis match?” she admonished him.

Harry smirked but did as he was told.

Except for Harry, just like with everything else in life, he did it in his own way. He pulled his aviators out of his pocket, slipped them on his handsome face, leaned back in his chair and put his arm around the back of Alex’s.

The four of them enjoyed the tennis match this way. Harry stayed close to Alex, leaning in to say things to her, laughing with her, gently ribbing her about her lack of tennis knowledge. Eugenie and Jack, much more used to the public attention, but clearly feeling inspired by Harry and Alex, were affectionate and full of laughter as well.

They cheered on the competitors, ate strawberries and cream, and had a genuinely fun filled afternoon.

And when it was time to go, they all stood, checking to make sure they had all of their belongings, and then Harry took Alex’s hand in his and led them from the stadium.

************

The media were nearly in hysterics over the footage of them that afternoon. One thing was certain instantly, Prince Harry was enamored with the young woman he had brought with him to sit in the Royal Box at Wimbledon.

Not only that, but she was clearly comfortable with his cousin Princess Eugenie, indicating that there was a raised level of seriousness about the relationship. The footage of Eugenie and Alex showed two women who were relaxed and friendly with each other talking, laughing, and leaning over to whisper things in each other’s ears in reactions to plays made on the court throughout the match.

What wasn’t instantly clear was who the woman was. It didn’t take long to find out.

The news reporters remembered and dug up footage of Prince Harry from an event six months before for a program called Healing Families Through Friends. Sure enough, the pretty founder of the organization was none other than the woman who Harry had taken with him to Wimbledon. There was no doubt that she was the one whom was waiting for him while he was in Afghanistan.

Prince Harry was seeing American born Alexandra Morgan.

It only took the reporters another few minutes after that to make one more very important, and stunning, discovery.

Alexandra Morgan was a single mother of a six year old girl.

The world’s press was effectively set on fire.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

Harry instantly pulled Alex from the dance floor. She didn’t have to ask him twice to go home. He was dying to be with her…alone with her. This whole day had been one exciting, scary, crazy, sexual tension filled ball rolling towards the moment that he got her behind closed doors.

“Let’s go tell our friends goodbye, and then we will go,” Harry told her, leading the way back to their table.

When they reached their group Charlotte pulled Alex to the side. “Alex, before you go, let’s make a trip to the restroom.”

Alex’s face scrunched up. “I don’t need…”

Charlotte shook her head. “No…the paparazzi are in full force outside. I checked. You look amazing, but you need to freshen up your make-up, smooth down your hair…you know…make it look like Harry wasn’t just assaulting you on the dance floor.”

Alex laughed. “Can you imagine the headlines? ‘Prince Harry’s girlfriend comes out of nightclub looking like she just got all kinds of felt up.’”

Charlotte made a face. “Gross.”

“You started it.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “It’s still gross. Come on, let’s go.”  
Alex agreed and told Harry where she was going, receiving a nod in return along with a grateful look at Charlotte for thinking of it.

“So how are you doing with everything so far?” Charlotte asked once they were in the restroom and getting touched up.

“So far, so good. But, I purposely shut it all off today. I haven’t gotten online or turned on a TV. My parents called and they said that people they know are already calling. Today was the one day I let myself do that…because I know tomorrow when I wake up…” Alex trailed off, looking Charlotte in the mirror as she rearranged the pins in her hair, putting everything back in order. Harry couldn’t seem to be able to keep his fingers from her hair and her artfully messy style had turned into a seriously messy style.

“Well then,” Charlotte said, finishing up with her lip gloss and sliding it back in her purse. “I’m not going to say anything further about it…other than…” She turned towards Alex. “If anyone could ever handle what is about to ensue, you can. He knows that. He’s not worried that you’ll break down or whine and cry about it. He knows you will come to him if there are problems and that you’ll be sensible about it. And…” she paused and took a deep breath. “If you ever need help with anything, you call me, okay?”

Alex blinked, not used to Charlotte being so serious and non-sarcastic. “Okay…” she finally said slowly.

“I mean it, Alex. You call me. Don’t hesitate.”

“I will. Thank you, Charlotte,” Alex replied quietly, a little overcome at the sincerity. She always knew Charlotte had her back and wouldn’t fail to help her if she needed it, but hearing it come out of her friend’s mouth like that meant more than Alex could ever say.

“Yes, well…” Charlotte mumbled, not really knowing where to go from there as she wasn’t used to making those types of declarations to anyone…ever.

Alex smiled at Charlotte’s rare moment of embarrassment and decided to take pity on her. “I’m not quite done here,” she said, holding up a bobby pin with a slight smile. “Why don’t you go on out so you don’t have to wait on me. Tell Harry I’ll be out in a minute.”

Charlotte grinned. “I can do that.”

Alex chuckled as Charlotte breezed from the door and Alex went back to work with her hair pins. She had just finished and was tucking everything back in her purse when the bathroom door swung open. Alex looked up and immediately went tense.

Caroline was standing there, staring at Alex as if she were a cat who had cornered the canary. The tall blonde shut the door behind her and moved toward Alex, who drew herself up to her full height and stared right back at the woman advancing on her.

“So…” Caroline drawled in an accent so posh that Alex knew she was laying it on thick just for her, trying to make a point. “Harry ran through all of the women in his circle and had to go digging deep to find one who would put up with his life, huh?”

Alex had never wanted to slap someone right in the face more in her entire life.

Instead, she remained calm, breathing deeply, evenly. She lifted a brow to Caroline. “Really, Caroline? Put up with it? Because earlier it looked like you were dying to put up with it.”

Caroline narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to Alex.

Alex didn’t flinch. She didn’t move an inch. She knew girls like Caroline, she always had; girls who moved through life taking whatever they wanted and stepping on anyone in the way. She had learned a long time ago that girls like that, like Caroline, pushed exactly as far as people let them.

“What? Do you think he loves you? Do you think he’s going to save you and that you and that little brat of yours will go live in his palace and you’ll be princesses and live happily ever after? That’s not how it works. You aren’t suitable. Once they point it out to him, he’ll drop you like this,” Caroline sneered, snapping her fingers at her last word.

Then, Alex smiled. Alex smiled and Caroline faltered; Alex saw it in her eyes…the realization that the mission she walked into bathroom with was going to be a failure.

“I know he loves me. I know it. And you know it too. You wouldn’t be in here trying to scare me off if you didn’t,” Alex said in a soft, almost deadly tone. Then she stepped closer, lowering her voice to almost a whisper. “And I’ll tell you this. You don’t ever talk about my kid. EVER. Her name…hell, even the fact that she even exists in the same world as you do better not ever leave your lips. Got it?”

“It’s not like they’ll be much to talk about soon anyway,” Caroline hissed, having to spew that one last piece of venom.

Alex laughed and picked up her clutch. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, bitch.”

Caroline’s jaw dropped and Alex took her opportunity, moving quickly around her and out of the bathroom.

Alex strode back to the group, her head held high, proud of herself.

Harry saw the look about her when she came back and he raised his brows. “You look like you just took on the world and won,” he said when she moved into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and looking up at him.

She shook her head; deciding now wasn’t the time and place to talk about what happened. “No. But I am ready to take you on,” she said. Her eyes were heavy and dark, her alcohol buzz returning in full force now that she was out of that damn bathroom and away from Caroline.

“Jesus Christ, Alex,” Harry groaned. “I don’t even know if I’m going to make it home with you.”

Alex cocked a brow. “Then how ‘bout we stop talking and get outta here?”

Harry laughed. “Point made.” He dropped a kiss to her lips and then turned to their friends. “Everyone, it’s been an amazing night, but I’m taking my lady home now.”

There were groans and some good natured ribbing from the group, but everyone stood and made their goodbyes. Hugs and kisses were given and then Harry and Alex stepped away, moving towards the entrance.

Once they got close, but still out of sight from the doors, Harry turned to her, pulling both of her hands into hers, leaning down close to talk to her.

“Listen, Alex.”

“Listening, Harry.”

He could help but smile at her sass before he continued. “When we step out of those door, it’s going to be nuts. They will shout questions at you. They will try to get you to turn around and look at them or to react. Tune them out as best you can. The flashes will be intense. I will be in front of you so just focus on my back and don’t look up or into the cameras. Mark is going to be in front of me and Sal,” Harry stopped and pointed to a PO that was less familiar to Alex, “will be behind you. Mark will open the car door. I will get in, then you, and then Sal will slide in next to you. Then we drive off and it’s over.”

Alex took a deep breath. “Okay…Okay.”

“Are you sure you want to do this? We can go out of the back…”

She squeezed his hands tightly. “No. We have to do this. They will only hound us worse the next place we go.”

He grinned. “You are so smart. Did you know that?”

“Yep. Now, let’s do this Wales.”

They moved to the doors and as soon as they opened Alex did exactly as Harry had said. She held tight to his hand as the photographers pushed and shoved against the security, snapping pictures right in her face as she went by. She closed her ears to their shouts at her; to the questions they yelled. She just kept moving until Harry was in the car and pulling her in with him. Sal slid in next to her and shut the door. Mark was in the front passenger seat and immediately gave the driver the signal to go.

The Range Rover immediately pulled away and Alex sagged against Harry, a rush of air expelling from her lips. “Holy shit.”

“Are you okay?” he asked, lifting a finger to her chin to tilt her face to him.

She blinked a couple of times; not having been totally immune to the camera flashes, before the light orbs finally faded and she could see him clearly.

“I’m fine,” she whispered. “That was intense…crazy…but I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” His eyes searched hers, making sure she really was okay, that she hadn’t been affected in a negative way. She loved when he did that, when he seemed to search her mind, her soul, to make sure that she was okay. It made her feel so protected, so cared for.

She smiled up at him, her fingers reaching up to rest on his cheek. “I’m okay, Harry. I promise.”

“Good,” he murmured, satisfied and happy that she was processing everything and handling it well.

He tucked her up under her arm and she leaned against him for the short trip back to Kensington.

***********

Alex walked into the cottage and Harry followed behind her, shutting and locking the door firmly behind him. He leaned up against it and folded his arms in front of him, watching her move as she kicked off her shoes and laid her clutch down on the round table in the middle of the foyer. She turned toward him then, her eyes finding his, taking in the smirk on his face, the look in his eyes.

“What?” she asked, even though she knew…she knew what was up.

“Still drunk?” he asked teasingly.

“Yep,” she said, popping her lips together with the word.

“Too drunk to…?”

“Why, Henry Charles Albert David,” she drawled out, her voice having adopted a heavy U.S. southern accent. “Are you trying to get out of having sex with me?”

He shook his slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. “Never.” He uncrossed his arms and moved towards her.

She watched him move toward her in that way he had and she felt her heart begin that familiar thump in her chest. She loved his body; those broad shoulders, that chest, the way he was long and lean and walked in such a way that spoke of power and of raw sexuality at the same time. The sight of him and the thought of the things that he was about to do to her…it made her entire body heat up, it made her breath come and go in heavy, deep pulls and pushes of air, it made her knees weak.

She reached behind her with both hands, grabbing onto the table for support and leaning back against it. He moved into her space then; his arms moved around her and he leaned into her, placing his hands on the table behind her, his hips pushing into hers, his lips moving to within an inch of hers.

“I want you, Alexandra.” His voice was husky, determined; needy. His eyes stayed connected to hers, the intensity in them matching his words. “I’ve wanted you since I picked you up this morning. All day…everything about you…I need to seal this day with you, Alex. And, I think just got home from the bar, drunk, sweaty, rip each other’s clothes off sex is the way to go. Don’t you?”

He didn’t even give her a chance to answer. His mouth covered hers and she moaned, opening her lips under his and thrusting her tongue out to tangle hotly with his. She moved her hands from the table and up to his shoulders, grabbing his suit jacket and pushing it off of his shoulders and down his arms.

“Alex…” he groaned into her mouth when her fingers hooked themselves into his shirt, right above the first button. His hands went to her thighs, squeezing them through her jeans and then lifting her up on to the table and tilting her so he could push himself between her legs. He pulled her tight against him, hiking her legs around his waist.

And then Alex’s fingers tightened in his shirt and she pulled hard, ripping the front of his shirt open, the buttons popping off in quick succession and scattering, little pings sounding as they hit the floor of the foyer.

Harry pulled back and looked at her in surprise. “I can’t believe you did that…”

“You mad, baby?” she asked softly as she pushed the shirt from his shoulders. She tilted her eyes up to him and bit her lip, waiting for his reaction.

His lips tilted and he pulled her tighter against him. “Do I look mad?”

She shook her head slowly and reached for his pants, popping the button open. “No. You look like you want to fuck me.”

A burst of air left Harry’s mouth at Alex’s words. His eyes flashed. His hands flexed at her hips. “Jesus Christ, Alexandra…”

And then his mouth was on hers again. They were done talking, done with words. They were on a mission and after hours and hours it was finally time to complete it.

Harry reached for the hem of her shirt, pulling it swiftly over her head. One hand kept steady at her hip, holding her to him while the other reached behind her, flicking the clasp on her strapless bra open and pulling it away from her. Then, knowing he needed two hands for what he wanted to do to her he lowered her back to the table, kissing her lips until the angle broke them apart and then moving down, blazing a hot trail down her jawline, her neck, and down to her chest. He moved to her left breast, his tongue flicking out against a hardened nipple just before capturing it in his mouth.

Alex arched, the feel of his hot mouth pulling at her shooting sparks straight down to her core. She shoved her fingers into his hair, pulling him tight against her. The light chuckle that escaped his lips vibrated against her, causing a moan to escape her lips. He released the nipple and moved to the other one, inflicting the same torture while he brought a hand up to the one he had so recently released, his fingers picking up where his mouth had left off.

Alex was on fire. He was pulling, sucking, and pinching her closer and closer to the end with ever swipe of his tongue, every twist of his fingers.

“Harry…Henry…please…” she begged. She needed him. She loved this, she really did; loved his hands and lips driving her toward the cliff, but she needed to be filled by him. She needed every inch that he had to give her in order to complete this day they had shared.

And because Harry was hanging onto his control by a thread, when she tugged at his hair, when she begged him in that soft, breathy voice he didn’t have a chance of holding out on her. He leaned back from her and with a grin he unbuttoned and unzipped her pants and then, hooking her fingers in the waistband, pulled them down off of her, her panties following quickly. He divested himself of his own pants and then he was back to her, wrapping his hands around her hips and then watching her, his eyes holding hers, began to push himself into her.

“Fuck…” Alex breathed as he moved forward slowly, savoring the moment, filling her until he was buried to the hilt.

Her hands reached out for him, trying to touch him, needing that contact, but not be able to get to him because of their position.

“Come here, baby,” Harry murmured, pulling her up, knowing what she needed; needing it too. Her chest pressed into his and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Holding her tight to him, he began to move. There wasn’t anything slow or easy about it. Their need was primal, animalistic. He held her up with his arms as he thrust stroke after heavy stroke into her. Her legs wrapped around him and her hips tilted instinctually, pulling him closer, deeper. She pressed hot kisses to his neck, to his jaw, and finally to his mouth, crying out into his mouth as it opened over hers and she felt the burn begin to build within her.

“Harry…Oh my God…please…” she whimpered, her words broken by his sharp thrusts into her warm, wet body.

“Alex, keep your arms around my neck…” he ordered in response to her plea. She was confused momentarily until he tilted her further back on the table, placing a hand flat on the table behind her and sliding one hand down to her center, his fingers finding her and moving in firm, fast circles around her sweet spot.

It only took just a few passes of his fingers, a few more deep strokes from him before the swell overtook Alex and she detonated around him, her face buried in his neck, her fingers clenched firmly in his air, as she screamed out his name with her release.

The feel of her, the pulse of her around him, pulled a groan from Harry that was raw and primal and was followed instantly by his own release, slamming into him full force. He held her tightly to him, pulsing within her. He found himself taking deep breaths to steady himself, seemingly having lost all of the air in his body when he lost himself within her.

Long minutes later, when they had both regained some semblance of reality, he pulled back from her and smiled softly down into her beautiful face.

“You look worn out,” he said, the pride evident in his tone, his smirk firmly back in its normal place on his face.

She giggled. “I am. Take me to bed?”

“Absolutely,” he grinned. He picked her up carried up the stairs to his bed, leaving their clothes scattered about to deal with in the morning.

He deposited her into his bed, moved to the bathroom to clean up quickly, and then moved back, crawling under the covers with her and pulling her to his side.

“Harry?” Her voice was soft, sleepy.

“Hmm?” His eyes were fighting to stay open.

“I love you.”

He grinned. “And I love you.”


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. It should have been me. No! It should have been me!”

The anguished words awoke Alex from a dead sleep the next morning. Sitting straight up in bed and looking around quickly, her eyes settled on Harry, sprawled out next to her in his bed, his arms flung wide, his head moving back and forth slowly. Tears were running down his face as the words tumbled from his mouth again. It almost sounded like mantra to Alex, something he had said over and over again, something he was trying to make himself believe.

“Harry!” she cried, her hands moving to his chest, pushing against him. “Harry. Wake up!”  
He started awake, his eyes flying open, his hands flying to hers on his chest. He blinked quickly, his mind working fast to push the dream he was just having to the back of his brain.

She saw it before he blinked it back though. She saw the hurt, the devastation that was there.

“Alex…” he breathed, his voice hoarse from sleep. His hands tightened, his fingers curling around hers.

“Harry…what was that? What were you dreaming about?”

He paused for a beat before answering her. “I don’t…I don’t remember.”

He hated lying to her. He hated that he had to do that, but he didn’t want to bring her into this. He didn’t want to bring her into his pain about Geoff’s death. He didn’t want her to know just how close it had been to being him that was being brought him in a casket. He just couldn’t bring himself to tell her, to see the pain on her face.

Her forehead crinkled. “You don’t remember? You were crying and yelling out something about how it should have been you. How can you forget that so quickly?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, Alex. I just don’t.”

“Do you have nightmares often?”

He pulled her hands, pulling her down and closer to him. “No baby, I don’t,” he said with a shake of his head as her chest came down against his, as her body moved on top of his. “It was just a nightmare, Alexandra. I’m fine. I’m more than fine. I have you.”

And then he was pulling her mouth to his, his tongue pushing in to slide along hers, his hands moving up her warm body, bringing soft sighs from her. The nightmare was successfully pushed from her mind and Harry was doing the best to lose himself in her to push it from his.

************

“Have you gotten online?” Alex asked Harry a few hours later as they sat at the island in his kitchen, enjoying a light breakfast.

His eyes slid to her and he gave her a small smile. “Not yet.”

She sighed. “They know about Emma.”

He immediately set his fork down and turned to her. “Now, how do you know that?”

Alex looked sheepish for a moment. She reached for her coffee and took a sip before turning to face Harry. “Don’t get mad.”

He raised an eyebrow and his lips curved. “I’m not going to get mad.”

Alex laughed lightly. “Okay. You know when I went to the restroom before we left the club last night?”

“Yeah…”

“When Charlotte left, while I was still fixing my hair, Caroline cornered me.”

Harry’s eyes went wide. “I’m sorry. What?”

“She cornered me in the bathroom. She’s a nasty piece of work.”

“Oh, I’m aware. What exactly did she say to you?” Harry’s voice was tight, tense.

Alex took a deep breath. “She implied that you didn’t love me. She asked if I thought you were going to ‘save’ me and my ‘brat’ and make us princesses and bring us to live with you in your palace. She said that I’m not suitable and once ‘they’ realize it, you’ll drop me.”

Alex watched as the anger crept through him. She watched his jaw clench, his cheeks flush.

“See, now you’re mad,” Alex said with a small smile.

Harry shook his head, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck. “I’m not mad at you. I’m fucking furious that she said those things to you.”

“Don’t you want to know what I said to her?” Alex asked, a smile tilting her lips.

Harry raised his eyebrows. “It’s good, isn’t it?”

Alex grinned. “When I came out of the restroom you did say I looked like I took on the world and won.”

Harry chuckled, a shaky breath leaving him at the same time, some of his anger going with it. “Alright Morgan. Out with it.”

Alex sat up straight and wiped her hands on her jeans. “Well, first I told her that I know you love me, and that she knew it too, otherwise she wouldn’t be trying so hard to convince me otherwise.”

“That’s very true,” Harry said softly, his eyes shining for her.

Alex met his soft gaze for a second before she continued. “And then I told her she better not ever mention Emma again; to me or anybody else. I meant it. If I ever hear that Emma’s name has left her lips…it won’t be pretty.”

Harry’s lips tilted. “No, it won’t.”

“Of course, she had to get one more dig in; something ridiculous like I wouldn’t be around long enough for it to even matter if she said anything about Emma. So I told her she could think whatever she had to help her sleep at night and…”

“And then?” Harry prompted with a laughing sort of smile.

“And then I called her a bitch.”

“You did?”

Alex gave one swift nod of her head, proud of herself. “I did.”

Harry shouted his laughter, holding his hand to his stomach. Then he reached over and slid his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her to him and giving her a swift, hard kiss on the lips. His lips twitched in laughter against hers and when he pulled back his eyes were a mixture of humor and pride.

“Are you laughing at me?” Alex asked, biting her lip as she tried to fight away the giggles herself.

“I am, but only in the most loving way possible.”

“Why are you laughing? I thought it was rather appropriate to call her a bitch, considering what she said.”

Harry stood then, moving to stand between Alex’s legs on the stool she currently occupied. His hands went to each side of her face, tilting it up to his. “It was completely and totally appropriate. She’s is a bitch. I’m laughing because you are so sweet that the image of you calling someone a bitch to their face is in such contrast with who you are, yet it makes sense at the same time because of just how protective you are of Emma…and of me. It makes me proud that I’ve been lucky enough to have found you, to be with you. And it makes me love you even more”

Alex grinned. “I’m not going to cry. I know you’re trying to make me cry.”

Harry’s cocky grin, full of swagger and determination returned in full force. “I’m not trying to make you cry.”

“Yes, you are. I’m not going to.”

“Okay,” he said, as if he accepted that. As he leaned down to kiss her, Alex didn’t believe him for one second, but she let him kiss her anyway, let his mouth work its magic over hers.

When he pulled back from her his eyes were full of love, full of pride, full of confidence. “Alex…”

“Yes Harry?”

“I do plan on it.”

“What? Making me cry?”

His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “No, not intentionally. But I plan on making you and Emma mine and bringing you to live here with me. Not saving you, but making you my ‘princesses’, even though that’s not really the right word…but yes, all of that and moving you into my palace. I absolutely plan on it. And you are suitable, no one that matters thinks otherwise.”

And Alex’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s a little early…”

He shrugged. “I’m not saying I’m doing it tomorrow. I’m not saying it’s going to happen this year or next year or when it will. I’m just saying that at this point, right now…it’s my plan.”

Alex searched his eyes as a tear slid from one of hers. “You made me cry.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“No, you aren’t.”

He smirked. “No, I’m not.”

Alex sighed and leaned into him, her arms wrapping around his waist, her head tilting up to his. “I love you.”

“And I love you.” He leaned down and kissed her and then pulled back with a sigh. “Alright love; it’s time to go see what the press has come up with. You ready?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. But yes, let’s do this.”

***********

The press coverage was just as expected. They knew who Alex was, they found out about Emma, and they drew their conclusions.

“Prince Harry Romances Single Mother…Is She ‘The One’?”

“Single Mother Snags a Prince…But is the Kid a Deal Breaker?”

“Prince Harry Takes New Girlfriend to Wimbledon and Out On the Town. But who is Watching Her Child?

And Alex’s personal favorite:

“Prince Harry Gets Kid Envy, Finds One to Hold Him Over”

All in all, they weren’t too bad. They were what Alex and Harry had expected and what they had discussed. It was the paparazzi pictures from their night out that startled Alex. She knew there had been pictures taken of course, was aware that they would be published, but what she didn’t expect was exactly how many there were. They had her from every single angle and there were hundreds upon hundreds of them.

Alex made a mental note to thank Charlotte profusely for making her go fix her hair and makeup…even if she’d had to deal with Caroline because of it.

The thing that Alex had feared the most was that pictures of Emma would surface right away. She knew, eventually, there would be pictures. She was just not prepared to see pictures of her daughter published when she was still wrapping her head around seeing pictures of herself everywhere. Luckily, there were none so far.

All in all, it had begun in a big, splashy way. There was speculation, there was doubt, and there was negativity. But also, there was support. The bloggers were beyond excited. Prince Harry with a kid? They had been waiting for that day for ages. They couldn’t wait to see him with Emma, to see how he interacted with his new girlfriend’s daughter. They were complimentary towards Alex for the most part, loving that Harry looked happy and in love.

And he was. He was happy and very much in love.

***************

Because Alex had class on Wednesday evenings, she was out of the house from early morning until after supper time. Most weeks during the summer Molly would keep Emma late on those evenings, and Alex would come pick her up after she got out of class.

This particular week though, Harry was due to take Emma for the entire day. It was the first time they would get to cross one of the items off of the list of things she wanted to do, and when she had told him what her first request was, he knew exactly who to call.

Harry picked up Emma from Alex early that morning, rushing in and kissing Alex hello before whisking Emma away and leaving a laughing Alex in his wake. She didn’t even mind him rushing in and rushing out when she saw the pure excitement on both of their faces.

Harry and Emma climbed into the Range Rover and were off for the drive to the country to meet Harry’s cousin Zara.

Emma was going to have her first horseback riding lesson.

“Are you excited, Emma?” Harry asked as the Range Rover moved from the city and to the country.

“Yes,” she said quickly, her voice high and light as she smiled up at Harry. “I’m so excited. Mummy even bought me new boots for today.”

Harry looked to Emma’s feet and grinned at her. “Those are some fantastic boots, Em. Your Mum has a great taste.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Mummy didn’t pick these out. I picked these out. She just bought them.”

Harry laughed and reached over to tug on one of Emma’s braided pigtails. “You are silly, Emma.”

“So are you, Harry,” she retorted back quickly.

“That’s incredibly true. Some people say I’m too silly.”

Emma regarded him for a second. “Yeah, you are pretty silly. Especially with my mum. You are so silly with my mum.”

“Am I? I hadn’t thought that we were too incredibly silly,” Harry said with a grin.

Then Emma cracked a big smile. “You are silly in looooooove,” she made a crazy face as she drew out the last word, making Harry shout with laughter.

“Also incredibly true, Emma,” he agreed.

They continued their banter throughout the drive, with Emma leaving Harry with stiches in his side and his heart swelling more than ever with his love for this little girl.

When they finally pulled up at the big country house where Zara’s horses and training center were built Emma was so excited that the car had barely rolled to a stop before she had her seatbelt off and she was ready to get out of the car.

“Come on, Harry,” she called as he opened his door and then scooted around the car to get hers.

“I’m hurrying, I’m hurrying,” he chuckled as he pulled open her door. He barely moved out of the way in time for her to come flying out of the door, her little head turning to take everything in.

“Come on, Emma,” Harry said, holding out his hand to her. “Let’s go meet my cousin Zara and she will get you started.”

Emma grabbed ahold of his hand and Harry led her around the back of the house, out to the stable where he knew Zara would be.

“Zara!” he called as they entered into the stable. He smiled as his cousin’s blonde head popped out from one of the stalls.

“Be right there,” she called back. He heard her rustling around and then she came out of the stall, dressed in her riding clothes, with a big smile on her face. “Harry,” she greeted cheekily, leaning up to press a kiss on his cheek before swatting his arm playfully with one of her riding gloves.

“Zara, lovely to see you as always,” he smirked, the playful sarcasm evident in his voice.

She rolled her eyes at him and then bent her knees and dropped down so she was eye to eye with Emma.

“And you must be Emma,” Zara said, reaching out her hand to shake Emma’s hand.

Emma grinned and stuck her little hand right in Zara’s. “Yes ma’am.”

“I’m Zara. You ready to learn how to ride?”

“Yes ma’am,” Emma said, trying hard not to squeal.

“Fantastic. Although you don’t have to call me ma’am. You can just call me Zara, okay?”

Emma nodded, already feeling more comfortable. “Okay, Zara.”

“Wonderful,” Zara said as she stood back up. She reached her hand out for Emma, who took it immediately, and looked at Harry. “Mike is inside in the game room. You are more than welcome to join him.”

“Nah,” Harry said with a shake of his head. “I think I’ll come and watch.”

Zara raised her eyebrows and then she flashed him a very Windsor-like smirk.

Harry raised his arms out from his side, shrugged, and grinned at her, agreeing with her silent assessment.

Things had changed for him.

And he was completely fine with that.

It turned out that Emma was a complete natural on a horse. Zara was more than impressed with her skills and made sure Emma knew just how great she was doing. They rode for more than two hours, and at the end, Zara gave an exhausted but delighted Emma a bag of apples and showed her how to feed them to the horses. She let Emma have a run at feeding the different horses in the stable while she walked with Harry a few feet behind Emma, keeping a watchful eye on her.

“She’s darling, Harry,” Zara said quietly.

“She’s amazing,” Harry agreed.

“I haven’t met her mother yet, I always seem to miss her. But I saw the pictures from this past weekend. She’s beautiful. Emma looks just like her.”

Harry couldn’t help the smile that hit his face. It was cocky, full of pride. Not just for Alex, but for Emma as well. Zara laughed at him, nudging her shoulder with his.

“You are such a shit,” Zara said, not realizing what was coming from her mouth until after she said it. Her eyes widened and she clapped her hand over her mouth.

Emma turned around instantly, her mouth open. Harry pressed his lips together, trying to hold back his laughter.

“You said a bad word, Zara,” Emma said, her face the epitome of seriousness.

Zara pulled her hand from her mouth. “I did, Emma. I am so very sorry.”

Emma pulled such a stern face that Harry couldn’t help himself, the laugh slipped out, earning a stern glance in his direction as well.

“I won’t tell on you, this time,” Emma said, turning back to the horses, pulling another apple from her bag.

“Who would she tell on me too?” Zara whispered to Harry, her eyes teary from laughter.

Harry held up his hands. “I don’t know. But I do not want to find out.”

Zara shook her head. “Me either.”


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so excited,” Harry laughingly told Alex as they waited for Alex’s brother to arrive at Heathrow. They were standing by baggage claim, ignoring the glances from curious onlookers, ignoring the camera phones taking pictures, and ignoring that there was a paparazzi photographer waiting outside by the parked Range Rovers waiting to get pictures of them coming out.

Alex rolled her eyes. “Of course you have. I was this excited when you came back from Afghanistan. You just surprised me early so I didn’t get the chance to get all jumpy and anxious.”

Harry grinned and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. “You’re cute when you’re jumpy and anxious.”

Alex laughed, bumping her hip into his. “You’re cute when you admire my weird personality quirks.”

Harry smirked and leaned over so he was closer to her and lowered his voice. “You’re really cute when you do that thing with your tongue. You know where you…”  
“Shut up right now, Henry,” Alex admonished, turning her face towards his. When she saw the tilt of his lips and the gleam in his eyes she couldn’t help herself and she laughed as he hugged her closer.

“How come you never chastise Emma like that?” Harry teased.

Alex snorted. “Because Emma knows how to behave in public.”

Harry’s retort was just about to leave his lips when Alex squealed and bolted from under his arm, having spotted her brother coming towards them. He chuckled and then followed behind her, watching with a smile as Alex ran towards a tall, broad shouldered man about Harry’s own height. Harry could tell right away he was Alex’s brother; they didn’t look exactly alike, but they had the same big smile and the same eyes.

“Matt!” Alex screeched just as she reached her brother, flinging herself into his arms.

“Oomph.” The breath left Matt’s lungs in a rush as Alex hit his chest, but he could care less. He wrapped his arms around his sister and pulled her into a tight bear hug. Alex clung to him tightly, having missed him terribly since she had seen him last Christmas.

Harry stood a few feet back, letting Alex and her brother have their moment, knowing how much he would miss his own brother were he to go so long without seeing him. After a few moments Matt looked up and caught sight of Harry, and grinned, setting Alex back on the ground and motioning towards the man standing a few feet from them.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us, Alex?” Matt asked, smiling softly at his sister and she wiped tears from her eyes.

“Oh yes, of course. Sorry,” she said with a laugh. She smiled sheepishly at Harry, who gave her a little shake of his head and a small smile to show that it wasn’t a big deal and then took a couple of steps forward, closing the distance between them. Alex immediately moved into Harry’s side, a fact that wasn’t lost on Matt at all.

“Harry, this is my big brother, Matt Emerson. Matt, this is my boyfriend, Harry Wales.”

Flashing a grin that clearly spoke of how happy he was to meet some of Alex’s family finally, Harry was the first to offer his hand, a reflex from so many years of royal duties. Matt flashed a matching smile and gave Harry a firm, strong handshake.

“It’s great to finally meet you, man. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Matt said.

“Well, that could be good or bad,” Harry joked, noting to himself that that Matt’s southern U.S. accent was much, much more prominent that Alex’s. “But yes, it’s great to meet you as well. Alex has had great things to say about you.”

Matt grinned and then turned to Alex. “You told him to say that didn’t you?”

Alex laughed. “No, I didn’t. He’s just that polite. You could learn a thing or two.”

Matt rolled his eyes and chuckled. “And here we go…”

“Come on, let’s go get your bags,” Alex said cheerfully in response.

“Bag. Singular. I’m a dude.” Matt quipped as the three of them turned towards the carousel.

“Ha. Ha,” Alex returned, wrinkling her nose.

“So what are the plans while I’m here?” asked Matt. “And where on earth is Emma? Why didn’t you bring her?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Too many cameras. The first picture of her just got out last week. I’d like to keep them to a minimum.”

“Ah. Well, I guess they will get my ugly mug instead,” Matt grinned.

Alex laughed. “I hope you don’t crack too many lenses.”

Harry watched the two of them banter back and forth with a smile on his lips. Out of habit, he kept his hand at Alex’s back, but let the two of them have their time.

“So, yes. The agenda while you are here,” Alex began, her voice taking on the authoritative tone it always did when she was making or sharing plans. “Tonight we’ll hang out at my apartment. You’ll be able to get oriented with the time difference and all and hang out with Emma. She’s dying to see you, of course.”

“Of course,” Matt smirked.

“Then tomorrow tonight we’re going out with some of our friends and some of Harry’s cousins.”

“Zara and Mike and Beatrice and Dave,” Harry offered.

Matt thought for a moment. “Sorry man, I should have done my research. Are any of those people the ones who were at that tennis game with you?”

Harry chuckled. “No worries. No, that was my cousin Eugenie and her boyfriend. Eugenie is Beatrice’s sister. Dave is Beatrice’s boyfriend. Zara is another cousin and Mike is her husband…,” Harry trailed off with a grin. “Sorry, you’re never going to remember all of this are you?”

Matt laughed and reached over to clap Harry on the shoulder. “Nope. But thanks for trying.”

If Harry hadn’t been so good at putting a normal, relaxed face on in public, it would have been easy to see how nervous he had been to meet Matt. Besides Emma and Molly, it was the first of Alex’s family he had met, and it seemed that she was closer to her brother than anyone else. But when Matt reached over and clapped Harry’s shoulder, the familiarity of the gesture and the joking way the words came from Matt’s mouth struck a chord in Harry. He immediately felt at ease with Alex’s brother. It was strange, because that’s how it had been with Alex too. There wasn’t the normal stuff where Harry had to try to make someone feel relaxed and help them overcome their nervousness at his presence. They just fell into comfortable territory without all of the bullshit. He loved the normality more than he could ever express.

“No problem. You’ll meet them all tomorrow tonight anyway, plenty of time to get it all straight,” Harry responded.

“Great. What about the rest of the week?”

Alex jumped back in. “I have to work some, but I figured you could take Emma out a couple of those days and do some touristy things. But next weekend…” she stopped and threw a quick glance and a small smile at Harry, “we are going to go to a Polo match. Harry’s playing. Then we will drive over to Highgrove and stay a couple of days before you go back. Highgrove is Harry’s father’s country estate.”

Matt shrugged. “Sounds good to me. I’ve never been to a Polo match before, but hey, first time for everything. And you know I like the country, so a couple of days seeing what the English Countryside has to offer is fine by me.”

Alex clapped her hands together in excitement and Harry grinned at Matt’s easy going attitude. Then, the talk of the upcoming week was pushed aside as Matt’s bag came around. He grabbed it and then the trio, trailed by two of Harry’s Protection Officer’s, made their way out of the airport to the waiting cars. The one waiting paparazzi had multiplied into three waiting paparazzi, but thankfully they stayed back a bit. Matt’s carry-on bag and suitcase were loaded into one Range Rover and then the three of them climbed into the backseat of the other, with Alex in between the two of them.

“Do they follow you everywhere?” Matt asked both of them once they were safely inside of the cars and moving away from the airport.

Alex made a face. “They don’t follow you. They find you.”

Matt was on instant alert. “Do they find Emma?”

Harry spoke up, knowing how important it was that he show what he was doing to protect Emma. “No. They don’t find Emma. The one picture that was published was of me and Emma in Hyde Park last week, walking my brother’s dog. Because I was with her, they thought she was fair game. My office came down hard on the press. It was heavily suggested that they not photograph Emma at all, but were flat out told not photograph her without her legal parent present.”

Matt looked at Alex. “Are you good with that?”

Alex sighed. “I’m never okay with Emma’s face being everywhere. But…the paps have listened since then. They haven’t snapped a single picture of me when Emma is with me. Plus…”

“Plus what?”

Alex gave a shy smile and glanced at Harry.

“Oh, here we go…” Harry muttered, but his lips were titling up at the side and there was humor in his eyes.

“What?” Matt asked.

Alex glanced down at her lap, pulling slightly on the hem of her skirt before looking back up at Matt. “Women kind of went nuts seeing Harry with Emma. I mean, I don’t usually look at the blogs and stuff but my friend Mia showed me at work a couple of days after the picture was published. They loved him with her. Looooooved it.”

Harry groaned. “She thinks it’s cute that all these women think it’s cute.”

Matt raised an eyebrow. “That’s…odd.”

Alex shrugged. “I don’t care. They like seeing Harry with children. The fact that it was my child and they were fawning over how cute they were together…”

“Gave you a little bit of pride, did it?” Matt asked knowingly.

Harry snorted. “A little bit?”

“Alright, you two! I know it’s insane, but I can’t help it,” Alex finally said in exasperation.

Matt laughed. “I’ve missed picking on you.”

“It’s easy, isn’t it?” Harry chimed in.

Alex threw up her hands, sighed loudly, and then leaned back into her seat, where Harry’s arm immediately found home around her shoulders as he chuckled along with Matt. She looked up at Harry and he winked at her.

She rolled her eyes. “This is how it’s going to be all week, isn’t it? I should have never introduced you two.”

**************

As Alex peeked around the door of Emma’s room she had to put her hand firmly over her mouth to stop the giggles from escaping her mouth.

Her older brother and her boyfriend were in the room with her daughter, having what they would later tell her was a very “manly” tea party.

But Alex witnessed the truth.

She saw the little plastic tiaras. She saw the feather boas. And she definitely saw how Emma made both Harry and Matt raise their pinky fingers in the air when they “drank” from their tea cups.

She wasn’t supposed to be in there, and certainly wasn’t supposed to be spying, so she stopped peeking and went back to what she was supposed to be doing, which was washing the dishes from their dinner.

She was just sliding the last plate into the dishwasher when she heard the movement in the doorway of the kitchen. She turned around and grinned when she saw Harry standing there, watching her with a smile on his lips.

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you that it isn’t polite to stare,” she teased him as she wiped her wet hands on a dishtowel.

He grinned at her words, at the throwback to their first date.

“That seems like so long ago, doesn’t it? Disney Princess movie night?” He remarked as he walked toward her.

She laughed. “It does sometimes. Others it seems like just yesterday. Where are Matt and Emma?”

“Emma’s wiped. Matt’s reading her a story,” Harry said softly as he moved in front of her. He leaned forward so his hands were on the counter on either side of her. Alex immediately moved her arms up around his neck, tilting her face to his.

“Thank you for today,” she murmured. Her lips were curved slightly, her eyes were bright, and her cheeks were flushed from the three glasses of wine she had consumed that night.

Harry almost groaned. “Don’t look at me like that, Alex.”

Her forehead knotted together. “Like what?”

“Like you want me to kiss you,” he whispered, he eyes darkening.

“I always want you to kiss me.” Her voice was soft, inviting.

He couldn’t resist her. He could never resist her. He was pulled to her…and so he went, dropping his lips to hers, pressing her into the counter with his hips.

She moaned.

He pressed harder.

And there they sat; on the edge of deepening the kiss and losing themselves in it or breaking it off, knowing it couldn’t go further than that tonight.

It was a double edged sword that neither of them could make the choice to pull out.

“Ahem.”

They jumped apart when Matt cleared his throat, both looking as guilty as teenagers.

Matt leaned against the door frame, his eyebrows raised. “Emma’s asleep.”

Alex laughed. “Thank you, Matthew.”

“No problem, Alexandra.”

Alex rolled her eyes when she realized that her brother wasn’t going to leave. He knew what he had interrupted and he was going to play the big brother card for all it’s worth.

“Why don’t you two go back into the living room? I’ll bring a bottle of wine and we can relax,” Alex said with a sigh.

“Actually,” Harry said, glancing at his watch. “It’s late and I have some work things tomorrow morning. I’m going to excuse myself and let you two catch up.”

Matt laughed. “I wasn’t trying to run you off.”

Harry grinned and shook his head. “I know, although I wouldn’t blame you if you were. I was planning to let you guys have some time to yourselves anyway.”

“Good deal. You’ll be back over tomorrow though right? And you’ll bring the Xbox?” Matt asked, as trace of excitement crossing his face at the thought of trying kick Harry’s ass at FIFA.

“Hell yeah, man,” Harry answered with a big smile.

Alex laughed. “You guys are terrible. Come on, Harry. I’ll walk you out.”

Harry went over and shook Matt’s hand, telling him once again how great it had been to meet him. Then Matt went back into the living room and Alex moved to the foyer with Harry to tell him goodnight.

After she had thoroughly kissed Harry goodnight and told him to think about that while he was sleeping alone tonight, bringing a groan and a dirty word from his lips, she pushed him out of the door with a wink and then she moved back into the living room to sit with Matt.

“Are you sure you don’t mind sleeping on the couch? You can always have my bed and I can go curl up with Emma?” she asked as she plopped down in a chair.

“Nah,” Matt said with a shake of his head. “The couch is good.”

Alex smiled. “Okay, as long as you’re comfortable.”

“I’ve slept on enough couches in my day,” he smirked.

“Oh God. I’m sure you have.”

Matt grinned, just staring at his sister for a few moments.

“What?” Alex asked. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Ha! Yeah…you do. It’s called being in love. It’s written all over your face.”

Alex blinked. “Well…I don’t usually hear you say things like that.”

“Well, I’ve never seen you like this.”

“What do you mean? You saw me with John…”

Matt shook his head. “No. This is nothing like with John. Sure, you loved him, but it was young, puppy love. The way you look at Harry, the way he looks at you…” Matt trailed off and took a deep breath.

“It’s intense,” Alex agreed. “It was intense from the start.”

Matt was quiet for a few moments. Alex could almost hear the wheels in his brain turning, processing, putting everything he had seen today together.

“I like him,” Matt said simply.

Alex took a deep breath at his words. It was his approval, his blessing, and it meant the world to her. She immediately reached over and hugged her brother, thanking him silently for it.

When she pulled back she grinned at him.

“What?” Matt said, his lips pulling up at the corners.

“He likes you too.”


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

“See, it’s the fact that you call it soccer and not the proper term of football that ensures that you will never beat me at this game.”

Harry and Matt had been locked in battle on the Xbox for over an hour. Harry was undeniably better at the game, although if he was honest, Matt was certainly giving him a run for his money. However, being incredibly competitive by nature, he wasn’t about to say that out loud.

Matt scoffed. “We only call it soccer because isn’t not manly enough to be called football.”

“Oh? You mean as opposed to American Football, which actually has almost next to nothing to do with feet?”

“We wear helmets. Manly,” Matt retorted, tapping his head to prove his point.

“Oh-kay,” Alex groaned, interrupting them. “I can’t listen to this anymore. I’m going to get ready for tonight. You boys have fun.”  
She stood from her chair and put her Kindle on the end table before moving in front of the two of them on her way from the living room.

Harry looked at his watch. “We’ve got two hours.”

Alex laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I use all that time wisely.” She laid her hand gently on Harry’s shoulder as she passed, offering him a wink when he looked up at her. He grinned and she moved off, letting the boys have their time. Emma was already at Molly’s for the night, so she knew as soon as she left the room they were going to get really into the nitty gritty of the game.

Sure enough, she hadn’t even made it down the hallway to her room when she heard the game start up again and the first curse word flew out of Matt’s mouth.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

*****************

“Knock, Knock,” Harry called into Alex’s room as he pushed the door open an hour and a half later.

“I’m in my closet,” she called back to him. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Okay. I’m just coming in to change,” he said, walking in with his garment bag. He shut the door behind him and went and laid his bag on the bed. He made quick work of getting changed; quickly getting out of his casual jeans and t-shirt and into a pair of beige slacks and white button down.

He was almost dressed, his belt was buckled, his shoes were on his feet, and he was just sliding on his jacket when Alex stepped from the closet.

Harry froze.

“Fuck.” The word tumbled from his mouth before he could stop it.

Alex bit her lip, fighting a smile born from pride at his reaction. “You like?”

A slow, sly grin spread across his lips as he recovered his motions, pulling his suit coat the rest of the way on, adjusting his broad shoulders in it. He surveyed her with appreciative eyes; the black shorts that showed off her fantastic legs, belted high on her waist where it met a black lacy top covering a light pink camisole underneath. Her hair was curled and one side was pulled back from her face. Her makeup wasn’t heavy, but it was just smoky enough, just sexy enough, to highlight her features perfectly.

“Alex…fuck…you know I do. You know you look…” he trailed off, not being able to find the right word.

“Nice?” she offered with a small, playful smile.

He smirked. She was teasing him. She knew that he thought that she looked much more than nice.

“Are you fishing for compliments, Alexandra?” He cocked an eyebrow.

She walked toward him, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. He couldn’t help as his eyes trailed down her body as she came closer, stopping to focus for a moment on her legs, looking long and lean against the silky material of her shorts.

“I don’t know Captain. What don’t you throw out some bait and we will see?”

Harry laughed and his eyes danced at her sass. It seemed that dressing up seem to bring it out even more than normal. He reached for her waist and pulled her up against him. “How about…”

His hands slide down from her waist, around to her backside, his fingers hot through the thin material covering her. She gasped at the contact.

“How about it’s going to take an act of Parliament to keep my hands off your ass tonight?”

“An act of Parliament or the fact that my brother will be with us,” Alex giggled.

Harry groaned. “Yeah, there’s that.”

Alex stuck her bottom lip out in a mock pout. “You poor baby.”

“Hmmm…” He leaned closer to her. “So do I get to stay over tonight? I missed you last night.”

“I missed you too,” she said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “But no; not with Matt here.”

“Come on…” It was Harry’s turn to pout. “I want to be with you tonight, baby. Besides…”

“Besides what?”

Harry shrugged. “We do it when Emma is here.”

Alex scoffed. “Yeah, when she’s dead asleep; and even then we have to lock the door and be quiet. And she doesn’t even know what we are doing in here. Matt would know.”

Harry grinned. “Alex, you have a kid. I’m pretty sure your brother knows that you’ve…”

“Nope,” Alex said quickly, moving a hand from around his neck and holding it up in front of her. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. “Don’t even say it.”

His lips pulled up at the corners. His eyes gleamed. “I’m sure he even suspects that we might even…I mean, he did walk us on in the kitchen last night.”

“Harry…”

“Yes baby?”

“It’s not going to happen.”

He laughed. “I know, love. And you know I’m okay with that, right?”

She grinned. “I do.”

He winked at her, dropped a quick kiss to her lips, and then gave her ass a firm smack, making her squeal. “Come on, Alexandra. Let’s get this show on the road.”

*****************

“So, do you get driven everywhere?” Matt asked Harry as they all slid into the waiting Range Rover.

Harry shrugged. “Mostly. Every once in a while, if I’ve been behaving, I’ll get a turn at the wheel here in the city. In the country though, I get quite a bit more freedom.”

Matt nodded. “It’s nice in theory, but constricting in reality, huh?”

“I’d say that’s a fair statement,” Harry said with a smirk. It amazed him how perceptive both Alex and Matt were.

The drive to the club was quick as it wasn’t far from Alex’s apartment. Zara called Harry while they were on their way and told him that her and Mike were already there, and judging from the paps already gathered near the entrance when they arrived, someone had tipped the press off when they saw Mike and Zara go inside. If there was even a chance that Alex and Harry could be there the press were all over it. It seemed that tonight was their lucky night.

As Harry had already given Matt the rundown on how to handle the paps in this situation, they were all prepared. With deep breaths they all exited the car, Harry first, holding on to Alex’s hand, followed by Matt with his hand at his sister’s back. They were in the club in seconds with only a few bright spots hanging in their vision.

Harry turned to Alex and Matt as soon as they were inside and away from the public eye. “You okay?” he asked both of them.

“Fine,” Matt said with a nod.

“Alex?” Harry asked, his eyes soft as they searched hers.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. “I’m great.”

The tension visibly left Harry’s shoulders and his playful smile was firmly back in place. “Fantastic.”

A club hostess appeared then to show them to the VIP area, confirming that Zara and Mike were already there waiting. When they arrived at the table Mike and Zara both stood up with friendly smiles and Harry made quick work of introducing everyone.

Alex and Zara were the last to be introduced and Zara immediately pushed the boys out of the way, giving Alex a big hug and an even bigger smile.

“I’m so glad I finally get to meet you,” Zara said excitedly when she pulled back. “I was beginning to think you must be a figment of my cousin’s imagination until I met that adorable tyke of yours the other day.”

“Hey now,” Harry called from the table, where he was pulling a beer from the bucket there. “What’s this I hear about a figment of my imagination?”

Zara rolled her eyes and ignored him.

Alex laughed. “No, I’m afraid I’m very much real. And thank you for giving Emma a riding lesson last week. That was so sweet of you and she hasn’t stopped talking about it. I think I’m going to start her on lessons soon.”

The two ladies moved into the booth then, leaving the boys to their own devices.

“No, no…let me work with her,” Zara said quickly as she arranged herself in the booth. She turned and smiled at Alex. “I mean, if that’s okay with you?”

Alex grinned. “Really? I mean, that would be wonderful. Emma would just love that.”

“Fantastic,” Zara said as she clapped her hands together. “She a natural on a horse, Alex.”

“Well, I’m glad,” Alex said with a laugh. “Because I’ve had her in dance lessons and I think she has been giving her instructor some major anxiety. Last week I was early to pick her up, so I slipped in to watch the end of the class. And there was my daughter, hanging upside down on the bars while the other girls were daintily pointing their toes.”

Zara cracked up at the image, drawing the attention of the boys.

“What?” Mike asked, his eyes moving from his Alex to his wife.

Zara winked at him. “Nothing, babe. Just go back to trying to convince our new American friend that Rugby is better than American Football.”

Mike flashed a crooked grin at his wife and then did as he was told, drawing the men back into a heated debate.

It wasn’t too long after that before Beatrice and Dave arrived and joined the group. After being introduced to Matt they took their places, Dave sliding in beside Harry and Bea moving to slide in beside Zara, moving Alex further towards the center of the booth.

“Where’s Charlotte?” Bea asked as she set her clutch down on the table.

“She texted me and said she would be here in about ten minutes,” Alex said.

“Great,” Bea said excitedly, doing a little happy dance in her seat.

As the conversation continued around the table for the next few minutes, Alex couldn’t help but sit back and watch for second, taking it all in.

Her life had completely changed in the past six months. She had been content before, when it was just her and Emma, but now…now she had Harry and everything that he brought to her life with him. His family had welcomed her, brought her in, and she felt so at ease with all of them around her. For the first time in a very long time her life felt…full.

She looked up and glanced at Harry then and smiled softly when she realized that his eyes were already trained on her, a soft, proud smile on his lips as if he could read her thoughts. She smiled right back at him, holding his heated gaze with hers.

“Sorry everyone!”

Charlotte’s voice broke their moment as she called out to the group, hurrying to the table. “I couldn’t get out of work.”

“You had to work on Saturday?” Mike called out.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at Harry. “Yeah, my boss is a real asshole.”

“Hey,” Harry said, pointing the neck of his beer bottle at her. “I pay you a fuck-ton of money. Suck it up.”

“True,” Charlotte said with a shrug as she slid in the booth next to Bea, pushing the other girls further in. Alex moved over closer to Matt to make room. She grinned up at her brother and bumped her shoulder into his as she moved in next to him.

“So she works for Harry?” Matt asked, nodding slightly towards Charlotte.

Alex took a sip of her drink and nodded. “She does. She’s in charge of his charities.”

Matt grinned and leaned a little bit closer. “She’s hot.”

Alex laughed and patted his arm. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

“Well, the least you could do would be to introduce me.”

“Sorry, you’re right,” Alex said with a shake of her head before she turned away from Matt. “Charlotte,” she called across the table.

Charlotte turned and smiled at her. “Alex, you look stunning.”

“You know,” Alex said with a small laugh, “for such a sarcastic bitch, you sure are heavy with the compliments.”

Charlotte winked at her. “Only for people I like…or if I’m trying to get money out of them for your boyfriend over there.”

“Anyway,” Alex drawled out. “Charlotte, this is my brother Matt,” she motioned next to her. “And Matt, this is my dear friend Charlotte.”

**************

“Now, what are you doing over here all by yourself?” Alex asked Harry as she slid into the empty booth next to him. She looked up at him, loving the way he looked right now; eyes slightly fuzzy, and cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol.

“I’m watching,” he said. She leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her. His thumb immediately began stroking her shoulder, making goosebumps appear on her soft skin.

“Watching what?”

“You…mostly.”

“Ha. Mostly? What else has captured your attention?” Alex teased.

He grinned and motioned with his beer bottle to the bar to the right of them.

She followed his line of sight and her eyes crinkled together in confusion. “Matt and Charlotte?”

He nodded. “I think your brother is trying to get lucky.”

Alex giggled. “He did say she was hot.”

“I think you’re hot,” Harry murmured in her ear. One of his hands slid over to her bare thigh and he squeezed it in his palm.

She reached up and ran her fingers down the lapel on his jacket, tugging slightly and pulling him closer to her. “I think you are…unf.”

He laughed. “More than Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing?”

She nodded slowly.

His eyes glanced towards the bar again. “So what are your odds?”

She blinked, confused. “What?”

“What chance do you think that Matt will convince Charlotte to take him home?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Charlotte is not going to take my brother home.”

Harry raised his eyebrows. “Really? How much do you want to bet?”

“Five pounds?” she said playfully.

Harry shook his head, laughing lightly. “Alex, come on. Five pounds? How about this? If Matt goes home with Charlotte, then I get to go home with you.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “And if he doesn’t?”

He shrugged. “Then I don’t; same as before.”

She grinned. “As much as I would love to have you at my apartment tonight, Wales; you aren’t going to win this one. There is no way…”

“Actually…” Harry drawled, interrupting her. He motioned with his head towards the bar where Matt and Charlotte had been standing.

Alex turned, her eyes searching for them. “They aren’t there. Where’d they go?”

“They walked out the door together two minutes ago.” Harry grinned. It was full of cockiness and a hint of the pride that comes with winning.

Alex turned and caught his grin. “You are such a shit.”

Harry shouted with laughter and he hugged her closer.

“And I love you too, Alexandra.”

*****************

The next morning Alex was in her kitchen with Harry, still in pajamas, still with mussed hair and satisfied smiles from the night before, when they heard the front door open and close.

Matt appeared in the doorway shortly after, wearing much the same look has Harry and Alex.

“Good morning, Matthew,” Alex smirked, folding her arms over her chest.

Matt grinned and came and sat down at the table, pouring himself some coffee from the carafe Alex had placed there. “Howdy.”

Harry snickered into his coffee cup. “He said ‘Howdy’; it must have been a good night.”

Alex groaned and rolled her eyes. “You two are ridiculous.”


	30. Chapter Thirty

Matt, Emma, and Alex spent a fun filled week together. When Alex was at work, Matt took Emma to do some touristy things, including a special private tour of Buckingham Palace that Harry had arranged. When Alex didn’t have to be at the office, she joined them and they played in the park, went shopping, and grabbed meals at all the favorite restaurants that Alex had discovered during the years she had spent living in London. Harry was starting engagements again that week, so he was busy, but he joined them whenever he could, as he loved spending time with all of them.

The weekend came quickly and soon enough Harry was picking them up to drive out to the country and to the polo club. He had been given the okay to drive, so Alex sat up front with him while Matt and Emma were in the backseat. They all chattered away and listened to Harry as he pointed out landmarks and told little stories about the towns they passed through.

As they got closer though, Alex could feel the anxiety creeping up on her. She knew there would be press there as Harry was playing. While she had accepted that she would be photographed, and Matt seemed to brush it off with no problem, she was still undeniably nervous about Emma being captured on film and the pictures published.

When they pulled up to the polo club in Tetbury and all slid from the car, Harry could tell something was up with Alex. She had faded into silence within the last half an hour and she alternating between wringing her hands together and wiping her hands on the skirt of her dress.

“Hey Matt,” Harry said quickly as they got out of the car.

“Yeah?”

“Can you and Emma give me and Alex a second?”

Matt glanced over at his sister, who was so lost in thought she hadn’t even heard the exchange. “Sure,” he said with a nod. “Come on Em, let’s go see if we can find some horses,” Matt said with a smile at Emma. Emma quickly agreed and, taking her uncle’s hand, they moved off to give Alex and Harry a moment.

“Hey,” Harry called to Alex as he walked around the car towards her. Her attention snapped from wherever it had been and her eyes focused on him. He had to give her credit; she gave a valiant effort to look like she wasn’t worried about something. He knew better though. “You okay?” he asked her softly as he moved in front of her.  
She smiled. It was tight and he could see the lines of worry about her mouth. “I’m okay,” she said, taking a deep breath.

“Care to tell me the truth, Alexandra?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.

She peered at him for a second before she finally gave a resigned sigh. “There will be photographers here today.”

Harry nodded. “We talked about that.”

“Emma will be in the pictures. There is no way around it. They will be published, I know they will. Just…just tell me why I shouldn’t worry again?”

Harry’s eyes softened. “Oh love, come here.” He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms about her waist. She moved her hands to his arms and looked up at him, waiting for him to talk. “You shouldn’t worry because this is a safe, happy environment for Emma to be in. The pictures will show that. We have friends here, we have family here. Emma will be surrounded by people that know and love her. And…”

“And what?” she asked softly, her hands moving up to his shoulders, her body moving a touch closer to his.

He took a deep breath. “And you don’t have to worry because I would never put Emma in a situation where she wasn’t completely safe. Never.”

Alex closed her eyes for a moment, absorbing his words. She took a deep breath and when she opened her eyes again the tension and worry were gone, eased away by Harry’s words and her complete trust in him.

“Okay. Okay…I’m good,” she finally said with a soft, happy smile. She moved to slip from his arms and go to Emma and Matt.

“Wait, one more thing,” Harry murmured, tightening his arms around her. She raised her eyebrows and his lips tilted as he leaned down close to her ear. “You look beautiful today. I am so damn proud you are with me that I can barely keep a stupid grin from my face. And I love you. I love you so very much, Alexandra.”

She couldn’t help the huge smile that lit up her face as he pulled back and looked at her. “I love you too, Harry. And thank you.”

He winked. “You’re very welcome, love. Now, are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Fantastic.”

Taking her hand he turned and found Matt and Emma, standing off to the side a bit chatting and waiting for them.

“Everything okay?” Matt asked once Harry and Alex had made their way over.

Alex grinned. “It is now,” she said brightly. “You guys didn’t find any horses?”

“Nah. They are all inside. Didn’t want to go in without you,” Matt answered.

Alex held out her hand for Emma, who immediately took it, moving in next to her mom. “What do you think Emma? You ready to go in and watch Harry play?”

“I’m ready to see the horses,” Emma said pertly.

“Oh!” Harry moaned, clutching his heart. “Tossed aside for the horses.”

“What?” Emma asked, bewildered. “They’re pretty.”

There was laughter from the three adults and Harry shook his head. “Yes Em, they are very pretty. Let’s go find you one.”

Harry led them all inside, nodding at people as they passed. Alex didn’t know if they were acquaintances or if he was just being his eternally polite self, but either way, she kept a polite smile on her face as well, making eye contact with everyone that he did. When they arrived at the tent, Harry introduced both Matt and Alex to the tent host and then asked if they wanted to go see the horses he would be riding while he got changed and started warming up.

Alex was about to agree when she spotted Charlotte across the tent talking to several people. She grinned.

“Actually, I’m going to go talk to Charlotte for a few.” She nodded her head in that direction and definitely did not miss the way Matt’s eyes immediately looked, searching in the direction Alex has nodded. He smirked a bit when he saw her and then looked back at Alex with a wink. Alex rolled her eyes but laughed. “And I’m going by myself,” she added.

Matt’s smirked. “Fine.”

Harry shook his head. “Alright guys, this way,” he said with a chuckle. He leaned over and kissed Alex on the cheek before moving away with Matt and Emma.

Alex watched them go with a content smile for a second before turned towards Charlotte’s end of the tent, weaving her way through the small crowd. The group of people Charlotte was talking to was stepping away and she was just taking a sip of champagne as Alex came up behind her.

“Well hello, Stranger.”

Charlotte jumped, startled, and turned to Alex, narrowing her eyes when she saw who it was. She daintily wiped spilled champagne from her chin with her napkin.

“Did I scare you?” Alex asked, her eyes dancing and her lips pulling up at the corners.

“Oh fuck. Just stop it right now,” Charlotte groaned with a roll of her eyes.

Alex held her hands out in front of her, fingers spread. “What? I didn’t say anything.”

Charlotte snorted. “You want to though.”

Alex grinned. She couldn’t help it. “So…should I start planning your wedding now?”

“Stop.”

“What would you like? Big church wedding or a small destination affair?”

“You are out of your mind.”

“Neither? City Hall?”

“Oh for Christ’s sake, Alex.”

“I’m just saying. I know his family. They are nice people.”

“That’s it; I’m walking away now and leaving your ass alone in this tent,” Charlotte muttered.

Alex saw Charlotte’s lips twitching though and she giggled. “That’s fine; leave me here. You can go talk to Harry.” She stopped and pointed to where Harry was out on the grass. “He’s right over there, with Matt and Emma.”

Charlotte’s eyes snapped to where Alex was pointing. “Oh shit. He’s still here?”

Alex laughed. “Yes.”

Charlotte drained her glass of champagne. “Fuck.”

Alex grabbed two more glasses of champagne from a waiter, passing one to Charlotte. “Why do you say that?”

“Why do I say fuck?”

Alex nodded and took a sip of champagne.

“Because it was a one night stand and I didn’t plan on seeing him again.”

“Charlotte, relax. It’s not like you have to sleep with him again.”

Charlotte slid her gaze to Matt out on the grass laughing with Harry about something before looking back at Alex. “Yeah…I’m gonna sleep with him again.”

“But we’re going to Highgrove tonight.”

Charlotte laughed. “Yep. So am I.”

Alex’s forehead knotted. “I’m so lost.”

“Harry invited me to Highgrove, Alex. It makes sense; the cousins and some of the friends who come to the Polo matches sometimes go to Highgrove for the night after a match and make use of ‘Club H’…for old time’s sake. That shithead invited me and conveniently made it sound like your brother had gone home.”

Alex blinked. “Okay…while there are about seven things I don’t understand about that explanation, let’s start with this; why would Harry make it seem like Matt had left?”

“Ha! My guess is that your brother told him that he asked to take me out while he was in London. To which I promptly told him it was a one night thing and under no circumstances would I be seeing him again. So, he came up with a plan to help his buddy out.” She stopped and took a deep breath, glancing out to the field once again. “Oh well. Fuck it. It was the best sex I’ve had in…forever. Magic, magic hands. And his mouth…”

“EW!” Alex squealed. She clapped her hand over her mouth when several people turned to look.

“And now you understand,” Charlotte said, cocking an eyebrow.

Alex shuddered, trying to get the visual out of her head. “Understand what?”

Charlotte leaned closer, a smirk firmly in place on her lips. “How I feel when you talk about Harry like that.”

Alex’s eyes widened and then she shuddered again. “Oh God. Never again. I promise.”

************

Harry had assembled quit the cheering squad on the sidelines. In addition to Alex, Emma, Matt, and Charlotte, Mike and Zara joined the group along with Harry’s cousin Peter, his wife Autumn, and their two little girls Savannah and Isla. Peter and Autumn were the last of the adult cousins for Alex to meet, so she was delighted that they were there and she instantly liked both of them. They were friendly, welcoming, and they both had a warm air about them. Their little girls were darling and Alex talked with Autumn for quite a while, comparing little girl stories.

When the match finally started the group situated themselves on blankets spread out on the grass, and when the riders trotted out onto the field Alex spotted Harry instantly and beamed with pride. He looked incredibly happy and incredibly…sexy…on that horse.

“There he is Mummy! There’s Harry!” Emma shouted when she spotted him as well, waving her finger wildly in his direction. Her excitement drew good natured laughter from the group and a grin and a wink from Harry.

Alex watched the first part of the match intensely, and for once in her life, Emma sat still and in Alex’s lap for longer than five minutes and did the same.

When the riders took their first break to change out their horses, Emma’s attention span had waned and she climbed from Alex’s lap and ran off to Matt’s area on the blanket, throwing her arms around his neck and giggling when he tickled her before settling her on the blanket between him and Charlotte.

“So, how are you enjoying everything?”

Alex turned toward the voice, the accent that was so much like her own, and smiled when she saw Autumn there.

“It’s wonderful. This is my first polo match, but it’s been so fun,” Alex said, stretching her legs out on the blanket in front of her and smoothing down her skirt.

Autumn grinned. “It should be more popular in North America, shouldn’t it?”

“Absolutely. I’ll get my brother to work on that back home,” Alex cracked, nodding her head towards Matt.

Autumn laughed and looked out to the pitch for a moment before turning back to Alex. “How about everything else that comes with dating Harry? The press, the interest in your private life, the family…”

“Well…” Alex began, taking a deep breath. “It’s actually been okay. It’s something I almost feel removed from sometimes. I don’t read the articles or look any of it up online. The magazines are just starting to print pictures, and of course I see the covers…but it’s not worth it to pick it up and see what they say. And as for the family…” she drawled, mimicking Autumn’s tone, causing a giggle to pass between the two women. “Everyone has been…completely amazing. I feel like everyone I’ve met has welcomed me with wide open arms, no questions asked.”

Autumn nodded. “Surprised?”

Alex thought for a moment. “Honestly, and this is going to sound like such crap, but I didn’t really worry about it. I had a moment of weirdness literally thirty seconds before I met Charles and Kate, but other than that…it all just kept happening so fast I didn’t stop to think about it.”

“It doesn’t sound like crap,” Autumn said softly. “It sounds like a young woman who has more things to think about than what she’ll say to impress her boyfriend’s family, even if it is this family. I think the reason you’ve fallen into step so well with this group is that you are an extremely confident and strong woman, and you really can’t be anything other than that if you are going to be part of this.” She stopped and grinned, glancing back towards a laughing Emma. “Plus, that little one of yours, she’s got Windsor sass written all over her. I can’t wait until Philip gets to meet her.”

Alex blinked. “Philip…as in…”

“Philip as in Harry’s grandfather, yes,” Autumn grinned.

Alex let out a breath. “And here I just got through telling you that I didn’t worry about meeting any of the family.”

Autumn let out a soft chuckle. “Oh look, you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t get at least a little nervous about meeting Grandfather and Granny. But honestly, you’ll do fine…whenever the time comes.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence,” Alex said sincerely.

Autumn smiled and winked at her and then then their attention was drawn back to the pitch as the riders came back on. Alex spotted Harry and he looked over to her, offering her a grin before moving into position, looking confident and ready to win.

***********

Harry’s team did win. And after the Winner’s Trophy had been presented the first thing that Harry did was bound over to where Alex was, standing with Emma and talking to Zara while the group all waited to congratulate him.

Emma spotted him first and broke free from Alex, running towards Harry, ready to throw her arms around him. He laughed and bent down to halt her, his hands gently wrapping around her arms before she could launch herself at him.

“Hold on Em, I’m all sweaty and dirty. Your mum would skin me alive if I got that new dress you’re wearing covered in this mess,” he chuckled.

She looked down at her dress and her eyes got wide when she realized the mistake she almost made. “Yeah, she would be maaaaaad.”

Harry shouted his laughter and then took Emma’s hand, leading her back over to Alex.

As Alex watched him come toward her, she was almost shocked at how suddenly lust for him in that moment washed over her. He was hot, sweaty, and dirty; but full of swagger, confidence, and elation from his win. And the fact that he looked so perfectly at ease and normal holding onto Emma like he was…she just wished more than anything at that moment that they were alone and she could find a wall to shove him up against and have her way with him. But they weren’t alone; there were hundreds of people, his family, and of course the press watching them at that moment.

But when he stopped in front of her and offered her that huge boyish grin her fingers literally itched to reach up into that sweaty mess of red hair and pull his lips crashing against hers.

Of course, Harry saw it written all over her face and he wasn’t about to let that look go to waste.

“Congratulations,” she said with a big smile and a soft voice.

“That’s all I get? Just congratulations?” he teased her. He knew she wanted to plant one on him, and at that moment he didn’t give a fuck who was watching.

She smirked. “Oh…I thought you already got a kiss from the woman who presented the trophy?”

He raised his eyebrows in a silent challenge. “If you’re okay with that being the only kiss I get…”

It didn’t even take half a second before she was stepping closer to him, moving her hand to the back of his neck, and pulling his head down to press her lips quickly, but solidly, to his before moving back to let the others in the group in to congratulate him.

And with that, the world had its first picture of Prince Harry of Wales kissing his beautiful, American born girlfriend Alexandra Morgan. The kicker though, the piece of this picture that made it instantly iconic, was the little blonde headed girl, her little hand firmly tucked into Harry’s, looking up at her mother and the Prince with complete adoration on her face.

With that, once the congratulations had been given and Harry confirmed just who would be joining them at Highgrove, they were moving back to the cars to begin the drive over.

And although Alex had thought the weekend had been amazing so far, it was certainly nothing compared to what Highgrove had in store for them.


	31. Chapter Thirty One

“I didn’t realize how close Highgrove is to the Polo club,” Alex said as Harry steered the car up the long driveway into his father’s country home. She had expected a half-hour drive, but it had only taken them about ten minutes to get there.

Harry grinned over at her. “It’s convenient, no?”

“Very,” she answered as he pulled up in front of the stately, ivy covered building and came to a stop. Harry jumped from the car and went around to open the doors for his girls. Matt had sweet talked his way into riding with Charlotte, who was pulling up behind them on the drive right then. Mike and Zara would be along shortly, but Peter and Autumn had decided to opt out. Little Savannah wasn’t feeling well and they had decided to go ahead and take her home to rest.

Emma jumped from the car when Harry opened the door and stared up in amazement at the house. “It’s so big!” she exclaimed, turning her eyes up to Alex.

“It is rather large,” she agreed with a laugh.

Emma whipped her head around to Harry. “Does this house have a swimming pool?”  
Harry laughed. “It does, in fact, have a swimming pool, Emma. Did you pack a swimsuit?”

Emma’s head whipped back around to Alex who winked at her and nodded in the affirmative. “Yay!” Emma squealed, clapping her hands. “Can we swim right now?”

Harry looked at Alex who shrugged. “I’m your time table here,” she said lightly.

“Ha!” Harry grinned. “Emma, I think that was a yes. Let’s get our things inside and then we will see what we can do about getting changed and into the pool.”

Of course, when Harry said they needed to get their things inside, he meant that his team and the head of the household staff that came out to greet him would take care of it. Alex wasn’t sure if she would ever get used to things just being done for you, but it wasn’t like she had a choice in the matter, so she decided to just go with it.

Matt clapped his hands and rubbed them together as him and Charlotte walked up next to them. “What’s going on? Why is Emma bouncing like a bunny over here?”

“Because we are going swimming Uncle Matt!” Emma shouted, bouncing even higher.

“We are?” he asked with a grin as he leaned over to tickle her. “Are you going to let me race you?”

“Duhhhh,” Emma drawled with a roll of her eyes. “We always race and I always win.”

Matt stuck his bottom lip out in a mock pout. “You can’t let me win just once?”

“No way,” Emma said, completely serious. “I’m going to beat you and Harry.”

“Hold on now,” Harry interjected. “That’s not fair! I just got done playing in a very intense polo match. What if I’m very tired, and therefore at a disadvantage?”

Emma just looked at him for a moment and then shrugged. “Too bad for you.”

The group all cracked up with laughter and Harry winked at Emma. “Good point,” he said with a bright smile. He then turned and motioned towards the front door. “Alright everyone, let’s get inside and get this show on the road.”

**************

About a half hour after they had arrived, they all made it out to the pool. It was late afternoon, the weather was beautiful, and they all had every intention of enjoying it.

Harry and Matt were in the middle of the pool with Emma; racing each other and then taking turns tossing Emma in the air.

“Well one thing is for sure,” Alex said, nodding towards the trio in the water. “Emma will go down hard tonight. They are wearing her out.”

Charlotte peered at them. “How do they have so much energy all the time? I mean, I consider myself a fairly on-the-go individual, but those two…”

Alex smirked. “I know. We should figure out whatever it is, bottle it, and sell it. We would make a fortune.”

“Harry has always been like that. Always,” Charlotte said. “Has Matt?”

“God yes,” Alex laughed. “He’s only a year older than me, but I honestly think out parents were already worn out when I was born.”

Harry turned towards the two of them then, having just tossed a laughing Emma into the air and crashing into the water. Grinning at them, he quickly made his way over, splashing water everywhere as he moved excitedly. Alex laughed as he leaned forward and placed a wet kiss on her lips once he reached them.

“What are you ladies gossiping about?” he asked teasingly.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “What makes you think we were gossiping?”

Harry smirked and squinted into the late afternoon sun. “Fine. Then what were you doing?”

Alex couldn’t help the snort that escaped. Charlotte whipped her head around, narrowing her eyes. “Traitor.”

“Ha!” Harry called out, pointing a finger between the two of them. “Gossiping.”

Just then Mike and Zara arrived on the pool deck, already dressed in swimwear with towels in hand.

“Okay everyone, we’re here. The fun can start now,” Mike shouted to the group in the water.

Everyone chorused their hellos to Mike and Zara, including Emma, who totally abandoned playtime with Matt to go straight to Zara when she stepped into the water.

“Zara!”

“Emma!” Zara called back, laughing as Emma threw her arms around her waist.

Mike’s entrance into the water was less subtle than Zara’s. He immediately ran to the diving board and did a huge cannonball right into the deep end, creating a huge splash and sending waves throughout the pool. When he came up, Matt instantly challenged him to a cannonball contest and recruited a groaning Charlotte as the judge.

Taking advantage of a brief moment alone with Alex, Harry moved in next to her on the stairs and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her to his side.

“Hi,” he grinned at her.

“Hi yourself,” she smiled back, leaning into him.

“So, what were you two ladies gossiping about?” he asked, playfully cocking an eyebrow at her.

“Ha! Do you really think I’m going to tell you?”

His responding grin was cheeky as could be. “Um…yes?”

She shook her head slowly. “I’m not. Girl talk is girl talk. However…” she trailed off, looking at him meaningfully.

“What?”

“We can talk about how you tricked Charlotte into thinking that Matt had already gone home when you invited her here.”

Harry gave her a grimace of a smile. “Am I in trouble?”

Alex laughed. “No, you aren’t in trouble. I am, however, a little bit in awe of your matchmaking capabilities, you big softie.”

“Hey, I’m happy. I want everyone to be happy.” His eyes danced as he said the words and Alex knew that while he was telling the truth, that wasn’t his reasoning.

“Sure, sure,” Alex nodded, patting his knee. “Or you wanted to help my brother get laid again.”

Harry shouted his laughter. “Come on, Alex. You know that isn’t me. No, really…” he stopped and chuckled. “You know how Charlotte is just a little bit high strung?”

“Yeah…” Alex drawled, not knowing where he was going with that.

“Well, this past week…she has been remarkably relaxed. I mean, she’s still a ball buster, but for once she didn’t annoy the shit out of me while I was in the office.”

Alex narrowed her eyes. “If you are telling me that you did this for yourself…”

Harry chuckled. “No, Alexandra. I did this for the greater good.”

“You are ridiculous,” she snickered.

“You think so.”

Alex nodded firmly, but she couldn’t help how her lips twitched at the corners.

“You are right. I am ridiculous. Ridiculously in love with you,” he responded teasingly. And then, before she knew what was happening, he had kissed her quickly and then was picking her up in his arms and from the water.

“What are you doing?” she squealed.

He carried her easily around the side of the pool towards the deep end. “You are going to join the cannonball contest.”

“Harry…” she said in a low voice. “You are going to throw me in aren’t you?”

He lifted his eyebrows. “Depends; do you still think I’m ridiculous?”

She didn’t even miss a beat. “Absolutely.”

Harry’s eyes danced as he stepped up to the diving board, Alex firmly in his arms.

“Alright everyone,” he announced to the group. “You officially have a new entry in the cannonball contest; Miss Alexandra Morgan.”

Alex laughed as a cheer rang out from the pool.

“Now Charlotte,” Harry called. “I expect that she be judged fairly.”

“That’s why you pay me the big bucks, boss,” she called back, earning a chorus of groans and “no fairs” from Mike and Matt.

Harry stepped to the end of the board. “Ready to take it back yet?”

Alex shook her head slowly; a teasing smile on her lips. “Never”

Harry grinned. He had expected no less.

He launched her without warning and she flew into the air, squealing, before falling towards the water. She barely remembered to hold her nose before she hit the surface and sank below.

She came up laughing and pushed the hair from her eyes just in time to spot Charlotte throwing her arms in the air.

“And we have a winner folks!”

*****************

Alex was right, Emma was worn out. Alex barely got her out of her swimsuit and into her pajamas before Emma’s eyes started sliding shut. Alex tucked her daughter into bed, kissed her goodnight, and then moved quietly from the room and across the hall into Harry’s room.

She heard the shower running and smiled to herself. She opened the bathroom door quietly and quickly pulled her swimsuit off before opening the door to the big glass shower and stepping in behind him. He turned immediately, having heard the door and felt the cool air rush in.

“Can I join? She asked softly.

He smiled. It was full of the swagger and confidence that appeared on his face whenever he knew they were about to get intimate. She loved that he did that; loved that she knew that he did that.

“Of course,” he said huskily, pulling her under the hot water with him.

She ran her hands up his chest and wound them around his neck. “Harry…” she murmured, her eyes flashing up to his.

He wrapped his arms around her, his body igniting as it always did when she was close. “Hmmm?”

“I’ve wanted to push you against a wall and do very, very dirty things to you ever since you walked off the polo field today.”

He sucked in a breath. “Well, we are alone now…”

“We are,” she agreed, her voice husky.

He lowered his head so that his lips were almost touching hers. “But we may be late for dinner,” he teased.

Her eyes grew dark, her face flushed. “Will you lose your place in line for the throne if we are late for dinner?”

His shoulders shook with laughter and his eyes danced as he looked down at her. “No, I’d say my place in line to the throne would not be affected one bit.”

Alex grinned and then she pushed him right up against the shower wall and finally got to have her way with him.

*************

“So this is the infamous ‘Club H’?” Alex asked as the group wandered into the basement later that evening. They had all enjoyed a relaxed supper and were now ready to have some drinks a little bit of fun.

Harry grinned cheekily. “Well, it’s not quite the same as it was in its glory days. The bar is much more well stocked now.”

Charlotte snorted. “It’s not like it was lacking back then.”

“Oh come on, Charlotte,” Harry called. “We always had a blast at the parties down here.”

She nodded, moving further into the room to the bar, pulling out bottles and glasses to start off with some drinks. “We did. Until someone had to go and ruin it when they got caught smoking pot.”

Harry shrugged. “I was excellent at being a stupid teenager, but never very good at being sneaky about it.”

“I still don’t know why everyone made such a big deal about that whole thing,” Zara said as she pulled Mike over to one of the big comfy couches and sank down into it. “You were young and it was just pot. I mean, I can hardly think of anyone who didn’t try it at least once.”

Matt snickered from the chair he had relaxed into. “I can. My sister.”

That didn’t surprise anyone in the room one little bit. Alex raised her eyebrows at them all. “Do you all see me as a goody-goody?”

There was a moment of silence and then Mike was the first to speak up. “Yep.”

“You are a goody-goody,” Matt said with a laugh as Charlotte brought him over a drink.

Alex shook her head and turned to Harry. “And you?”

“Oh no; don’t you bring me into this,” he warned with wide eyes and a smirk of a smile.

“Why not? You know me better than anyone here besides Matt.”

Harry’s lips tilted as he tried to hold back his laughter. “You are absolutely right. I do know you better. I also know you differently. Which is why my opinion on this particular subject doesn’t count.”

“Of course it counts.”

Harry shook his head with a smirk. “Nope. Not here.”

Alex opened her mouth but shut it quickly, knowing she wouldn’t pull anything from him. She suspected it had to do with everyone around them and so she didn’t push. Instead she just threw up her hands. “Fine. Since you all think I’m such a goody-goody, somebody make me a shot. I’m getting drunk. Goody-goodies do not get drunk.”

Laughter rang throughout the room and Harry moved to the bar to do what she asked. He made a round for everyone and they all toasted and drank them down.

The night moved along, as did the conversation. Drinks were poured freely. Harry turned on the music and it hummed lightly through the surround sound, creating a fun, casual atmosphere. They all told stories about each other, most of which were highly embarrassing and had probably been embellished on over the years.

By the time that Harry leaned over into Alex’s ear and asked her in a hushed tone if she wanted to accompany him on a walk somewhere, she was more than a little tipsy and her cheeks were flushed from all of the laughter.

She nodded her agreement and without and explanation to the others, Harry took her hand and began to lead her from the room.

“There they go again!” Mike hollered when they were almost to the stairs. “Late for dinner and now scooting out early.”

“Mike,” Zara said, slapping him on the arm and throwing him a look.

“What?” he asked. “I didn’t say it like it was a bad thing.”

Harry chuckled at the exchange but Alex halted and turned around, striding all the way back into the room.

“Oh shit,” Matt mumbled. He was the only one in the entire room who had ever seen Alex get really, really mad, and he was almost sure that is what was about to happen.

“Just so y’all know,” Alex sassed, directing her gaze around the room. “I smoked pot when I was sixteen.”

There was dead silence.

“No you did not,” Matt finally called, firmly shaking his head.

She nodded. “I did. I smoked pot, got incredibly high, ate an entire bag of Cheetos and passed out.”

Matt’s face broke into a wide grin. “That’s why you don’t like Cheetos?”

“Yep,” Alex confirmed with a nod of her head. Then she turned on her heel and strode from the room, followed by a slightly shocked, but also slightly impressed Harry.

It was just when they hit the top of the stairs that they heard a chorus of laughter break out below. Alex couldn’t help herself and started to giggle; her shoulders shaking and tears forming in her eyes.

“They all looked so shocked,” she finally managed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Harry, who had been biting back the laughter himself, reached for her, cupping his face in her hands. “I love you. You never fail to surprise me.”

“Does it really shock you that I smoked pot?” she asked, the giggles overtaking her again.

He shook his head, a playful smile on his lips. “No. It’s just…that’s what I meant when I said I didn’t see you as a goody-goody. You’re feisty and sassy and sexy…but sometimes they don’t see that. I understand that. But, I always see it.”

“Harry…” she said softly, her lips curving up into a sweet smile at his words.

He leaned over and gave her a soft, sweet kiss and then pulled back and reached for her hand. He tugged on it and started to pull her through the quiet house. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” she asked as they moved through the quiet rooms.

“You’ll see,” he said with a secretive smile.

They reached the back door and Harry opened it, motioning for her to go out in front of him. He kept eye contact with her and winked as she moved past him. He closed the door behind them and they moved out into the warm night. He took her hand in his again, bringing it up to kiss her palm softly before threading his fingers through hers. Instead of letting their hands swing down together, he pulled hers up against his chest, holding it there as they walked.

“These gardens are amazing,” Alex breathed, taking in everything as they moved slowly through the famous Highgrove gardens. “Your father has done such…I mean…just wow.”

Harry smiled down at her as he watched her eyes travel over everything. “I wish he was here with Camilla this weekend to give you the guided tour. I don’t know all of the names of everything.”

“We will have to come again soon when they are here,” she responded softly.

“Hmmmm,” he agreed with a contented smile, squeezing her hand.

They walked in comfortable silence for a few more minutes until finally Harry stopped and nodded into the dark. “We’re here.”

Alex squinted as they moved closer and then she saw where they were going. Her face lit up into a huge smile.

“A treehouse?”

“My treehouse. Well, I had to share it with Will of course; but you get the picture,” he smirked as he pulled her towards the tree. He offered his hand when she went to step up onto the ladder, but she shooed him away.

“I’ve got this. I’ve climbed plenty of trees – without ladders – in my time,” she sassed.

He chuckled and waved her on. “Sorry love; by all means, go for it.”

Alex winked at him and then started climbing, making it quickly to the top. She moved off to the side on the little deck that surrounded the entire tree house to wait for Harry. When he made it, she smiled at him haughtily and crossed her arms over her chest.

“What?” he asked with an amused smile.

“Could you have taken any longer? I’m sure I had you beat by at least three seconds.”

His lips twitched. “And you always wonder where Emma gets her need to race everyone at everything?”

Alex threw back her head in laughter. “Oh my God. I never thought about it, but you are completely right.”

“Stick with me, baby. I’m pretty observant,” he replied smugly.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Okay, come on,” Harry chuckled. “Let me show you around.”

Of course, it was a child’s tree house, so the tour consisted of one grand gesture of Harry’s arm followed by, “Here it is!” which brought a small giggle from Alex.

“We used to have some small furniture in here; a toy box, some games…lots and lots of toy guns and swords…” he trailed off softly, looking around the now empty space, his eyes growing solemn.

And she understood why. This was such a place of joy for him as a boy. It was a place where he played at being soldiers with his brother, a place where he was allowed to be just a little kid, not Prince Harry of Wales.

“Hey,” she said brightly. “Why don’t we sit…over there,” she pointed to a corner of the room. “And you can recreate it for me; tell me what it looked like and tell me some stories.”

His face lit up immediately. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she grinned, moving towards the corner she pointed to. “Sit,” she instructed him. He did, placing his back against the wall and stretching his legs out. She moved in between his legs and sat as well, placing her back against his chest. His arms immediately went around her and he already felt more at ease with her against him, as he always did.

With a smile, he started telling her story after story. She laughed and laughed while he weaved his tales, until eventually he was done, having reminded himself of the times he had there and what they had meant to him. Gone was the part of him that had arrived when they first stepped into the tree house; the part that wished he could be that carefree little boy again.

They sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying each other, until Alex yawned loudly, not being able to help it.

“Tired love?” he asked softly.

She nodded against his chest, turning her cheek to rub against him. He smiled when she did that, how she always did that; nuzzled him when she was exhausted and ready for sleep.

“Alright, let’s go back. It’s late,” he murmured.

They moved to stand, taking the time to have one last small glance around.

“Harry?”

He turned and met her eyes. “Yeah?”

“I think you should bring Emma up here tomorrow before we leave. I’m sure they have some of your old things around here somewhere. She’s not just all Tea Parties and Disney. I’ll be she could handle a toy gun or two.”

Harry’s face broke into a wide smile. “I would love that. And yes, I’m sure Smith could find some old toys somewhere,” he said, referring to the head of the household staff who had been at Highgrove forever.

“I think Emma would love that,” she said softly.

Harry smiled and nodded, trying to contain his excitement at the idea. He motioned towards the door of the tree house. “Come on, my love. Let’s go to bed.”

***************

“Harry! Quit trying to take my gun! You have your own,” Emma screeched as Harry playfully tried to sneak the toy rifle from her for the fifth time.

“But yours is bigger, Em,” Harry pouted, sticking his bottom lip out.

Emma put a hand on her hip and shot him a look. “So?”

“Don’t you want this shiny one right here?” he asked, holding up a tiny little silver thing. The silver paint had chipped heavily off over the years and it looked…well, it looked quite sorry.

Emma rolled her eyes. “No. Now quit being a cry baby.”

Harry cracked up laughing, rolling back onto the floor with his hand to his stomach.

“What are you doing?” Emma asked, exasperated as she came over near him. “We are supposed to be looking out for the…” she stopped and looked around. “Enemy,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry. Really, Em…I’m…” he tried not to laugh as he said the words, but it didn’t work. He’d had so much fun with her. She was so playful and up for anything. He would forever be grateful to Alex for this suggestion.

“Harry! Come on!” she squealed in frustration.

He looked up at her cute little face and made an effort to get himself under control as she started down at him expectantly, tapping her little foot on the floor. “Emma?” he called up to her, once he could find the will to talk without laughing.

“Yeah?” she asked, her eyebrows lifting.

Harry waited just a beat before he snatched her into his arms, pulling her down with him to the floor and ticking her quickly in the ribs. She squealed and screeched and giggled while she tried to get away from him, but he wasn’t going to let her go. Eventually he settled, have tickled her until they were both out of breath and just lying there on the floor of the tree house, staring up at the ceiling.

“Harry?” Emma finally asked softly.

“Yeah, Em?”

“Thank you for taking me up here.”

He turned and looked at her, his heart clenching as her big blue eyes stared up at him. “Oh Emma, you’re welcome. Thank you for coming up here.”

“Mummy said you used to come up here when you were a little boy,” Emma said.

Harry nodded. “I did. My brother and I used to play up here.”

“Did your Mummy and Daddy play up here too?”

Harry blinked. He knew he hadn’t ever talked with Emma about his mother before. She had met his father, but he didn’t know if she knew that his mother had died.

“Sometimes, when we were very young they did,” he responded quietly. “But…but after my Mum died I didn’t really come up here anymore.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. Mum told me that your Mummy died when you were little. Do you miss her?”

Harry immediately fought the lump in his throat. He could usually talk about her no problem, but for some reason, with Emma it was more innocent, more emotional.

“I miss her every single day, Emma. Every single day.”

“Remember when you told me before you left how my daddy was in Heaven watching me?” Emma asked sweetly.

Harry nodded slowly. “I do.”

“I’ll bet your mummy is with my daddy since they both left their kids behind.”

Harry immediately looked towards the ceiling. He wasn’t sure if it was subconscious, like he was looking towards the Heavens, or if it was a knee jerk reaction to keep his emotions in check. Either way, the moment slammed into him with full force and he swallowed hard, blinking back the tears. He didn’t know how long it was before he regained himself, before he turned back to Emma, but when he did it was with a smile, a sense of peace.

“I think you are absolutely right, Emma.”


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

Harry woke up in a cold sweat.

He sat up quickly and looked over at Alex, making sure she was still asleep. She was, and he took a deep breath as he stared down at her, trying to get himself together; get his heart rate down and his anxiety under control.

He’d had yet another nightmare; his third one in the past week. The first month he had been home, had only had the one. However, in the past month, ever since the beginning of August, they had picked up frequency, and fast.

He swung his legs over the side of Alex’s bed and stood, wandering from the room and into the kitchen. The clock on the microwave read 3:21 AM. He sighed. Another middle of the night wake-up that he knew would never allow him to go back to sleep.

He opened Alex’s fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He sat down at her kitchen table and drank it down slowly, working to push back the nightmare, the anxiety, and the guilt. He closed his eyes and tried to work his mind around it, tried to tell himself that he was being ridiculous and he shouldn’t be thinking about this at all. He was a strong, resilient individual. He had dealt with the stress of being a Royal his entire life. He had buried his mother when he was twelve. He had dealt with the press and the paparazzi and having no privacy for as long as he could remember. He could deal with this.

He finished his water and set the empty plastic bottle on the table and just stared at it for a moment. The dream and the thoughts that went with it were still present. He wasn’t shaking them no matter how hard he tried to force them back. There was only one thing that seemed to push them away these days; only one thing that could wipe his brain free of everything.

He stood then and threw his empty bottle of water into the trashcan before going back down to Alex’s bedroom. He shut the door quietly behind him and locked it before crawling back into bed with her. He immediately moved to her, feeling only the tiniest bit guilty that he was about to wake her up when he knew she had work in the morning and then class that evening. But she was the only thing that could make his hurt stop, and so he pressed on, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pulling him back against her.

“Harry?” she whispered as she drifted into consciousness.

“Baby…I want you…” he murmured into her ear. His hands moved under her nightshirt, moving up to stroke her breasts and caress her awake.

“Hmmmm…” she moaned. Her eyes fluttered open then and slid back to him. They were hazy from sleep and from her building arousal and Harry already felt better, felt the anxiety begin to fade. “Are you okay?” she murmured.

“Oh yes, Alexandra…” he sighed. Then he moved; his body covered hers and his mouth took possession of hers.

And he lost himself in her again.

***************

“Are you sure you want to go to dinner at your brother’s tonight?” Alex asked Harry that Friday evening as she slipped on her heels in his living room. “You look really tired. We can always reschedule.”

Harry smiled at her from his place on the couch and shook his head. “No, no. I’m fine, love. I was just up early getting some work stuff done. I’m excited to go to Will’s and you know I love seeing Henry.”

Alex’s faced softened. Harry’s nephew was amazing. Alex adored him to pieces and was especially excited to go to Will and Kate’s tonight, as Emma would be meeting baby Henry for the first time.

“Of course you love seeing Henry. I swear Will is terrified that every time we go over there that you are going to try to smuggle that baby out,” she teased him.

He grinned. “I think he has extra POs assigned to Henry whenever I’m there.”

Alex laughed and then looked at her watch. “It’s about time to head over there. Let me get Emma. I swear she lives in your garden ever since you put that playhouse back there.”

Harry shrugged. “She liked the tree house so much and since I can’t really put one in out there…playhouse it was.”

Alex shook her head, not even bothering to protest about the extravagance of the playhouse and how much she knew it must have cost him. He hadn’t listened to her protests when he bought it and she was sure he wouldn’t listen to them now. Instead, she made her way to the back door and called Emma in so they could make their way to the Cambridge’s for dinner.

************

“Someone I know has a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks,” Kate teased Harry later that evening as they all sat in Will and Kate’s living room.

Harry looked up from the cooing infant in his arms to his sister and gave a grin. “Already got my present picked out, have you?”

Kate rolled her eyes. “Greedy.”

“He is greedy,” Alex interjected from her spot beside Harry on the sofa. “He hasn’t given me a bit of time with Henry here.” She reached out then and lifted the baby into her arms before Harry could mount another protest. She nestled the two month old in the crook of her arm and smiled down at him, reaching up to run her finger down his soft cheek. “You are so soft and sweet little man,” she cooed. Baby Henry, clearly delighted and enamored with Alex, gurgled with delight as she spoke softly and sweetly to him.

“Mummy, can I hold him?” Emma asked quietly as she peered over Alex’s arms at Henry.

Alex smiled at her sweet daughter. “Ask Mr. Will and Miss Kate first, Em.”

Emma looked up at the couple, sitting on the opposite couch. “May I please hold Henry? I promise to be careful.”

“Of course you may, Emma. Thank you for asking,” Will said with a grin at the same time that Kate nodded in the affirmative. They both thought that it was truly lovely how well-mannered Alex’s daughter was.

“Okay, Emma,” Alex said. “Sit all the way back on the couch so your back is kind of in the corner right there.” When Emma had situated herself Alex explained to her how to hold her arms out and then she leaned over and carefully placed Henry in Emma’s arms, making sure he was supported in all of the right places. She propped up one of the throw pillows under the arm that Emma was supporting Henry’s head so that she would be comfortable. “Got him?” she asked Emma.

Emma nodded with a big smile as she looked down at the baby. “He’s so little,” she said in a whisper.

“He was even smaller when he was born,” Harry spoke up, having been watching with wonder and a little bit of a racing heart as first Alex had cuddled and loved on his nephew, and now Emma. It certainly wasn’t the first time he had seen Alex hold Henry, but it never failed to affect him like it was. She was so at ease and at peace with the baby in her arms; and Harry would be lying if he said he didn’t get visions of her cuddling up a baby of their own one day.

“He was smaller than this?” Emma squeaked. “I don’t think that’s possible.” Her eyes were wide at the possibility.

The room tinkered with laughter. “It certainly is possible,” Alex told her daughter. “You were actually smaller than he was when he was born.”

Emma peered at her mother. “Mummy, are you making that up?” Harry and Will both snickered and Kate smiled at Emma’s sass.

Alex laughed. “I am telling you the truth. You were small because you came just a bit early.”

“How early?” Emma asked immediately, clearly enthralled with this information that she has never heard before.

“About five weeks…so, a little over a month.”

Emma mulled over that information for a moment. “I must have been just too excited to come out and meet you then, Mummy,” she finally said. And then, having decided for herself the reason she must have been early, she was done with the conversation and moved her attention back to Henry.

It never failed to touch Alex’s heart when her daughter said things like that. Emma was so sassy and independent that those types of statements were not something that happened too often; but when they did they meant the world to Alex. She quickly blinked away the mist in her eyes before turning back to the others in the room. “So what shall we do for Harry’s birthday?” she asked excitedly, needing the conversation to move in a different direction. It worked, and they all began to toss out ideas, making for a lively game that that really got them nowhere towards a solid idea.

Eventually it got to be Henry’s bed time and Harry and Alex decided to let the new parents put their baby down and get some rest. They all shared hugs and kisses, even Emma, and then made their way from Will and Kate’s Kensington apartment across the grounds to Harry’s cottage.

“Mummy, can I please go play in the playhouse for a bit before bed?” Emma asked when they made their way into the foyer.

Alex checked her watched. “Okay, but you have thirty minutes, then it is bed time.”

Emma squealed, startling Alex, who should have been more than used to it by now, before tearing out of the room. Alex sighed as she heard the back door open and then slam.

“She’s got to work on the door slamming,” she said, turning to look at Harry apologetically.

He laughed. “It’s fine,” he said as he took her hand and tugged her toward the living room and leading her to the sofa. She sat and watched him as he moved around, turning off the bright overhead lights and flipping on the lamps so that there was a soft glow through the room. Then he sat, gracefully as ever, tucking her up under his arm like he always did.

“I didn’t know that Emma was premature,” he said quietly, stroking Alex’s arm softly.

Alex nodded against Harry’s shoulder. “She was. Her birth was…difficult. She came early but I guess she felt like she had to make a statement doing it. She was turned the wrong way and nothing they could do could get her to turn. I just got too exhausted with all of it and in the end they had to do an emergency c-section.”

He nodded. Of course he knew she’d had a c-section. He had seen the tiny scar she had on her lower abdomen. He’d kissed it many times on his way down her body, but it wasn’t something he dwelled on or thought about. It was just another part of her that he loved.

They sat in silence for a few moments, letting the tick of the grandfather clock lull them in relaxtion.

“That baby Henry sure is something,” Alex sighed as she turned her eyes up to his. She saw the flash in his eyes and saw his lips start to move before closing shut again. “What is it?” she asked him softly.

He shook his head, chuckling a little at himself. “It just…” He trailed off, not even knowing how to say what he was feeling; what he felt when he watched her with his nephew.

“So shy all of the sudden?” she teased. Her hand moved to rest on his flat stomach and he immediately picked it up, keeping eye contact with her while he pressed a warm kiss to her palm before setting her hand back down.

“Not shy, Alex,” he took a deep breath. “You know that I see a future that includes you and Emma, right?”

Alex nodded slowly. Her lips curved into a smile at the thought.

Harry reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead before he looked back down and caught her gaze again. “I’ve always wanted children, Alexandra. Always. And it’s not that I don’t love Emma. I do. I love her so much I can’t stand it sometimes. I would consider her my own if I were ever lucky enough to get that opportunity, so it’s not about having children that are mine. I do want more though. And I’m just…I guess I’m just making sure that Emma isn’t the end of the line for you.”

Alex was sure her heart stopped beating. He was asking her if she wanted more children…more children with him. Of course she wanted more children, she always had. She was just never sure that it would happen for her. She never really thought she would even get married again until she fell in love with Harry and opened herself to the idea. But now, here was this amazing, wonderful, sweet man telling her he wanted children with her. Her brain stalled in that moment, not knowing how to find the words to answer his question. She could see the worry creep into his eyes when she just sat there dumbfounded. He shifted slightly, pulling away, even if it was so minimal that no one could have ever picked up on it but her.

“No, Harry…don’t pull away,” she called softly to him. Her fingers tugged at his shirt and then moved up to his face, cradling it gently. “You just surprised me, that’s all.”

His eyebrows lifted and a small smile appeared on his lips. “Surprised? Not scared?”

Alex shook her head. Her eyes were open and honest and searching his. “Not scared. I…I want - ”

Alex’s words were cut off by a shriek followed by a loud cry coming from Harry’s backyard. Her eyes immediately went wide and she was pushing off of Harry and off of the couch in less than half a second with Harry right behind her.

She burst through the back door and looked frantically around for her daughter, finally spotting her sprawled out on the ground on her back.

“Emma!”


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

“Mummy, I’m okay,” Emma said, even as she sniffed and wiped tears from her face.

Alex and Harry were both leaning over Emma in Harry’s garden, checking her for cuts or bumps and making sure nothing was wrong.

“Emma, what in the world happened?” Alex asked. She pushed back the hair that had fallen into Emma’s face and cupped her daughter’s cheeks in her hands, looking down at her with eyes that were still scared and shaken.

Emma bit her lip and looked sheepish. “I was climbing,” she finally said timidly.

Harry’s eyebrows shot into the air. He was still trying to stop himself from shaking that the immediate terror he had experienced when he heard Emma’s scream. “Climbing on what?”

Emma’s eyes slid to Harry. “The playhouse.”

“Emma Rose Morgan,” Alex said softly, but sternly. “You know you shouldn’t be climbing on the playhouse. You scared us half to death.”

“I’m sorry,” Emma whispered. “I made a mistake.”

Alex shook her head and then pulled her daughter up and into her arms. “You didn’t make a mistake; you made a bad decision. And I’m sorry Emma, but you are grounded from the playhouse for two weeks.”

Emma’s eyes welled with tears. “No…”

“Yes,” Alex said with a nod. “You knew you shouldn’t be doing that, you did it anyway, and then you fell; scaring the mess out of me and Harry. So, you’re grounded and you know you deserve it.”

Emma blinked and a few tears slipped from her eyes, but she didn’t fight Alex. “Okay, Mummy. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

Alex smiled softly at her daughter. “Well, in two weeks you can prove that you mean that. But for right now, it’s bed time.”

Emma opened her mouth in her usual bid to protest, but shut it quickly, knowing she was in deep enough for the night. Harry bit back a smile at that; it was something he would have done in his younger years.

Alex stood then, still holding Emma in her arms and close to her. No matter how mad she was at Emma for breaking the rules and scaring her half to death, she was still relieved and incredibly happy that Emma was okay and it was nothing but getting the wind knocked out of her and maybe a bump on her head. She set Emma down after giving her a kiss and a tight hug and had her say goodnight to Harry. After Emma had hugged and kissed Harry, Alex took her daughter’s hand and led her through the cottage and up to the guest room. She got Emma changed, tucked her under the covers, and then sat on the side of the bed. She reached up and pushed a few stray locks of hair from Emma’s face and smiled down at her.

“You know that even though I grounded you, it doesn’t mean I don’t love you or that I’m mad at you. It just means that you did something against the rules and I have to punish you for it,” Alex told Emma softly.

Emma nodded. Her eyes were sleepy but apologetic. “I know. I’m really sorry.”

“I know you are. Next time, use your judgment and remember the things I’ve told you.”

“Okay, Mummy.”

“I love you very much, Emma Rose,” Alex whispered as she leaned over to kiss her cheek.

Emma smiled brightly. “I love you too, Mummy.”

Alex tucked the covers up around her daughter as she moved from the bed. She flipped on the small nightlight that Harry had put in for Emma and then moved out of the room with one last little wave at her daughter, making sure to leave the door propped open just a little bit like Emma preferred.

***************

Alex found Harry in his garden, sitting on one of the plush outdoor chairs on the patio. He was staring straight up into the night sky and hands were folded in his lap. Anyone else may have just thought he was deep in thought, but not Alex. He was being too still. He was never that still unless his nerves were getting the best of him.

“Harry?” she called out to him as she moved towards his chair. His gaze immediately moved from the sky to her, but even then he had to blink a few times before he could focus on her. “Are you okay?” she asked softly. She stood a few feet from him, unsure if she should go to him or sit in the chair next to him.

He gave her a small smile and nodded. “Come here,” he said softly as he opened his arms for her. Alex breathed a sigh of relief as she moved to curl up on his lap. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly once Alex had settled in his lap.

She turned a startled gaze towards him. “Sorry for what?”

“Emma almost got hurt…on the playhouse that I bought her.”

Alex tilted her head to the side, regarding him with a small frown. “It’s not your fault she fell, Harry. She fell because she was being careless and disobeying the rules. I’ve told her a hundred times not to climb on that thing.”

“Yes, she was. But…”

“No,” Alex interrupted. “No buts. Listen baby, kids fall. They get bumps on their heads. Hell, they even break bones sometimes. I had like, three broken arms as a kids from doing stupid shit. If she wasn’t climbing on that playhouse, she would have been climbing something else. It’s no one’s fault. Besides, she’s fine.”

“I know. I know that. I mean, I was the king of doing stupid shit when I was a kid. Hell,” he laughed, “the press still makes me out to be the king of doing stupid shit.” He reached up and cupped her face in his hands. “I just…I got scared when I heard her scream.”

Alex sighed. “Me too. But she’s okay. And grounded…she’s definitely grounded.”

Harry laughed, the anxiety fading away a bit. “I have to admit; it was kind of sexy watching you ground her.”

She scrunched her nose. “What? That’s not sexy.”

“It is to me.” Sliding his hands around to the back of her neck from her cheeks, he pulled her face down to his. He nudged his nose along hers as he slid his hands into her hair. “I love watching you doing Mummy things.”

“Mummy things? Even grounding my kid?”

He grinned. “Yes. Is that strange?”

Alex chuckled and held her fingers up in the air, holding her thumb and forefinger close together. “Little bit.”

“Ha! I don’t care if it’s strange in the least,” he laughed. His eyes crinkled up in the corners with his amusement. Alex brought her fingertips to the corners of each of his eyes, tracing the lines there. “I love you, Alexandra Mae,” Harry said gruffly as her fingers sent sparks shooting through him.

“And I love you, Henry Charles Albert David.”

********************

The dream started off the same as always. He was running towards the flashing lights. His heart was beating fast in his chest, knowing something was wrong. He came upon the medical crew and ran through them, catching their sad faces as he went by. He stopped by the helicopter as they pulled the stretcher from it. But the dream felt different here than normal. The body didn’t look the same. It was smaller, way smaller than Geoff had been. He walked over to it just as they pulled the sheet from the face.

He screamed in absolute anguish. The body wasn’t Geoff.

It was Emma.

*************

Alex drifted into consciousness. A few weeks ago, she would have been confused and disoriented, but now she knew right away what was happening; she knew why Harry was waking her up in the middle of the night. He was slowly arousing her body awake. His hands were all over her. He was running them up her legs, sliding them over her hips, belly, and sides, before moving them up and teasingly running them over her breasts. They had made love before bed and hadn’t bothered to put pajamas before they fell asleep and they were both naked, so when Harry pulled Alex back against him, she moaned at the contact. His body was warm from sleep and being under the covers and Alex relished the feeling as his hot skin pressed against hers.

“Harry…” she whispered, her voice hoarse from sleep. She sighed; a sleepy but happy sort of sigh, as his hands slid back down her stomach and cupped her sex. She moaned and pressed her backside against him. She felt him; hot, hard, and ready to go.

“I’m starting to think you are an insomniac,” she said with a light laugh. But as he parted her folds with his finger and slid it down into her wetness, the joking smile left her lips. She moaned and her head fell back against his shoulder. She reached down and grasped his wrists in her hands, effectively holding his hands against her as he softly stroked her core.

“Hmmmm…” he hummed. “Not an insomniac. I just need you, Alex.”

She groaned and pressed herself back and harder into him, his words and the delicious, light circles he was making around her clit shooting sparks through her entire body. “Ohhhhh…”

Her words lit a fire inside of him and he moved then, pulling himself up and over her. He grabbed her wrists and pulled them over her head, holding them tightly there as he looked down at her, capturing her gaze.

Alex was almost startled by the intensity she found in his deep blue eyes. The look was there, the look he always had when they made love, full of lust and love and intensity. But there were something else there, something she had never seen before. He looked utterly wild and desperate. She tried to tug her hands from his, wanting to touch him, to soothe whatever was bringing that look to his face. Instead Harry just shook his head and bent down, quickly capturing her mouth with his. She moaned when he tipped his tongue out just a bit, encouraging her mouth open. When she immediately parted her lips, he plunged his tongue in to slide along hers. She shifted at the feeling of his mouth fused with hers, tilting her hips up instinctually towards his. He gripped her wrists tighter and then nudged her knees apart to settle in between her thighs. He changed his hold on her wrists, pulling them both into one of his large hands and continuing his hold there. His other hand reached down to her core again, stroking quickly against her. The fact that he held her wrists tightly and that she was at his mercy only served to drive her towards the edge faster. It wasn’t long before she cried out loudly against his mouth as he quickly and firmly pulled an orgasm from her shaking body.

“God, I love making you come for me,” Harry murmured hotly against her ear as her harsh, raspy breaths tickled his own ears. “I’m going to do it again…and again…and again…”

“Harry…please,” Alex moaned. Her eyes fluttered open and found his. She almost gasped at the wild look that had taken him over. Something was wrong. He wasn’t ever like this. They had experimented before; played at being rough and restraining each other, but those times he was with her every step of the way, making sure she was okay and talking everything over with her. Right now, even as he began to stroke her again, he was taking from her and they were on two different wavelengths. He wasn’t hurting her, he wasn’t doing anything against her will, but he was taking from her and…and in the weirdest way, Alex felt like he was punishing himself.

“Baby…I need you. Please…I want you inside of me…” she whispered, trying to get through to him. She searched his eyes and saw them flicker at her words. She thought for a moment she had made an impact on him, but then his mouth crashed down on hers in another scorching kiss and he moved his hand against her, sliding down and pushing two fingers inside of her. “Oh God…” she cried out into his mouth at the sensations he was creating in her body. She struggled against the hold he had on her wrists, wanting to put her arms around him, wanting to hold him against her as he brought her to another peak.

“Alexandra…let me make you feel good…” Harry whispered as he trailed hot kisses on her jawline and down to her neck. She groaned and twisted her body under his at his words, at the way he was licking across her chest, at the way he was moving his hand against her sex. And then he pulled a nipple in his mouth, sucking hard on it before catching it between his teeth, worrying it gently. His actions sent flames directly from Alex’s breast to her core and she bowed off of the bed, arching as she felt another orgasm approach quickly.

“Harry…please…” she pleaded as she felt the wave approach. “My hands…”

But he wasn’t to be swayed. He held tight to her and bit down a tad bit more sharply on her nipple at the same time as he ground down on her sex with his hand. She cried out and exploded, her body pulsing sharply around his fingers. He groaned against her chest, ready to burst himself at the feeling of her coming apart against his hand.

“Alex…” Harry whispered against her heated skin. His breath blew against the fine sheen of sweat that had begun to form on her body and it made her shiver, goosebumps appearing on her skin. “You are so responsive to me. I love touching you…tasting you…” He moved his mouth from her breast, leaning down to kiss her stomach.

“No…” she whimpered as his intentions became clear. “Harry, I can’t take any more. Please…just make love to me…”

“Not yet, baby…not yet,” he breathed against her skin. But at the same time as he spoke he released her hands, not being able to hold on to them as he kissed his way down her body. She breathed a sigh of relief and then her hands were moving down to him, pulling at his shoulders, and then moving into his hair, tugging gently.

“Henry,” she called out to him. “Love…come here…”

He looked up to her, his eyes still dark, still intense. “Don’t you like when I do this?” He placed a light kiss to the top of her sex to punctuate his question.

“You know I do, Harry. I just want…ohhhh…”

Her words were cut off by his tongue, moving out swiftly to swipe against her swollen, sensitive flesh. She jerked against him and her hands tightened in his hair. He was being absolutely relentless. He intent was clear, to drive her to the edge as quickly as possible. His particular brand of tenderness was missing, and although she still responded, although he still brought her to the cliff quickly, she felt uneasy and almost anxious as she toppled over the edge for the third time in a very short amount of time.

Alex’s world was spinning and she was disconnected from the man between her thighs; a man she had always shared such a strong bond with when they were making love. She couldn’t take it anymore. She was close to tears and she just wanted Harry back. She wanted him to be sweet with her and caress her while he moved above her. She wanted to love him like she knew how.

“No more!” Alex finally called out. “No more, Harry! Please! Stop…” She choked out the last word, her voice breaking with her emotions.

The frustration and the hurt in her voice is what finally got through to Harry. His head snapped up and the cloud that had consumed him dissipated.

And he saw her. He saw that she was upset and uncomfortable and his heart broke for her, for what he was doing to her, for how far he was pushing her just to deal with his issues. He moved then, leaning forward to gather her into his arms and then sat up, cradling her gently against him. She wasn’t crying but she was shaking and worked up and he hated that he did this to her.

“Alex, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he murmured gently in her ear as he stroked her back, trying to calm her down. “Please, baby…forgive me.” She shuddered against him he swallowed back the lump that formed in his throat. He didn’t know how to fix this and didn’t want to upset her any further, so he stayed just like he was; rocking her gently back and forth, stroking her back and her hair with soft hands, and whispering apologies in her ear.

It took a while, a long while, for Alex to relax and feel comfortable again; for the anxiety and the nerves to fade. Finally though, finally she sagged in his arms, wrapping her own arms around his neck and pulling herself closer to him.

“Alexandra…” he whispered tentatively.

She took a deep breath and then pulled back, finding his eyes and searching them. The darkness was gone from them and what remained was Harry, her Harry. It was only then, when he was back with her that her eyes filled with tears. “What was that?” she asked softly.

Harry shook his head. “Alex…I’m sorry.”

A tear spilled from her right eye. Harry reached up to swipe it automatically. “I know you’re sorry, Harry. But something is going on with you. You are waking me up during the middle of the night for sex every night that we stay together. And when we don’t stay together and I see you the next day, you always look exhausted. You aren’t sleeping if I’m not there, Harry.”

She felt him tense with her words and she physically watched his guard go up. “You don’t know that, Alexandra,” he said stiffly.

She blinked and more tears fell to her cheeks. This time he didn’t move to brush them away. “You are lying to me,” she whispered brokenly.

Harry’s jaw clenched. “I’m not lying.”

“Yes, you are.”

He held her gaze unflinchingly. “I don’t know why you think you can question me like that.”

Alex gasped. She immediately pushed away from him, moving backwards off of his lap. “Are you serious with me right now? I can question you like that because I’m your girlfriend and I love you and something is wrong with you. I don’t know how you think you can push me out!”

“I’m not pushing you out, Alex.” Harry said to her, his voice rising with his anger. “Nothing is wrong with me. Just because you have an organization that deals with people’s mental issues, doesn’t make you an expert. You don’t know anything.”

Alex’s mouth dropped open. He saw the hurt well in her eyes and he almost broke. He almost let it all out. But he didn’t. In his misguided attempt to deal with his problem himself and to keep her from getting hurt, he made his problem worse and hurt her a million times worse than if he would have just told her.

“I think I should go,” Alex murmured, dropping her eyes away from him. She couldn’t look at him anymore. She immediately moved off of the bed and went to her overnight bag. She pulled out a shirt and shorts and quickly tugged them on before zipping her bag back up.

“Where in the hell do you think you’re going?” Harry shouted from the bed.

She whirled on him. “I’m going to sleep with Emma. I won’t wake her up in the middle of the night and drag her home, although there is nothing I want more in this moment.”

“You don’t want to be here with me anymore?”

“No! I don’t! You need to sort your shit out, Wales. This distant and mean person isn’t you. And until you can come to terms with whatever it is that is eating at you, we should spend some time apart.”

“Are you leaving me?” Harry’s voice was so cold that it sent shivers down Alex’s spine.

“No,” she whispered, her eyes searching his. “I’m not leaving you. But obviously you are using me to make whatever problem you have go away. And if you won’t tell me what that problem is, then I can’t help you and I won’t continue to let you use me like that Harry. I will not be your crutch, do you understand me?”

Harry moved from the bed then, going to his dresser and pulling out a pair of boxers. “Oh I understand alright, Alex. I guess I shouldn’t have ever told you I wanted to marry you. And I sure as shit shouldn’t have told you just tonight that I wanted babies with you. I don’t. I don’t want to marry and have children with someone who thinks I’m a liar who has mental problems. If you can’t trust me, then there is nothing left here.”

Harry watching as Alex reacted to his words. He watched as she blinked, absorbing the shock of what he said to her. He steeled himself against the sob that escaped her. He was so mad, so blinded by the fact that she was pushing him and wasn’t letting it drop like he desperately wanted her to do, that in his broken mind he really thought the only way to make her drop this subject was to make her apologize to him and beg to stay.

“I changed my mind,” Alex whispered as the tears rolled from her eyes and unchecked down her cheeks.

His brain sparked as he thought his plan had worked. “You have?”

“Yes,” she nodded as she went for her overnight back. “I’m going to wake Emma up and we are leaving tonight. I’m not spending another minute in this house with you.”

Harry’s jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists at his sides. “I’m not stopping you.”

“You couldn’t if you tried,” Alex said, needing to toss a barb at him. She wanted to hurt him like he was hurting her.

“Do you see me trying?” Harry tossed back.

Her lips twisted as she fought a sob. “No, Harry. I don’t.”

And with that, Alex walked calmly from Harry’s room, shutting the door behind her. She stopped and leaned against the wall outside of his room to gather herself, to wipe the tears from her face before she went and woke up Emma. She was praying that he would come out of the door after her, that he would apologize and tell her what the fuck was going on with him.

But he didn’t come out of the door. He stayed in there and refused to give in to her.

And so she pulled herself together and willed herself to move. She just prayed she had the strength to keep moving once she made it through the night.

****************

Alex didn’t sleep a single wink when she got home from Harry’s. She told Emma that Harry had an emergency and had to leave his house so they had to go to, which is why they left in the middle of the night. She was grateful that Emma accepted the excuse and went right back to sleep.

Once Emma was down, Alex went into her living room and sat at her window seat. She just stared off in the distance for hours, until the sun was rising into the sky. She went over and over the past two months in her mind. She tried to piece everything together. She tried to figure out what was going on with Harry.

It all started to come together when she remembered the nightmare she’d witnessed him having last month. She didn’t doubt he had been having more and that it was most likely the reason he’d been up at night. It made sense. He would have a nightmare and wake her up for sex, trying to forget what had happened.

She fought into the recesses of her mind, pulling out the wording he had used during the nightmare that she witnessed.

“It should have been me!”

What should have been him? How did she go about figuring it out?

Suddenly she had an idea. She went into her room and found his journal, the one he wrote in everyday while he was in Afghanistan. They had gone through some of their journals together, but they had been so busy recently it had gotten put to the side.

She flipped through the pages quickly, not finding anything until she got to the last entry. The date was two weeks before he got home. He had called her that night. It was the night Emma had woken up and he talked to her too. Why hadn’t he written anything after that? He had faithfully written every day until then, so why….

Then it hit her.

An Apache pilot had died that night.

In Harry’s dream he said it should have been him.

Alex closed the journal and set it gently on her desk. She took several deep breaths and tried to work through how to confirm that information, find out what happened, and figure out why Harry felt it should have been him. Clearly, Harry had pushed it too far back to acknowledge it. She moved to sit down on the edge of her bed while her mind raced. He needed help. He needed to deal with this.

“Of course…” she breathed as she reached the solution to her problem in her head. She turned and looked at her alarm clock, thankful that it was past eight in the morning and she wouldn’t be placing her call at some ungodly hour.

She darted from her bed and into the living room, pulling her mobile phone from her bag. She scrolled through her contacts until she found the one she was looking for. She hit the call button and pressed the phone nervously to her ear.

He answered right away.

“Alexandra?” The deep, rich voice on the other end was immediately concerned. His son’s girlfriend had never rang his phone before, even though he always told her to call if he needed anything.

“Charles, I’m sorry to call so early.”

“I’ve been up for hours my dear. Is something wrong? You sound distressed.”

She took a deep breath. “I am. I need your help with something. Would it be possible to see you today? I wouldn’t ask normally, but this is important. It’s about Harry.”

There was a muffled silence on Charles’ end of the line, and Alex knew he was talking to someone, checking his schedule.

“Alexandra?”

“Yes?”

“How soon can you be to Clarence House?”

Alex breathed a sigh of relief. “Two hours?”

“Good. See you then.”


	34. Chapter Thirty Four

“Are you going to be alright with all of this, Alexandra? I’m sure he’s going to put up quite a fight and it’s not going to be pretty.”

Charles had both of his hands placed on her upper arms as he looked down at her and asked his question softly. Charles and Alex, along with William, were in the sitting room of Will and Kate’s Kensington home and Harry was due to be there any minute. However, Harry thought he was coming to spend time with Henry, not to be forced into a sort of intervention with his father, brother, and Alex.

“I’m absolutely alright with this. I need to be here for this. I need him to know neither me nor his family are going to be dismissive of his problems. And despite how he treated me the last time I saw him…” Alex trailed off as the lump that had been there for a week swelled back up again.

A week.

It had been a week since she had left in the middle of the night, reeling from the unbelievably harsh things he had said to her. It had been a week since she had called Charles, seeking his assistance in finding out what was wrong with Harry. And in that week she had heard nothing from Harry. He hadn’t called, texted, or emailed. There was no attempt at contact. As each day had moved into the next, as she had discovered from Charles that Harry was supposed to be piloting that Apache that night, and then worked with both Charles and William to dig into Harry’s relationship with Geoff, she grew more and more despondent.

He had said he didn’t want to be with her anymore, didn’t want to marry her, and didn’t want to have children with her. By the time she made her way to Kensington Palace today to finally confront Harry with what they knew, she had almost convinced herself that he meant what he had said. In truth, she wasn’t sure she had enough energy or hope left to hold on to the sliver of doubt she had that he didn’t mean those things; that he wasn’t done with her.

“I could kill him for saying those things to you,” William chimed in from his place in one of the big chairs near the fireplace. He had been livid when Alex had repeated the things he’d said to her after she had already told Charles and Camilla the morning she went to Clarence House. William had been ready to find Harry and kick some sense into him right then, but Charles and Alex both convinced him they needed to have all of their ducks in a row before confronting Harry.

Alex smiled gratefully at William for being so protective of her, but she really wasn’t concerned with dealing with that today. She just wanted Harry to see that what happened with Geoff wasn’t his fault and that he needed to get help for what she was almost certain was PTSD.

“I appreciate that Will,” she said. “But let’s not kill him today. It’s not really our objective.”

Will grinned. “I’ll try.”

Charles mobile phone rang just then and he quickly pulled it from the inside pocket of his sports coat. “Yes?...Two minutes?...Okay…Thank you.” He ended the called and took a deep breath. “His protection officer just called. He will be here in two minutes.”

Alex’s heart slammed into her chest. She had prepared and prepared for this moment but now that it was here she couldn’t believe the nerves that were pumping through her. She smiled at Charles and nodded and then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying herself. She opened her eyes and let the breath out before looking down to smooth her skirt and moving to the chair by William to sit and wait. They had all agreed to be sitting except for Charles. It would look less intimidating, but if he tried to bolt, they knew that only Charles would be best first line of defense in stopping him.

Charles squared his shoulders and moved to stand by the door that Harry would come through. Alex folded her hands in her lap and looked towards the door.

“Hey Alex,” Will whispered from beside her. She turned her head and looked at him. He gave her a small, encouraging smile. “You know that we will never forget that you put aside all of your embarrassment and personal feelings to come to us for help, right? Spilling out everything so honestly so that we can all push Harry to get better means more to our family than we can ever say.”

Alex blinked and tears popped into her eyes. “Will…”

He held up two hands. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that now. I just wanted to make sure you knew.”

She nodded and made a big effort to fight back the emotion. “Thank you,” she whispered simply.

Will nodded. She didn’t need to explain to any of them why she did it. They all knew it was because she loved Harry and wanted him to be better, even if meant that it hurt her to do it.

Alex turned back towards the door and waited. The next minute was one of the longest of her life. Her heart beat loudly in her chest and it took every ounce of willpower she had to stay still and not display how her body was simultaneously filled with debilitating nerves and an intense longing at the knowledge that she would be seeing him within seconds.

And then he walked through the door.

Alex fought a gasp at the sight of him. He looked terrible. He was unshaven, and not in the scruffy, sexy way she loved. His eyes were swollen and there were bags under them. His hair was wild, sticking in every different direction. He was pale and most definitely thinner than he had been a week ago. He looked sick and it made Alex sick that he was hurting so bad that he had gotten to this point. She saw Charles’ reaction to his son’s appearance and she heard William’s sharp intake of breath next to her. Her heart ached for the two of them as well.

Harry, in his exhausted state, was slower to react to the room. Of course, he saw his father first. A confused look slowly spread across his face. “What are you doing here, Dad?”

Will stood then; rising up and buttoning his coat as he did so. He folded his hands in front of him. Harry caught the movement from the corner of his eye and he turned towards William. His gaze rested on him for a brief second before he spotted Alex sitting in the chair next to William. His gaze fell on her and their eyes locked. Alex immediately rose. Harry’s eyes drew her upward, as if standing would bring her closer to him. It took everything she had not to go to him. It took all of the strength and composure she had to stay rooted to her spot and not run into his arms. She wanted to sooth him, to take away his pain; but she knew that without knowing she had been doing just that for two months, and she knew it was wrong. She knew he had to want to deal with his demons. She couldn’t just help him push them back.

“Alexandra…” Harry breathed. After refusing to say her name for a week it was heavenly to him as it tipped off of his tongue. He took a step, an involuntary step towards her. Alex’s hand immediately flew to her heart. Thinking that she was scared, Will stepped forward, as if to block her, and that’s when Harry’s brain clicked in. His gaze snapped away from Alex and snapped in succession to his brother and father before swinging back around to her. His eyes hardened into steel as he looked at her. She shifted uncomfortably.

He had figured it out.

“Fuck all of you,” Harry spat. His eyes were still trained on Alex even though his words were aimed at everyone in the room.

Alex flinched at his words and opened her mouth to speak, to try to make him understand.

“No!” He screamed at her. “Don’t you dare. I’ve already told you that you know nothing! I should have known you would push the issue; but to involve my family? Such a conniving little-”

“If I were you Harry, I’d stop right there,” Charles thundered in over Harry’s tirade. Harry’s head snapped towards his father. Charles moved in, stepping up close to Harry and leaning in so their faces were inches apart. “Don’t you dare. You have done enough to this young woman. You have no right to do anything but praise the ground she walks on after all that she’s put aside to try to help you.”

“What did she tell you? Did she tell you I was fucked up in the head? She’s lying,” Harry growled.

Alex watched their interaction and tried not to react to Harry’s words. He was mad and felt betrayed. She knew he would. She knew he would probably have a few choice words for her before this was all over. It still didn’t take away the sting and Alex fought hard to keep her reactions to it all at a minimum for right now. Her reacting would only spur him on further. He wanted her to react. He wanted her to hurt instead of trying to help him admit that he was hurting.

“She’s not lying, son. You and I both know she isn’t. Why would she?” Charles asked. His voice was firm and he meant business, although he had lowered his volume in an effort to calm Harry down.

“Because…because…” Harry stuttered. He was trying to find any reason at all that would appease his father so he could just get the fuck out of the room. He wanted nothing to do with any of this. They didn’t understand him and he was certain that no one could. Finally, after his tired brain couldn’t come up with anything he threw up his hands. “I’m done with this.” He turned quickly on his heel and tried to walk away.

Charles clamped his hand down on Harry’s shoulder. “You’re not going anywhere, son.”

Harry whirled around, ready for a fight, but William was there in an instant, standing tall next to his father and glaring down on his brother. He grabbed Harry behind the neck and yanked him close, so that their faces were almost touching. William’s eyes bored into his brothers as he spoke low and fierce. “Enough of this, Harry. You’ve said your piece. We know you don’t want to talk about this. We get it. But, Alex deserves more than that. She deserves for you to sit down and listen to her and to us. Don’t you get it? You are hurting her and your family in an effort to only let yourself feel the pain.”

Harry struggled against his brother, but William held him solidly there. He wasn’t going to let go. He wasn’t going to let Harry ruin his life and lose out on everything that was waiting for him. 

William spoke again, lower and stronger this time. “If you don’t stay and let us, let her try to help you, you are the biggest fool in the world. After everything she’s given up to be with you, after all of the faith she’s put into you, and after you treated her so badly last week and just now; she’s still standing over there with a heart full of pain for you. Not at you, Harry. For you.”

Harry tried to keep William’s words out. He wanted to shut his eyes and keep all of it away from him. But something inside him began to crack. He was exhausted and not sure if he had it in him anymore to fight, not against the three people in this room; three of the people who had been there for him more than anyone else in his entire life.

And so Harry, in the first step he had taken in the right direction in two months, dropped just a little bit of his fight.

“Okay,” he whispered in a hoarse voice.

“Okay?” William whispered back, just a little bit surprised.

Harry nodded as William searched his eyes to make sure Harry was really ready, or if he was just telling William that to get out of his hold. After several long seconds, William was satisfied and gently released his hold on Harry and stepped back. Harry immediately looked at father and moved to apologize, but Charles shook his head before Harry could get a word out.

“No need, son. Let’s just move forward from here and that’s all I will need from you,” Charles said gently.

“Okay, Dad,” Harry replied quietly.

Charles stood back then and gestured to the middle of the room; towards where Alex was sitting. Harry looked up and found her again. And now that the crack had started over his heart, seeing her standing there, so pale and sad widened it a little bit more. His breath caught as he saw the tear slip from her cheek. He found her gaze and his eyes locked on hers.

It was then that Alex realized that the silent communication she’d witnessed him have with people who had been in his life forever was now something she understood. His eyes widened fractionally, and she knew he was asking her permission to come over to her. She gave the smallest fraction of a nod and he moved instantly but slowly over to her. When he moved in front of her she tilted her head to look at him. His eyes were heavy, but clear. She saw a little bit of him in there. Just enough to know that the rest of him was in there somewhere. She just hoped it wasn't too far below the surface.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered brokenly. He reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek and she closed her eyes at his touch.

“I know,” she whispered back. She opened her eyes again and reached up and grabbed the hand that was at her cheek. “We can deal with all of that later…with us. But please Harry, I need you to listen to us. I need you to hear what we have to say about what is going on with you. That’s first. I need you to do that first and take the steps to fix that before I can even begin to think about if we can fix us.”

Harry nodded. “I understand.”

“Are you ready to talk about this? To talk about what happened in Afghanistan?”

Harry took her hand that was still holding his and moved it, placing it over his heart and placing his hand over it, holding it there. He felt the warmth of her through his skin and it immediately opened the crack wider.

It was going to hurt like hell to do this, to talk about Geoff and how he had handled everything. But for Alex, for this woman who had loved him beyond reason and for some reason he couldn't even father hadn’t kicked him straight to the curb for treating her in an unforgivable way, he would try.

“Yes. I’m ready.”


	35. Chapter Thirty Five

Harry’s heart beat wildly under Alex’s hand as he kept it pressed there. “Yes, I’m ready,” he repeated to her, this time in a whisper that was meant so that only she could hear it. He wanted her to know without a doubt that he was ready to do this.

“Okay,” she murmured back, staring up into his clear blue eyes. “Then let’s talk.”

He nodded and stepped back from her, but he didn’t let her hand drop from his chest. Instead he folded his hand and hers and moved it down by his side, threading his fingers through hers. As long as she was here, as long as he was allowed, he was going to keep any kind of hold on her that he could. “Where do we do this?” he asked.

Charles stepped forward then. “Right here is as good a place as any. No one else is here. Catherine has taken Henry out to Bucklebury for the day and the staff has the day off.”

Harry took a deep breath and swallowed. This wasn’t going to be easy, but he had to do it. Now that he had agreed, he wanted this more than anything. Well, if he was honest, he wanted Alex more than anything, but he knew he had to do this first if he had any hope of having her. And to have her…he was willing to do anything.

They all moved to sit. Alex pulled Harry to one of the big, comfortable couches. He sat and she sat next to him. She fought the urge to pull his arm up and tuck herself under it, as she always had; instead she sat up straight and just allowed him to keep ahold of her hand. He tucked her hand into his lap and waited while Charles and William sat as well; choosing to sit on the couch opposite of Harry and Alex so that they would all be facing each other.

“Where do I start?” Harry asked, his voice shaking somewhat.

“Let’s start with what happened that night in Afghanistan,” William prodded gently.

Harry immediately tensed up immediately. He gripped Alex’s hand tighter. She squeezed back to draw his attention and he looked over at her.

“Harry, we know the basics. Don’t worry that anyone in this room is hearing new information that is going to make us think differently of you. What we are looking for is your side, what went on in your mind when the events happened,” Alex said encouragingly.

Harry gulped as he stared at her for a moment while he gathered his thoughts. She matched his gaze and let him keep it as long as he needed. Finally he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He turned his head and when he opened his eyes they were unfocused and staring off into the distance, as if he were placing himself back at the scene of everything that night.

“I had wanted to call Alex that night. The BBC interview had taken place that day and I had made that pretty revealing statement about our relationship and I wanted to tell her. You never know if footage is going to get leaked or something. I wanted her to know what I had said. Geoff was off duty that night, but offered to switch and take the next night when I had been scheduled off duty so that I could call Alex.” He stopped and closed his eyes, and then opened them to turn to Alex. “I called you that night. Hearing your voice and the happiness and acceptance at what I told the BBC crew sent me to cloud nine. Plus, talking to Emma after not hearing her voice for months…” He trailed off as his voice cracked at the end.

“I remember…” Alex murmured. A small smile was on her lips as she recollected the conversation.

He stroked her hand with his thumb, a little bit of light forming inside of him that she smiled at a memory of him. “I was excited. I had less than a month left on my tour. When I hung up with Alex I was ready to take it on full force. We’d had an easy time on the base. There had been no casualties on my base, but there had been a rash of insurgents in the days before…” He stopped and shifted as he came to the meat of his story. “I was walking back to my tent and was almost there when I spotted the emergency lights. One of my soldiers came running from the tent right then and I knew from the look on his face it was bad. Then he said it was Geoff…”

Alex’s heart twisted as Harry’s face contorted as if he was in pain. Then he dropped his head and she saw his shoulders start to shake slightly. She looked over at Charles and Will who were both leaning forward with their arms resting on their knees. Their faces was drawn and sad as they listened to Harry tell his story.

“Harry…” Will called from across the low table in between them.

Harry looked up slowly and met his brother’s gaze. “Yeah?”

“You were close with Geoff?”

Harry nodded and straightened back up. He wiped at his eyes with the back of his free hand. He still kept Alex’s hand firmly in his other. “I didn’t speak of it much. It’s kind of nice having a friend that no one knows you have. I think we both felt the same. I could talk to him about anything. About my life as a royal, about my family, about Alex and Emma; and in return he told me about his life in a way that I felt I could relate. He had…he had a wife and son…and…” He broke again and Alex found herself fighting back tears of her own as Harry broke down in sobs. “It’s my fault,” he cried. “It’s my fault that his wife and son are alone.”

“Son,” Charles called to Harry from his seat on the couch before getting up and moving to sit next to him. He placed a gently hand on Harry’s back. “Son, look at me.”

It took Harry several minutes before he could pull himself together enough to look up, to face his father. He was so ashamed of himself that he could hardly bear to look at any of the people in the room. Finally he met Charles eyes and waited. He waited for his father to say he needed to be stronger, that he couldn’t let those feelings ruin his life, and that he needed to push them aside.

But those words never came. Those words were only present in Harry’s subconscious.

“Henry, you are not to blame. No one is to blame except for the terrorist that shot that Apache down. No one thinks that because you switched shifts that it was supposed to be you, because we don’t know that. If you were on that Apache you could have aimed differently, you could have killed the shooters before they shot you. We just don’t know, Harry. Your loyalty to Geoff is astounding, son. That is the only thing that any of us think. But Survivor’s Guilt is serious business, as is PTSD. That’s what you need help with,” Charles said passionately to Harry.

“I didn’t ever think it would get this bad,” Harry responded. “I’m a soldier in the British Army. I’m a wartime Apache pilot. I’ve shot and killed people without it giving me any sort of nightmares. I thought I was strong enough mentally to deal with this.”

“You are,” William said firmly. “You are strong enough mentally to deal with this. But that’s the thing Harry, you weren’t dealing with it. You pushed it away because you didn’t want anyone to worry about you and you didn’t want to worry anybody, especially Alex. You didn’t deal with it at all. You can though; you can absolutely deal with this and figure it out.”

Harry leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes as he absorbed the supportive words being spoken. They didn’t all think it was his fault. They didn’t think he was fucked up. They had said they wanted him to really address Geoff’s death and to get better. Well, his father and brother had. Alex had remained mostly quiet throughout the whole thing.

His eyes snapped open and he looked to her, finding her gaze already trained on him. “Alex…” he whispered.

“I want you to get better, Harry,” she immediately said, understanding him instantly. “You are so full of energy and life. You are passionate and caring and have such an incredible heart.” She placed her free hand on her own heart to make her point. “And Harry…God, when you take things on, when you really decide to do something, you give it everything you have. I’ve never seen such determination. You can do this. Go to therapy and work on this. There is no shame at all in that. I am who I today because of therapy combined with the help of my family and friends.”

Harry continued to hold her gaze. “What if it doesn’t help? What if…”

Alex shook her head, cutting him off. “The only way it won’t help is if you refuse to let it. If you take this on and you really want to get better, then you will. That’s the question, Harry. Do you want to get better?”

There was a long silence while Harry struggled. The part of him that had allowed him to keep pushing the hurt and feelings of guilt over Geoff’s death to the side warred with the part of him that wanted to learn from this who thing and use it to become a better, stronger person.

Finally though, the stronger part inside of Harry won out. He sat up straight and looked determinedly at the three people around the room before his gaze finally settled on Alex.

“I want to get better,” he whispered.

He immediately felt a weight lift from his shoulders and rush of emotions hit him. He sagged forward and his shoulders shook as he let the emotions run through him; emotions that he had pushed back for so long. He leaned into Alex and she immediately wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as he let the emotions run their course.

Charles put a firm hand on Harry’s back and kept it there, a show of support and of love. William stood and came over, standing before Harry and placing his own hand on Harry’s shoulder. They would all keep those positions for as long as it took; until Harry understood that they were all there for him.

Finally, after several long minutes, Harry’s shoulders stopped shaking and his breathing evened out. He straightened slowly and looked up and at the three people surrounding him. He had never felt so much support and love in one room in his life. He felt so many things right then; so many different and conflicting and weighty feelings and thoughts were racing through him. But most of all, more than anything, Harry was plain exhausted.

He hadn’t slept in a week, not since the fight that sent Alex rushing from his house in the middle of the night. The nightmares had gotten so bad that he had only been able to sleep for an hour or so at night before he would wake up in a complete panic. There was no chance of going back to sleep after those nightmares, and so Harry was more tired than he had ever been in his life.

“I don’t think I could ever repay any of you for what you’ve done for me today,” Harry finally said in a quiet, hoarse voice. “I’m…nothing I can say right now, nothing my brain can come up with adequately conveys my feelings. I’m so exhausted that I just can’t…”

“Then you need to sleep,” William said immediately. “You can stay here. I’ll be here if you need anything.”

“I appreciate that, Will. I really do. I just…I think I need to sleep in my own bed. I need the familiarity.”

Will nodded. “Do you want me to come over? I can stay that way if you need anything…”

Harry smiled gratefully up at his brother before his gaze slid over to Alex. “Actually, I was hoping Alex would come with me.”

Alex blinked several times. “I…I’m not sure…”

“Son, let’s not rush things,” Charles offered.

Harry shook his head. “No no, you misunderstand.” He turned back towards Alex. “Alexandra, I just…you don’t have to stay. There are just some things I need to say to you before I can try to sleep; things that will wear on mind if I don’t. Please, can you come with me?”

His voice was soft, gentle, and so very hopeful that Alex knew that fighting it was of no use. He was being genuine and she could see the Harry he was before this all happened peeking through.

“I’ll go,” she responded firmly. “If you are ready to talk to me then I want to hear it.”

****************

When Harry and Alex stepped into his cottage, Alex took a deep breath as she looked around. It looked the same, but she was still hurt by the memories of what happened here a week ago.

She turned her head toward where Harry stood by the door and caught his gaze. It was cautious and careful. Suddenly she needed him to know that she wasn’t scared of him. Yes, had hurt her with what he said last week. He had hurt her today. She didn’t forgive his words, but she didn’t want him to walk on eggshells with her. Alex was smart; she understood that Harry was not an abusive person and that those things would never happen again. She trusted that with her entire heart.

So she went to him. She walked over to Harry and she wrapped her arms fiercely around his waist and laid her head against his chest. His heart thudded loudly beneath her ear. His arms moved slowly, almost uncertainly, before finally wrapping her into his embrace.

They stayed like that for a while; Alex listening to Harry’s heartbeat and Harry soaking up the feeling of her in his arms. It was something he had thought he would never feel again and he wasn’t sure if it was something that would continue. Lord knows he didn’t deserve her now, not after what he had done; so he cherished that moment with everything he had and committed every part to memory.

“Harry?” she finally whispered against his chest.

“Hmmm?”

“How long as it been since you’ve showered?”

Harry grimaced. “Apparently too long if you are asking me that question.”

She leaned back and looked up at him. The corners of her lips pulled up into a small smile. “Maybe you should shower and then we can talk before you get some sleep.”

“Come shower with me?”

She shook her head slowly. “Harry…”

He was quick to reassure her. “No, no. It’s not about that. I promise. I just…”

“You’re just what?” she asked softly.

He took a deep breath. “Would it be crazy if I said it seemed symbolic?”

Her brows furrowed together. “I’m not following you.”

“Me washing away all of this crap and moving forward. I want you to see it. I want you to wash it away with me. I won’t try anything, I swear. That’s not what I want out of this.” 

She held his gaze for a long minute. He could see the uncertainty written all over her face. He hated that his actions made her so wary with him. He hoped against hope that she would agree, so that he could show her he meant every word he said to her today.

“Okay…” she finally whispered. “But nothing sexual. I mean it, Harry.”

He nodded emphatically. “I promise.”

She let out a long breath. “Okay.”

He hadn’t even realized how tense he was when he felt his shoulders sag with relief. With a deep breath he broke their embrace and gestured for her to move in front of him. They made their way to the stairs and walked behind her slowly. Once they reached the landing, he followed her silently down the hall to his room. When she reached the door she placed her hand on the knob and then turned to him with wide eyes.

“The last time I was in here...” she said in a low voice.

He nodded, watching her intently. “I know. You know I didn’t mean…”

She held up a hand and closed her eyes briefly before opening them to him again. “Not yet. Shower first. Then we talk about that. Then you sleep. One step at a time.”

“I’m absolutely okay with that,” he responded quickly.

She nodded once, turned, and took a deep breath. Then opened the door and stepped into his room. He followed her through and into his bathroom. Her heels clicked on the tile as she moved through the big room. Ever efficient, she went straight to his linen cabinet and pulled out three towels; one for him and two for her. He watched her even as he opened the door to the big glass shower and reached in and started the water with nervous hands. Making sure he had the temperature right he moved back out and shut the glass door. She laid each towel over the towel warmer and then turned to face him. He sucked in a sharp breath as she un-tucked her blouse from her pencil skirt and quickly started working on the buttons. He moved swiftly, pulling his own shirt over his head and throwing it to the ground before moving to work on his jeans.

Even though he averted his eyes from her and concentrated on undressing himself, out of respect for her wish not to make this sexual, Alex watched him. He was definitely thinner than he had been. She assumed that he hadn’t been eating very much along with not sleeping or bathing. Her heart filled with so much pain for him in that moment that she had to force herself not to cry out at it. Instead she kept her eyes trained on him as she pulled off her shirt, kicked off her heels, pulled her skirt off, and finally divested herself of her bra and panties. She moved in front of him, opened the shower door, and walked in, welcoming the hot spray from the dual shower heads.

“Harry?” she called when she remained alone in the shower after a few moments.

“Yeah?”

“Are you coming?”

The door opened and he stepped in, still keeping his eyes averted from her.

“You can look at me,” she whispered as he stepped in front of the shower head across from her. She had her back to the one she was under so she could look at him. “You have to be able to look at me and I have to be able to look at you for this. Don’t be scared of me.”

His eyes lifted to her. They were wide and searching. “Scared of you?” he asked incredulously. “I’m not scared of you, Alexandra. I’m terrified that you are scared of me.”

She shook her head slowly. “I’m not scared of you, Harry. I was never scared of you. I will never be scared of you. I know you and there is no reason to fear who you are.” Her voice was strong and firm, solidifying just how strongly she felt about what she just said.

It was his turn to come to her. He moved from under his shower head and over to hers where he pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, just like she had downstairs. She felt like heaven against him as the water pounded down on them; warm and comforting and much more perfect than he deserved.

“Oh Alex…” he murmured as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. “I’m such an idiot.” He felt her nod against his chest and he cracked a smile, his first smile in a week. “Though I’ll thank my lucky stars every day, I’ll never quite understand why you didn’t just give up on me, Alexandra.”

There was a beat of silence, just enough to make Harry wonder if he shouldn’t have said that, if he was misinterpreting this embrace. Then Alex spoke one of the sweetest sentences that Harry would ever hear.

“You don’t give up on the people you love, Harry.”

“You still love me?” he asked, almost in disbelief.

She nodded again against his chest. “Of course I do. I’ll never stop loving you.”

“Alex…about what I said that night…”

“Harry…”

“I have to say this now,” he interrupted her in a low voice as he kept his cheek pressed to her head. He pulled back and looked at her. “I didn’t mean it. Any of it. I know you can’t just say, ‘I take it back’ and expect it to go away. But, Alex…” he paused as his voice caught and swallowed. “I was out of my mind. I wanted desperately for you to drop the subject of my nightmares and in my fucked up haze I dove right for the only thing I could think of to get you to stop. And that isn’t an excuse, that’s just simply where my head was. I don’t have an excuse. I mean to you, plain and simple. I’ve never in my life been as mean to anyone as I was with you that night. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever excuse that or make it right.”

Alex’s watched him as he spoke and she believed him, every single word. But he was right; there was no excuse that would make it right. And as such, it was something she couldn’t just forget. Those words had torn her apart that night. It was something she couldn’t just dismiss as part of his PTSD. It was something that she knew they would have to work through.

“Harry, I know you’re sorry,” she began. “But when you said what you said, about not wanting to marry me or have babies with me, you effectively took back every time you had told me you had wanted those things before.”

His eyes grew sad and he nodded his understanding, no matter how hard it was for him to take.

“It will be a long time before we can talk about those things again,” Alex continued, her voice tight with unshed tears. “It will be a long time before you’ve earned the right to discuss those things with me.”

Harry took a deep breath in an effort to still his nerves. This was a strange line to walk with her. “Alex, I know I’m not in a place to ask anything of you…I just…I want is the chance to try to earn that right again. I want to get better and I want us to get better. I want us to learn how to communicate better and not just clam up every time we fight. I want all of those things because I love you and I am simply a shell of a man without you.”

Alex knew she could draw this out and make him really grovel. She knew he would, she knew he would do anything to make her believe him, to get her to take him back all the way. But, that was the thing; the fact that she knew he would go to any length was what eliminated any need for her to make this any harder than it already was.

“Okay. We will get better together,” she simply said. Before Harry had time to even react she leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips and then turned from his arms to get his body wash and washcloth. When she turned back around his was staring at her with a grin full of elation combined with a little bit of shock.

“Alex, that’s…” he whispered.

“Yes, it is,” she agreed quietly. “Now,” she announced, her tone turning bossy as she squirted body wash onto the cloth. “Let’s wash this week away from us, shall we?”

**************

An hour later, both Harry and Alex were scrubbed clean and fresh. They were wrapped up in bathrobes and sitting on Harry’s couch enjoying a simple pasta dish that Alex had whipped up. Alex had been right; Harry had been starving and was wolfing down a huge serving of pasta like it was the best thing he had ever eaten in his life. She watched him with a small grin and once they were both finished he pressed a small kiss to her cheek as he took her empty bowl from her. He quickly washed them up in the kitchen before going back out to her.

She looked up at him as he walked through the doorway and smiled. “You look clean and well fed,” she commented.

“I am. I almost feel as if I have a new lease on life,” he responded softly as he took her hand between both of his.

Her eyebrows lifted. “Almost.”

“I need to sleep,” he responded with a small smile. His eyes were already beginning to get heavy. He was exhausted and was growing more and more tired by the second. The shower, his conversation with Alex, the food; all combined it was a very powerful sleeping potion.

“Yes, you do,” she said encouragingly.

“Will you stay?” he asked hopefully.

She nodded. “I will. But only for sleep.”

Harry was fine with that, more than fine. His head was the clearest it had been since the nightmares had started. Like Alex had said, when he took something on, when he really wanted something, he did it full force. And he wanted this, to get better and to be better with her.

“If there is a nightmare…I promise if I wake you up it will only be to talk to me. Will that be okay?” he asked her.

She squeezed his hand. “If there is a nightmare, I would be happy to wake up and talk to you, Harry.”

He leaned forward then and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. He pulled back and looked at her, making sure that was okay with her. She nodded softly and then stood, pulling him up with her.

“Come on, Harry. Let’s go to bed.”

***************

Harry slept soundly through the night and through most of the next day. There were no nightmares and when he finally awoke he felt almost normal. He saw the late afternoon sun streaming through the windows and knew Alex wouldn’t still be in bed with him, however when he turned over there was a note lying on her pillow with his name scrawled on it.

I had to go get Emma and take care of some things. I didn’t want to wake you as you were sleeping so soundly and you needed it so badly.

I love you,

Alex

P.S. – Tonight is Disney Princess Movie night. We are watching Beauty and the Beast. 6pm sharp. Don’t be late.

Harry looked at the clock. It was almost five in the afternoon. He grinned as he jumped out of bed and rushed about to get ready.

He had a date with his two favorite ladies.


	36. Chapter Thirty Six

“Knock, knock.”

Alex looked up from her computer where she was immersed in a project for work. She grinned in surprise when she saw Harry standing in her office doorway. “Hi! What are you doing here?”

He grinned back and moved towards her as she stood from her desk to greet him. “Well, I have a meeting and then after that I thought I’d take you to lunch,” he said as she moved up to him. His hands found her waist and he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Alex leaned into him and rested her hands on his chest as he pulled back from the kiss. She loved how soft and tender he had been with her in the days since his intervention; just sweet kisses here and there that spoke of his love and respect for her.

“I can do lunch,” she said with a smile. “But why would you come here before your meeting? You could have just called.”

“Because my meeting is here.”

“Your meeting is here?”

His eyes danced. “Yes.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “You know I hate when you do that.”

“What?”

“Purposely try to confuse me.”

Harry chuckled. “I know. But it’s so cute to watch you try to figure out what you are missing.”

Alex tried not to smile as she shook her head slightly. “Anyway, so your meeting is here? What do you mean by that?”

Harry stepped back from Alex then and pressed his hands together. He grinned and took a deep breath. “My meeting…is with Duncan.”

“Duncan? Our counselor Duncan?” Alex asked. A wide smile spread across her face.

“One and the same.”

“Harry…that’s wonderful…” Alex breathed. “What made you decide to come see him?”

“Ah. The answer to that is simple. What do you think of Duncan, Alex? As a professional?”

“He’s the best,” she answered immediately.

“Exactly,” Harry grinned. “You trust him, so I trust him. Plus…”

“Plus what?”

Harry looked behind him and realized Alex’s office door was open. “Can I close this?” he asked her, pointing to the door. She nodded quickly and leaned her hips back against her desk as he shut it and then moved to sit in the chair right in front of her. He leaned forward in the chair and smiled up at her as he took hold of her hands.

“I was hoping we could do some couples counseling together,” he said softly. “Nothing too intense; just enough to talk about how to manage the PTSD together and to…um…learn how to fight better.”

A slow smile moved across Alex’s face. “Fight better, huh?”

He nodded, pulling her fingers to his lips for a moment before answering. “We’ve had exactly two fights and you know, both times ended in you leaving. I don’t think that needs to become a recurring theme with us.” He pulled her closer to him and she moved to stand between his legs, settling her hands on his shoulders. “Do you agree?”

She nodded over the lump in her throat. She was so happy that he had taken the steps to do this. She was happy that he had chosen Duncan, who really was an amazing counselor and had helped turn the lives around of more than a few people who had come through the doors of HFTF. And most of all, she loved that he was asking her to do some counseling with him, wanting to strengthen not only himself but strengthen their relationship as well.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Alex finally said. “I’d be happy to do some sessions.”

“Yeah?” Harry responded, his lips turning up at the corners.

Alex leaned down and moved her hands from his shoulders, placing them on each side of his face. “Of course. I love you for asking.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, moving them softly against his.

Harry’s hands moved up to her arms, pulling her in a little closer. He was dying to deepen the kiss, to kiss her deeply and fully and explore her sweet, sweet mouth again. They hadn’t kissed like that since they night that they had fought a week and a half ago. He wouldn’t do it though unless he was sure she was okay with it. He had pushed her the last time they were intimate and so he was going to let her call the shots as far as all of that went. He wanted her to tell him when she was ready to go back there again.

But when Alex tipped her tongue out and teased lightly at his lips it was like a shock to Harry’s system. He groaned against her lips and opened his eyes, finding hers already open wide and regarding him hopefully. “Kiss me,” she whispered. “Please.”

There was no way Harry could resist that. He pulled her down on his lap and slid a hand into her hair. Then, searching her eyes one last time and finding the same hope and want there, he pulled her lips to his. His tongue immediately dove into her mouth, his heart slamming against his chest as her tongue rubbed along his, kissing him back as hard as he was kissing her. Her hands went into his hair and she held him to her as he loved her mouth with his. He kissed her and kissed her as long as he could, as long as time and his body would allow him to, before he finally had to pull back from her, and it was with regret that he did so.

“Alex…damn…” he breathed. “I would love to sit here and kiss you like that all day. God…you have no idea. But…”

“But you have a meeting to go to,” she grinned, loving how his wits were scattered just a bit by her and her kisses.

“I do,” he nodded. “And it’s important. Still want to go to lunch after?”

“Absolutely. Where should we go?”

He tipped her off his lap then and stood, adjusting himself and smoothing down his shirt and pants from the time Alex spent on his lap. “There’s an excellent little place around the corner. Although, you know the paparazzi are going to know I’m here, I’m sure they saw me come in. They’ll definitely follow us to lunch.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Stalkers are what they are. They should call them that, not paparazzi.”

Harry’s brows furrowed together. “Have they been bad? I mean, have they truly been stalking you?”

Alex sighed and gave him a small smile. “No, not bad. Though, I feel like they’ve been steadily picking up recently, you know? There was that first rush when you first came back and then they tapered off. Maybe after Matt left and we weren’t going out in public as much they thought there wasn’t that much of a story and they weren’t camping out across from my building or here. But something has got them interested, I can’t figure out what it is. Nobody knows that we were fighting. Nobody knows about what happened between you, Will, your father, and me this past weekend. I’m just not sure.”

Harry ran a hand through his hair as he thought about it. “I hate to ask this, but have you checked the papers or the weeklies?”

“Yeah…I know I shouldn’t, but I wanted to see what was going on. But there was absolutely nothing. The only thing I can think is that your birthday is this weekend…”

His eyes snapped to hers. “Oh God…that’s it. That’s why they are amping up.” He laughed then, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I must not be on my game at all.”

“They are following you because your birthday is this weekend?”

He shook his head slowly. “No, they are following both of us because my birthday is this weekend and whenever there is a major holiday or a birthday they think something big is about to happen…”

Alex caught it immediately. “They are thinking…or hoping…that we…”

Harry gulped. “Yes.”

Alex lifted her chin and looked him square in the eye. “We aren’t, right? I told you that I’m not ready to talk about that again yet.”

Harry immediately put his hands on her arms and looked down softly into her face. “Of course not, Alex. Even if…even if I hadn’t said those things, it wouldn’t be the right time. And I know you were serious when you said that I’ve lost that right. I won’t talk about those things until you are ready. I promise.”

She sighed and gave him a sweet smile as she leaned into him. “Thank you. I do love you though. We can talk about that all you’d like.”

Harry grinned before glancing at the clock on her wall. “I love you too, Alexandra. And I really want to talk about that…a lot. But I’ve got to go.”

“Go,” she said with a laugh. “Come down and get me when you’re done.”

“Deal.” He kissed her quick then and turned and slipped out of her office with a flash of that confident smile she loved so much.

He was getting back to himself more and more every day.

************

“So, for my birthday this weekend…” Harry said as they sat at lunch an hour and a half later.

Alex looked up from her food. “What do you have planned? Dinner and going out?”

Harry shook his head. “No, I was hoping we could go somewhere; you, me, and Emma.”

Alex cocked her head to the side. “Really? Where did you have in mind?”

“Would you be worried if I said I wanted it to be a surprise?”

“A surprise? No, I wouldn’t be worried. Are you sure you want to go out of town though? I mean, it is your last birthday in your twenties,” she grinned and winked at him. “Next year you’ll be thirty. All the fun stops then.”

Harry’s lips twitched. “You aren’t that much younger than me, love.”

She shrugged and took a bite of her food, chewing slowly before she looked at him with a sly grin. “Two years. Which means I’ve got three more years of fun while you’ve only got one.”

Harry couldn’t help the burst of laughter that left his lips, drawing the attention of several of the other diners. He knew he had just gained some extra recognition of their presence in the restaurant, and probably some extra mobile phone photos to be posted to the social networking sites, but he didn’t care. He loved that she didn’t have one single problem with teasing him like that.

“Just wait until you turn thirty and I get to make fun of you,” he responded cheekily, pointing his fork at her.

Alex pursed her lips. “You wouldn’t if you knew what was good for you.”

Harry’s shoulder’s shook with his laughter. “You’re right. I know better than that.” He stopped and took another bite of food before continuing. “This weekend though? Can you and Emma join me? We will leave Saturday morning and come back Sunday afternoon. It’s just a short trip, but there is really something I would like to do with you.”

“And you won’t tell me where we are going?” Alex asked with an eyebrow raised.

Harry’s lips turned up at the corners. “I’ll tell you that we are driving out into the country.”

Alex rolled her eyes playfully. “Okay, okay. I get it. I’m not getting anything from you. But yes, of course Emma and I will go.”

“Excellent!” Harry exclaimed. “Oh, one more thing, Alex…”

“Yeah?”

“No presents.”

“What? It’s your birthday, Harry. Of course you…”

Harry shook his head quickly. He reached across the table for her hand and squeezed it as his expression grew serious. “No presents, baby. Not this birthday. I’ve already gotten everything I could ever need or want from you. Having you and Emma with me on my birthday on Sunday is what I want. It’s all I want.”

Alex’s heart swelled at his words and she couldn’t believe how much she loved him in that moment. She squeezed his hand back and spoke clearly, assuredly. “Then you shall have us, Harry.”


	37. Chapter Thirty Seven

“Harry!” Emma sang as she ran from her room towards the foyer of Alex’s flat. She had heard Harry come in and was making a direct beeline for him.

“Hey Princess,” Harry called as he winked at Alex and leaned over and kissed her quickly before Emma rounded the corner. Alex laughed when Emma appeared and ran straight to Harry. Harry leaned down and grabbed her as she got to him, swinging her up into his arms. Emma squealed and then wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug.

“I’m so happy that you are taking us on a trip,” Emma said excitedly. “Where are we going?”

“Ah, that’s a surprise and you know it,” Harry said with a smile, tapping his finger to Emma’s nose lightly.

Emma rolled her eyes. “You can tell me. You just can’t tell Mum.”

Harry laughed. “No way, pretty girl. You will have to wait with your Mum. And actually, the first part of our trip is more of a surprise for her. Your surprise will be later tonight. Can you wait that long?”

Emma sighed dramatically. “I suppose, if I really have to.”

Alex covered her mouth to suppress her giggles and Harry’s lips twitched. “You have to, Emma. But I promise, it will be worth it,” he said, holding back his laughter.

“Oooo-kay,” Emma drawled.

Harry shook his head and laughed as he set her back down on the ground. “Okay, sassypants. Are you ready? All packed?”

Emma immediately looked to Alex. “Are we ready, Mummy? All packed?”

Alex’s shoulders shook with laughter. Sometimes the way her daughter emulated Harry made Alex wonder just how in the world she wasn’t Harry’s child. “We certainly are, Em.” Alex turned and looked to Harry. “Our bags are in the living room.”

“Excellent, I’ll get them.”

Harry moved into the living room to get the bags and was back within seconds, smiling as he lead the way out of Alex’s flat. They made their way downstairs where Harry’s PO immediately took the bags and loaded them into the waiting Range Rover. The three of them then slid into the backseat, buckled themselves up, and then they were off for their two hour drive into the country.

**************

Emma had long been asleep when they finally pulled up to the cottage in the countryside. She was tucked up under Harry’s arm and Alex couldn’t help but smile at that, how both she and her daughter seemed to gravitate towards him for comfort.

“So where are we?” Alex whispered as the Range Rover pulled to a stop and the POs got out and came to open the doors for them. Harry motioned through the windows to give them a minute and they both stood back, waiting.

Harry took a deep breath and looked at Alex with wide eyes. “This home belongs to Susanna Griffin. She’s Geoff’s widow.”

Alex felt her heart beat just a little bit faster. “We are coming to see Geoff’s widow? Harry that’s…I mean, she knows I’m coming with you right? Does she know Emma is coming?”

Harry couldn’t help but chuckle. “Of course, love. I called and asked her if I could come see her after you agreed to come with me this weekend. I need to talk to her, and I wanted you to be a part of that. There is also something I want to do for her…for Geoff.”

“Harry, I’m more than happy, delighted really, that I’m here. But are you sure you don’t want this to be a private moment?”

His face grew serious and he nodded his head slowly. “You are the reason I’m here, Alexandra. Because of that, I want you to be by my side as I do this. I want you to be a part of it. That’s important to me. I want it for me, for you, and for us. I don’t want to leave you in the dark about anything anymore. I’ve done that too much. Good or bad, I want you there.”

Alex shook her head at him and blinked back the tears that inevitably formed. “Can you please stop trying to make me cry, Harry? Jeez. And right before we are to walk into someone else’s home.”

The burst of laughter at her sass left his lips before he could begin to stop it. It startled Emma awake and she looked up at him in annoyance before she realized that they were stopped. She immediately popped up and out from under Harry’s arm and looked around.

“We’re here?” she half-squealed, half-croaked, her voice still hoarse from sleep.

“We are here,” Harry answered. He leaned over and unbuckled Emma’s seatbelt. “Emma, we are here visiting a friend of mine name Susanna. We are going to have an adult conversation for a bit, but I believe she said she would have something for you to do while we talked. Can you let us talk for a while? Once we are done then I promise we are on to the next thing and your surprise.”

Emma grinned and nodded. “I can do that.”

“Ah, well I knew you would say that. You’re a pretty good kid, Em,” Harry said matching her grin.

“Yeah, I know,” she responded as serious as could be, bringing laughter from both Harry and Alex.

Harry motioned for the POs to open the doors then and the trio got out of the car. Alex took Emma’s hand and they followed Harry up to the door of the cottage. Harry knocked and turned and flashed a nervous grin at Alex. She smiled back encouragingly and winked at him just before the door to the cottage opened and a lovely brunette woman appeared at the doorway.

“Hello,” Susanna said in a bright, welcoming voice. Her brown eyes flashed to from Harry, to Alex, and to Emma. “I’m glad you all could make it.”

Harry smiled with bright, happy eyes and motioned behind them to his POs. “Can my friends come in and take a look around real quick?”

Susanna nodded. “Of course, please do.” She stood back and Mark and Ian moved in past the group to do their look through.

“Sorry about that,” Harry said. “I hate having to ask if strangers can look around your home.”

Susanna waved him off. “Please. It’s not a big deal. I understand.”

The POs came back through then. “All good, sir,” Mark said to Harry.

“Thank you,” Harry said with a nod to them as they went to wait back in the Range Rover.

Susanna motioned for them to all come in then. Harry stepped back and with a gently hand to Alex’s back he guided her and Emma in before him. Once they were inside and the door was firmly shut behind them Harry turned towards Susanna. “Susanna, this is my girlfriend, Alexandra Morgan and her daughter Emma Morgan,” Harry said, looking proudly at the ladies with him.

“Pleased to meet you, Alexandra” Susanna said, placing her hand out to Alex.

“You as well, Susanna. Please, call me Alex,” she said with a smile as she returned the handshake.

Susanna then leaned down and placed her hand out for Emma. “Hello, Emma. I’m Susanna. It’s very nice to meet you. You look just like your mummy.”

“Thank you, Susanna,” Emma responded, shaking her hand.

“And so polite. Well, you were raised right, that’s for sure,” Susanna said as she stood back up and looked at Harry and Alex with a smile. “Shall we go into the living room? I have tea set up.”

Harry nodded. “Sure. Where did you want Emma to play while we wait?”

“Oh! Yes, of course,” Susanna said brightly. “Come on, Emma. My little boy, John, is asleep, but I have TV in his playroom and we can pick out a movie for you.”

Emma immediately released Alex’s hand and went to follow Susanna. “Do you have Aladdin?” Emma asked instantly, looking up hopefully at Susanna as she walked.

“As a matter of fact, I do! It’s one of my favorites.”

***********

Twenty minutes later, Emma was firmly in place with Aladdin and a handful of Susanna’s old books from when she was a child to keep her occupied. Susanna, Harry, and Alex were all seated in Susanna’s living room, drinking tea and chatting. It was when Harry spotted a picture of Geoff and Susanna on the end table by the couch that he and Alex were seated on that the conversation took its turn to the reason that they were there.

Harry picked up the picture and looked at it. It was taken after Geoff’s previous deployment upon his arrival back in England. Susanna was pregnant and Geoff was standing next to her, as happy as could be, his hand on her stomach.

“Susanna…” Harry started, his voice catching, “I should have done this a long time ago, coming to you personally to express my condolences. Geoff was…he was my closest friend there. He was someone who I’d always gotten along with in the squadron. He was someone I trusted. And I…I took it really hard when he died. And I know that…God…you’re his wife and that my pain is nothing compared to yours. I just…”

Susanna shook her head quickly as her eyes welled up with tears. She reached a hand over and grabbed one of Harry’s. She didn’t care who he was or what the protocol was. The simple fact was that he had been a friend, a very good friend, of her husband. “No, Harry. I understand. I’m just glad you are here now. I’m glad Geoff meant enough to you that you decided to visit. He always spoke so highly of you.”

Harry’s eyes lifted. “He spoke of me?”

Susanna laughed. “Of course he did. You were his friend. And I was his wife. He told me things that he wouldn’t tell anyone else. One of the last…” she trailed off and closed her eyes for a moment as she swallowed the lump in her throat. “One of the last times we talked over the phone, he mentioned that you had met someone. I think his exact words were, ‘Baby, I think at some point we’ll be attending a Royal Wedding.’ He said you looked like a man who had met his match.”

Despite the tears in his eyes, Harry’s grin at that particular memory, the memory of him and Geoff having that conversation themselves, stretched across his face. He looked to Alex who was biting her lip as she watched the conversation. She turned her eyes to his and smiled softly. And he knew it was okay, just this one, just this time, to say it.

“I think he was right,” Harry said softly, turning back to Susanna. “He said to me, ‘When you know you know.’ He was thinking of you when he said it.”

The tears spilled from Susanna’s eyes then. “He always used to say that to me. When we had only been dating for a few months and he said he wanted to marry me. I wasn’t so sure. I thought we hadn’t known each other long enough. And he would just keep on being patient every time I expressed my doubts. He would just say, ‘Susanna, when you know you know. I know, and soon you will too.’ And he was right, eventually I did.”

Harry couldn’t wait any longer. He was listening to her tell them about her husband and he just couldn’t sit there any longer without telling her. “Susanna, I have to tell you something. Something about the night he died…”

Susanna pulled a tissue from the dispenser on the low table in front of her and wiped away her tears. She looked up at Harry wide-eyed and nervous. “I don’t…Harry, I don’t need to know details. I know how he died and that’s more than...”

“I was supposed to be in the Apache, not Geoff,” Harry broke in over her. “I’m…I’m sorry for interrupting, but if I didn’t say it now, I would have lost the nerve.”

Susanna blinked. “I’m sorry…I don’t understand. What do you mean you were supposed to be there, not Geoff?”

Harry took a deep breath and glanced at Alex. She smiled at him encouragingly and took one of his hands. Then, he launched into the story. He told her the whole thing; the BBC interview that led to him wanting to call Alex, Geoff offering to switch nights, and then how he witnessed them bringing Geoff’s body back to the base and how he had lost it, knowing it was supposed to be him. He explained how he tried to push it away when he came back and how it had affected him; that he had PTSD as a result of everything. When he was done Susanna stared at him for a long moment, and in that moment Harry was genuinely terrified that she was about to kick him out of her house.

“Harry…” she finally said when she broke the stare. She blew out a breath. “It’s not your fault. Even if you were supposed to be there, Geoff offered to switch. And even then, we don’t know that if you had been in the Apache if it would have gotten shot down. You just can’t know that. Did you…” she wiped her eyes and then regarded him with wide eyes. “Did you think I would blame you?”

“I thought that everyone would blame me,” Harry said honestly. His voice was quiet but clear and honest.

“Oh goodness. No, Harry. I don’t blame you. And you know what? Geoff wouldn’t either. He was a firm believer in the fact that if something was supposed to happen it would happen.”

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat at her words. “I feel guilty that he doesn’t get to be here for you or for your son.”

“Don’t feel guilty, Harry. You can feel sad, that’s allowed. I’m sad about that. I will always…” Susanna trailed off as the emotions welled up. Alex reached quickly for another tissue and handed it across Harry to Susanna. “Thank you,” Susanna said, as she wiped her eyes and nose.

“Of course,” Alex said softly. “Can I interject for just a moment?” she asked. When both Harry and Susanna nodded she took a deep breath. “Susanna, I’m a war widow myself. My husband was an Apache pilot who got shot down in Afghanistan almost seven years ago. I was pregnant with Emma when it happened.”

“Wow…” Susanna breathed. “I mean. I knew that. Of course I knew that, and I know you have the organization that deals with people who’ve lost spouses in the armed forces. Hearing you say it, though, it just brings it home that it’s not only me. It brings it home that people don’t cry every day over this; that they move on.”

Alex smiled. “I thought it might. And you know…if you’d like to come to London sometime and attend some group meetings, I’d love to have you.”

Susanna smiled softly at Alex, genuinely touched by the offer. “I’d love that. I really would.”

“And actually Susanna, that brings me to something that I’d like to ask of you, something that would bring you to London at some point, if you are up to it,” Harry said, moving into the conversation again. When Susanna regarded him questioningly he smiled and continued. “I’ve been researching programs that deal with PTSD for returning soldiers. I’m doing counseling through someone at Alex’s organization, but I was really interested in what was out there. I found one that really, really struck a chord with me. I went and visited privately with the staff and some of the people that are getting help there and I was absolutely floored by the things they are doing. The thing is that they are small and struggling to do everything that they want to do. I want to become a patron for their program and I also want to donate a sum of money to them…and I want to do it in Geoff’s name.”

Both Alex and Susanna reached for tissues at the same time, completely and utterly floored by Harry’s passionate speech.

“Harry…” Alex breathed, wiping her eyes as a big smile stretched across her face.

“That would be wonderful,” Susanna whispered. “Simply wonderful. Geoff would have loved that.”

Harry looked down at his hands. “I hope he would.” He looked back up at her. “I would like for you to be there when I make the presentation. If you wanted to, you could make a little speech. If not, then you don’t have to. But your presence and support would certainly be welcomed.”

Susanna was stunned. “Oh my God, of course. Of course I will go. And I’d love to say something. Harry…what a wonderful way to honor his memory. Thank you.”

Harry shook his head. “No, thank you. Thank you for letting us come here today. And thank you for being so understanding.”

“Mummy?”

All three heads turned to the voice in the doorway. It was Emma standing there, looking uncomfortable about interrupting, but holding the hand of a small little dark haired boy clad in pajamas.

“He came in the playroom looking for his mum…” Emma said quietly, hoping she wasn’t in trouble for coming into the living room when she was supposed to be in the playroom.

“Ha!” Susanna laughed. “I guess we talked right through nap time.” She stood and went over to the doorway to pick up her son. “Thank you for bringing him in Emma. You can stay if you’d like, we are done with the adult stuff.”

“Okay!” Emma said, clearly delighted to be back in the company of everyone. She ran straight over to Harry and dove on his lap, eliciting a grunt from him and a giggle from Alex.

And so they all sat for a while, chatting and getting to know each other. Before they all knew it, it was late afternoon and Harry reluctantly told Susanna they had to leave, that they needed to be getting to their next stop for the weekend.

They all said their good-byes and Harry promised to call Susanna with information on when she needed to London. Then, with waves out of the car window, Harry, Alex, and Emma were off in the direction of their next destination.

“Okay Harry, you promised my surprise would be next!” Emma squealed once they got on the road.

“Did I?” Harry asked, a mock confused look appearing on his face. “I’m not sure I did. Alex, did I promise that?”

Alex pretended to think. “You know, I’m not so sure you did. I mean…”

“Nooooo! You did!” Emma cried. “You did, Harry.” Her eyes narrowed and she leaned closer to him.

“Ha! Okay, okay, I did promise. Next, we are going to go over to Mike and Zara’s house. Your beautiful mum is going to accompany me to dinner tonight and you, my little munchkin,” he tickled her lightly. “You get to hang with Zara and Mike and make sure they behave.”

“Yay!” Emma yelled, startling Alex and making Harry laugh. “I love Mike and Zara. Do I get to ride horses?”

“Tomorrow, yes,” Harry responded.

Emma clapped her hands and bounced in her seat as Alex looked at Harry with a wide grin. “You spoil us, you know that?”

Harry laughed as Emma got a little overzealous and bumped into Alex, causing Alex to grab Emma’s hands and tell her to settle down. Emma giggled and apologized at the same time, assuring that there was no way Alex could keep a straight face; she burst into giggles herself, clearly as giddy about their trip as Emma was.

Harry watched the scene and smiled to himself. The day had gone so well, and he still had dinner with Alex to go.

It was shaping up to be a wonderful birthday weekend.

To Be Continued…


	38. Chapter Thirty Eight

“Hello? Are you ready?” Harry yelled as he knocked on Zara and Mike’s closed bedroom door, where Alex was currently getting ready for their dinner. Zara was in there with her, doing God knows what. “I’ve left your daughter alone with Mike, so you better hurry at least for her sake!”

The door swung open and Zara stood there with a hand on her hip. “Henry.”

“Zara,” he responded, his lips twisting at the exasperated look on her face.

“Can I help you?”

“Well, considering my girlfriend is in there with you and I’m due to be taking her to dinner any minute now, I’d like for you to stop holding her hostage.”

Zara laughed. “I am in no way ‘holding her hostage’ Harry. She’s getting ready and I’m having a little chat with her while she does. Don’t rush her. Don’t you want her to look beautiful?”

“She always looks beautiful,” Harry responded with a grin.

“She can’t hear you,” Zara laughed.

“Ha! I didn’t say it so she’d hear it. Although, if you bring her out I’ll tell her myself.”

“She doesn’t have to bring me out, I’m ready,” Alex called, coming into view behind Zara.

Harry’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit.”

The blue cocktail dress she was wearing fit her like it was made for her. It was sexy without showing anything off and it highlighted her blue eyes and fair skin perfectly. Her hair was pulled back and her jewelry was minimal, just enough to add a little something to the beautiful dress.

“See. Told you she was getting beautiful,” Zara said with a wink towards Alex.

“Go away, Zara,” Harry tossed out playfully, keeping his eyes trained on his stunning girlfriend.

“Is it too much?” Alex asked, biting her lip as she watched Harry devour her with his eyes. She laughed when he didn’t answer her.

“I’m sorry…what?” he asked, his eyes snapping up to hers.

Zara rolled her eyes. “For heaven’s sake. You’re too busy ogling to even listen to her.”

Harry turned and looked at his cousin and his lips tugged at the corners. “I thought I told you to beat it.”

“No way. I’m not leaving you two alone in my bedroom.”

Alex laughed and moved forward then, pressing a kiss to Zara’s cheek and telling how much she enjoyed talking to her while she was getting ready. Then with a wink at Harry she took his hand and let him from Zara and Mike’s room, Zara following out and closing the door behind her.

The three of them moved downstairs and into the game room where they were greeted by Emma with a tube of bright red lipstick in hand, applying it carefully to Mike’s pursed lips.

Alex shrieked in laughter, clapping her hand over her mouth to try and cover it, even though it was too later. Harry’s eyes went wide and his shoulders immediately started to shake with laughter. And Zara simply shook her head, as if she was completely used to this type of behavior.

“Auntie Mike wanted a make-over,” Emma said proudly as she grabbed ahold of Mike’s face and turned it towards to group to show off her creation.

“Auntie Mike?” Alex squealed, breaking into another round of giggles and turning to press her forehead to Harry’s shoulder in an effort to keep herself together.

“Zara, is there a reasonable explanation for any of this?” Harry asked, pointing towards Mike with an amused grin.

“Hey,” Mike called out. “Don’t be jealous just because Emma’s never given you a makeover.”

“Whatever makes you feel better, Auntie Mike,” Harry bantered back.

“His nieces call him Auntie Mike,” Zara finally offered up helpfully. “He lets them do this kind of stuff all the time. I think it’s sweet.”

Alex nodded with a grin as she wiped tears of laughter from under her eyes, careful not to smudge her makeup. “It is cute. And very sweet of you to let her do that to you, Mike.”

“Psh. Emma here is a brilliant makeup artist,” Mike laughed.

Emma giggled. “Just wait until I paint your nails!”

“Oh God. On that not, it’s time to go,” Harry broke in, shaking his head in laughter. “Emma, we are leaving,” he called out to the little girl he loved so much. Emma dropped what she was doing and ran straight over to Harry and Alex. She gave them both hugs and kisses and promised to be good for them.

Then, with a final chorus of goodbyes, Harry took Alex’s hand and led her from the room and to the front door, opening it for her with a flourish and wide, happy smile. He led her to the car that was parked in the drive and opened the passenger side for her.

“After you,” he grinned, motioning for her to get in.

“Oh! You get to drive tonight, huh?” Alex smirked as she slid in carefully.

“I do. It is my birthday,” Harry said with a wink before he gently closed her door and hurried around to his side. Alex couldn’t help but giggle. He was positively giddy and Alex loved it. It was truly a wonder to see and something she was incredibly grateful for. And when Harry opened his door, slid in, and turned to look at her, she was beaming at him, loving the moment. He was caught a little off guard when he saw that entire face was just lit up. It wasn’t that he didn’t expect her to be happy or excited, it was that she was beaming at him as if he we were the source of her joy.

And he was the source of her joy. She loved him so incredibly much. Things had been hard recently, yes. But they had pulled through and if anything, even with the uncertainty that the previous few weeks had held, Alex felt like she was more in love with him than ever. She felt closer to him than she ever had, and knew it was a result of just what they had come through. And those emotions were reflected in the way she was looking at him now. Harry caught it and recognized it and was completed floored by it.

“Alexandra,” he breathed. He watched her cheeks flush as he called to her and they both felt the heat pass between them.

He reached for her then, not being able to control his actions at that moment. His hand curled around her neck and pulled her closer to him. Her eyes fluttered closed seconds before his lips crashed down on hers and a gasp sprang from her mouth and pushed into his at the intensity of the kiss. His lips and tongue were seeking hers as if they were the very air he needed to breathe and it made Alex’s heart pound in her chest.

With a moan that came from deep inside her, Alex leaned into him. Her hands came up to his chest and slid into the lapels of his coat. She tugged him closer, wanting him as near to her as he could possibly be in that moment. His hands moved gently over her, his right moving down from her neck and over her shoulder to her back, where it joined his left. His fingers flexed over the material of her dress and she whimpered, being able to feel the heat of his hands through the layers of cloth. And when he finally pulled away from her, it was only because he knew if he didn’t the moment was going to get out of hand. Any other time he may not have minded, but he really did want to take her out for the evening he had planned.

“Harry…” Alex murmured as she leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his, her fingers still gripping his coat. She opened her eyes and found his already open and looking at her. They were so close and she could see the emotions flicker in his blue eyes.

“I love you so much, Alex. Thank you for tonight,” he whispered.

She smiled and brought a soft hand to his cheek. “I love you, Harry Wales. But you know…the night hasn’t even started.”

He chuckled and leaned up to press a firm kiss to her forehead before pulling back from her. “It doesn’t matter. I’m with you. It will be wonderful.”

Alex’s lips twisted. “For Heaven’s sake, Henry. Stop trying to make me cry all the damn time.”

He smirked. “I don’t do it intentionally.”

Alex laughed as she sat back in her seat and pulled her seatbelt on, her eyes never leaving his. “Sure, sure. Now, are you ever going to take me to dinner, or did I put this dress on for nothing?”

“Ha! Okay, okay. Let’s go, baby,” he agreed as he started the engine of the Audi. “And that dress, whether we made it to dinner or not…that dress is definitely not for nothing.”

****************

Harry had arranged a table in a private room at a very upscale restaurant about half an hour from where Mike and Zara’s home. Along with the private table in the private room, he had also arranged for a tasting menu from the five-star, world renowned chef, which would offer them a little bit of the best the restaurant had to offer. It was certainly expensive and certainly over the top but Alex loved it. It was intimate and lovely and the food was amazing.

“You know Harry, as much as I’m loving this…” Alex said as she took a sip of her champagne that was served with dessert. “I really wish you would have let me plan a little something for your birthday. It’s certainly not right that you planned all of this on your own birthday and I didn’t have to lift a finger.”

Harry smiled softly and reached for her free hand. He pulled it up to his lips and placed a warm, tender kiss to her palm. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she giggled, very much tipsy from all of the wine they had been served. She moved her fingers down, brushing them over his perfect lips as she waited for him to speak.

“I didn’t plan this for me, love. I planned this for you,” he said in a low voice. He pulled her hand down to his lap, resting it on his thigh.

“But it’s your birthday.”

He looked at her for a moment, a small smile on his lips. Then he moved, leaning forward in her chair so he was closer to her. “Yes, it is my birthday. Well, tomorrow it is anyway. But instead of celebrating being a year older, I’m celebrating being with you. And, both of us…I think this is an excellent occasion to celebrate coming through some ridiculous shit this year together.”

Alex’s lips twitched. “Ridiculous shit?”

“Okay, maybe that wasn’t the right way to phrase that,” Harry chuckled. “How about…we’ve overcome some big obstacles?”

“I like ridiculous shit better.”

A wide smile split Harry’s lips and his eyes crinkled up in the corners. Alex moved her hand from her champagne glass to trace the lines around his eyes. “Regardless of what we call it, it’s been a rather trying nine months since we met, no?” Harry continued on.

Alex heard the seriousness edge to his tone and she sobered up for a moment, putting her giddiness on the backburner for the moment. “It has. But I’m not complaining about that, Harry.”

“I know, my love. And that’s the thing.”

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What’s the thing?”

“You should be complaining. Anyone else would. Anyone else would be running screaming in the opposite direction; but not you. Despite all of the craziness that goes along with me, despite the paparazzi, my insane family, the deployment and the unforgivable way I treated you recently, you’re still here,” he finished. His face was soft with his words and his eyes were regarding her with such adoration that it stole her breath for a few moments.

Alex leaned in closer to him, her hands moving to cup his face. “Of course I’m here. I told you I would be. Months and months ago when you sat me down in your kitchen and warned me about your life I told you I was in and that I could handle it. Why do you act like one day I’m going to wake up and decide to just run from this? I’m here. Harry…I’m going to do couples counseling with you. I’m in this…together…with you.”

“I know, Alex,” he said quietly. “I know you are. I don’t think you are going to wake up one day and run. I just want you to know that I know how hard this is on you sometimes. I want you to know that I will never forget how much of a sacrifice…”

“Don’t call it that,” she interrupted with an edge to her voice. “I hate that. It’s not a sacrifice.”

“You’re giving up your privacy and Emma’s privacy and…”

“Harry.”

“And I know how much courage that takes and…”

“Harry.”

He finally stopped and focused back on her. “What?”

“Yeah. Those things are gone. But you know what Emma and I got in return?”

Harry’s eyebrows lifted. “If you say me…well, that’s just not a very fair trade.”

Alex laughed despite the intensity of the conversation. “Yes it is. Come on, where is the cocky man I’ve come to know and love?”

“You know me versus your private life is not…”

“Listen, Harry,” Alex interrupted. “You are. But when I say you, I’m not talking about Prince Harry. I’m talking about the wonderful, sweet, crazy, over-the-top, swagger of a man who came to Disney Princess Night, ate macaroni and cheese, and hung out with my kid on our first date. I’m talking about the man whose family and friends drew me and my daughter right in without a second thought when they had no reason to trust me other than you said so. I’m talking about all of that, plus more than we have time for me to list. So no, it’s not a sacrifice, baby. It’s love. So, stop worrying that I’m giving up anything, because I’m not, got it?”

Harry grinned and leaned over to press a firm kiss against her lips. “Bossy,” he murmured against her lips.

“You like it,” she retorted.

“Love it.”

Alex giggled as she leaned back from him and picked up her champagne glass again, taking another sip. “So what’s next? What else do you have planned?”

Harry’s eyes danced. “How do you know I have something else planned?”

“Because I know you…”

Harry nodded then, picking up his own champagne glass and draining it. “I do have something else planned. But first, I have something I want to give you.”

Alex cocked an eyebrow. “Give me? It’s not my birthday.”

Harry laughed. “I know. It’s not a birthday present.” He leaned back in his chair and his hand slipped inside of his jacket, going for the inside pocket.

Alex’s heart immediately started to thump in her chest as his hand pulled from his jacket, in slow motion it seemed. He couldn’t be…could he? He said he wasn’t. He said it wasn’t the right time….

“Harry…” Alex whispered, her voice wavering.

He caught the emotion just as he pulled out the large square box. “What?” he asked her, his eyes wide. He watched her eyes widen as the box came out from his jacket and saw her relief when she saw it, saw the size of it.

“Alex? Did you think I was about to pull out a ring?” He bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling at her wide-eyed reaction.

Her eyes snapped to his. “No. Of course not. No…I just…oh God. The ground needs to swallow me up right now.”

Harry shook his head, his lips curling up at the sides. “You should have seen the look on your face though. I’m not sure if you were thrilled or terrified.”

Alex covered her face with her hands, completely embarrassed. “Oh Jesus. I’m going to die.”

Harry laughed and reached over to pull her hands from her face. “Hey. It’s okay, Alexandra. Don’t be embarrassed.”

“Too late,” she squeaked. Her cheeks were red and she was worrying her lip. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him. “I wasn’t terrified…I wasn’t…I don’t know, Harry. Can we just pretend that didn’t happen and never, ever discuss it again?”

“I’d love to promise you that, but I don’t make promises I can’t keep, love.”

“Oh my God…”

“Okay, Alex. I’m kidding,” Harry said with a grin. “Seriously, do not be embarrassed. It’s not a big deal. I won’t bring it up again, I promise.”

She eyed him speculatively. “I don’t believe you.”

He tried to hold back his laughter, but he couldn’t help it. “I love you, Alexandra. Do you believe that?”

She sighed, deciding to push her embarrassment to the side, as much as it pained her. “Yes, I believe that.”

“Excellent,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Now, I got you something.” He smiled wide as he motioned to the box on the table.

“Okay. Should I open it right now or…?”

“You are drunk. It’s present and I’m giving it to you. Of course, you open it now,” he smirked

Alex rolled her eyes playfully and reached for the box, pulling it to her. With a shy smile toward Harry she flipped it open. “Harry…” she said softly as her eyes pulled up to his.

He scooted his chair closer so he was next to her. “It’s a bracelet,” he said softly, pulling the rose gold bracelet from its velvet cushion and held it out in his palm for her. She took it from him and her eyes moved over the beautiful piece. When she caught that it was engraved she grinned and her eyes flashed up to his before going back to the bracelet to read it.

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage,” Alex read in a clear voice. When her eyes moved up to his again they were shining with tears.

“When I saw that quote, it just struck me…”Harry trailed off, swallowing at the lump in his throat.

“It’s us,” Alex finished for him, a single tear slipping from her right eye and trailing down her cheek.

“Yes,” he whispered back, reaching up to brush her tear away. “It is us. Your love, Alexandra…it gave me the strength I needed to admit I needed help. But loving you…loving you and knowing if I didn’t get help that I would lose you…it gave me the courage I needed actually jump in and do it. I wanted to give you something that would always remind you of what you’ve done for me; of what your love…our love…has done for me.”

And because Alex had no words in that moment for what he had given her, what he had said to her, for what this meant to her…she quickly put the bracelet on and then pulled him to her. And Harry understood. So he went, meeting her lips with his own, sealing their amazing evening with an even more amazing kiss.

******************

Many hours and many more glasses of champagne later Harry and Alex stumbled none to quietly back into Mike and Zara’s house. One of Harry’s POs had driven them home, as they were both much too drunk to drive, but getting upstairs and to their room was a feat that they had to manage themselves, which they did…barely.

“Alexandra…did I tell you how fucking amazing you look in that dress tonight?” Harry asked as soon as he closed the bedroom door behind them and locked it. He peeled off his suit coat as he said it, throwing it unceremoniously to the ground.

“Hmmm…yep. But feel free to go on about it. I don’t mind one little bit,” Alex responded with a giggle as she kicked her shoes off.

Harry didn’t waste time. He was on her instantly. His arms wrapped tightly around her middle and he buried his face in her neck, kissing and licking his way up towards her mouth. “Oh Alexandra…I’ve missed you…” he groaned as he reached for the zipper of the dress that ran down her back.

“Harry…” she breathed. She loved what he was doing; loved having his warm, hard body wrapped around her. But…

“Harry…not tonight…”

He stopped moving. “What? Alex…”

“Not yet,” she whispered, pulling back to look at him, her eyes wide. “I’m not ready yet.”

“Baby, I can get you ready…that’s not…”

She shook her head slowly and he groaned, pulling her tighter against him.

“Come on, baby. You can wait, can’t you?” she asked, pulling her lower lip between her teeth.

“No,” he growled, shaking his head as he buried it in her neck.

“You can’t?”

“Yes, of course I can, Alex.” He words were muffled against her skin. She could feel him taking deep breaths, trying to control himself. She grinned.

“You know, Harry. Just because we’re not going to have sex, doesn’t mean we can’t do other stuff,” she said in a low voice. Her fingers went for the closure on his pants and she quickly undid it, sliding her hand inside and then pulling him out.

Harry’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”

She nodded slowly and then dropped down on her knees in front of him.

“Ohhh…” Harry breathed, his features lighting up when he realized what was about to happen.

“It is your birthday,” she murmured, turning innocent eyes up to him.

And then before he could say anything, before he could respond, Alex took him in her mouth and welcomed in Harry’s twenty-ninth birthday in a way that knocked all words from his mouth, all thoughts from his brain, and put the biggest, silliest grin on his handsome face.


	39. Chapter Thirty Nine

“So, your birthday in a week…” Harry began one night over dinner at Alex’s. It has been three weeks since Harry’s own birthday and the days had moved fast. He had been doing engagements, some which were out of town, and had just gotten back from a week of training on base. Alex had been busy with work and studying for exams, but had just finished her last mid-term that day, just the mood around them relaxed and happy.

“She’s going to be twenty-seven,” Emma announced as she took a bite of her food.

Alex rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Thank you, Em. You don’t have to tell everyone, you know.”

“I don’t tell everyone,” Emma sassed back, rolling her own set of eyes.

Harry bit back a laugh, but his eyes danced at their banter.

“Oh yes, Emma. I forgot that you didn’t tell the check-out lady at the grocery store today,” Alex laughed.

Emma shrugged. “I don’t think she really wanted to know.”

Harry couldn’t help the laughter that escaped his lips then and Alex turned to look at him, narrowing her eyes playfully.

“What?” Harry asked innocently, raising his eyebrows. “She’s funny.”

“Hilarious,” Alex chuckled. “But yes, my birthday is in a week. You sound like you have something in mind.”

Harry nodded and swallowed the bite of food he had just taken before throwing her a big smile and setting his fork down. He rubbed his hands together quickly in a move that she knew meant he was preparing to have to persuade someone to get his way.

“Uh oh,” she giggled as he set her own fork down and waited for him to speak.

“What do you mean ‘uh oh’?” he asked, amused.

“You are preparing to persuade me.”

His lips twisted. “How do you know that?”

“Because you did this,” Emma chimed in, mimicking his hand motions.

Alex’s eyes widened in surprise and then she burst out laughing. She reached over to ruffle Emma’s hair affectionately. “Even Emma knows your moves. Not so slick as you thought, huh?”

Harry grinned wide. How he loved these two ladies and how well they knew him. “Anyway,” he announced, changing the subject. He pointed toward Alex. “Birthday.”

“Okay Wales, lay it on me. What do you have planned?”

Harry took a deep breath. “Paris.”

Alex tried not to let her smile grow too wide. She had never been and she knew he knew that. She also knew that her dinky tourist version of Paris would be a lot different than the Paris would take her to. “Paris, huh? Keep going…”

Harry’s lips twisted. “Okay. We would leave on the Friday evening so Emma doesn’t miss school and you don’t miss work. It would be you, Emma, Me, and…Molly.”

Alex’s smile widened. She loved that he was including Emma and Molly. “Continue…”

“Friday night we can lay low, have dinner…whatever. Then Saturday…” he trailed off and grinned. “EuroDisney.”

“DISNEY?!” Emma squealed. Her fork clattered to her plate and she stood straight out of her chair, her head whipping to Harry. “We get to go to Disney?”

“If your mum says yes to Paris, we do,” Harry grinned, nodding.

Emma immediately spun around and launched herself at Alex, flinging herself on her lap and wrapping her arms around her. “Mummy please!” she cried. “We have to go. I’ve never been to Disney. Please Mummy. Pretty please?”

Alex laughed down at her daughter and couldn’t help but share Emma’s excitement. “Do you honestly think I’d say no to Paris, Emma? Of course we can go. But can we let Harry finish telling us to plan for the whole weekend?”

“Oh thank you, Mummy!” Emma squealed in excitement. She gave Alex and giant hug and a kiss and then scrambled back to her chair, a huge smile on her face.

“You are terrible,” Alex said, looking at Harry pointedly. “Throwing in Disney first; I was going to say yes anyway, Wales.”

He looked pleased with himself. “I figured. But, you know I needed a little insurance.”

She rolled her eyes but her smile remained. She knew he knew that she was going to say yes, but knew that he had to find some way to mess with her. If messing with her resulted in the smile that was lighting up her daughter’s face, that was fine with her.

“Yeah, yeah…” Alex teased back. “What else you got for me?”

He leaned back in his chair, a bit more relaxed. After Disney, I’ve got Molly and Emma tickets to go to the theater and see The Beauty and the Beast. Private box, of course.”

Alex grinned. “Of course,” she replied over Emma’s newest squeal of delight.

“And we,” Harry continuing, his eyes softening a bit. “We’ll go out to dinner. I’ve booked a private room at my favorite restaurant in Paris. I’ve got some other small things for us that night, but I’d like to keep them as surprises. Then Sunday we can do whatever you’d like before we come back that evening. Whatever you’d like to see in Paris just let me know and we can do it. So what do you say love? Can I take you to Paris for your birthday?”

Alex grinned, too excited to even make him wait for an answer he already knew was coming. “Yes, of course. We’d love to go.”

“Excellent!” Harry exclaimed, clapping his hands together and winking at her. She winked back and her lips twitched at his excitement.

Oh, how she loved him.

***************

“God Alex…” Harry groaned later that night as she pressed a hot kiss against his throat. She was sitting above him on her couch, straddling him as they made out like teenagers in heat. “You are fucking killing me,” he muttered as her hands roamed up under his shirt, smoothing over his taught muscles.

“This is killing you?” she asked teasingly, pulling back from his neck and arching an eyebrow.

“Yes,” he grunted, although his lips held a small smile. He ran his hands up her thighs, pushing under her skirt and moving around to her ass to pull her tighter against him. She grinned at him.

“It doesn’t feel like it’s killing you, Harry. In fact,” she said, her voice dropping lower. “I think there is plenty of blood flow going on here.” She bit her lip as she ran her hand over him, squeezing his erection through his jeans.

A growl left his lips and he flexed his hands on her ass before moving around one hand around in between her thighs, pressing his fingers over her sex through her damp panties. “Fuck, Alexandra. When are you going to let me in here?”

Alex giggled as she pressed forward on his hand, a gasp sliding from her lips as he dipped a finger inside her panties, swiping at her wetness. “What? You don’t like fooling around?” she asked in a sultry voice, in direct contrast with her eyes that feigned innocence.

Harry shook his head slowly, his lips twitching. “You know I love fooling around. You know I love any way that you let me near your body…” He trailed off and then arched and eyebrow at her as he slid a finger further inside her panties and up inside of her. “Any way you let me in your body. Whether it’s my fingers…or my tongue…” His words were rewarded with a moan from her at the mention of the amount of time he’d spent doing exactly those things to her lately. He grinned. “I’ll take whatever I can get, Alex.”

“Mhhmmm…” she hummed, her eyes sliding closed as his hand worked his magic on her. “That’s good, Harry.”

“You like this?” He whispered, picking up speed.

She nodded slowly and then opened her eyes again. They were dark and hazy as they settled on him and he felt the surge of victory coming on, thinking that after over a month without sex she was finally ready to go there again.

“I do like that…but that’s not what I meant,” she whispered, her hands moving up to grip his shoulders. “I meant that it’s good that you like fooling around because tonight…” She lowered herself closer to him. “Tonight that’s all we’re doing.”

He groaned, his head rolling back on the couch. “Yep, it is official, Alex,” he grunted. “You’re going to kill me.”

She giggled and leaned forward to kiss his neck again. “You are so dramatic, Wales.” She pulled up and reached for his face, bringing his eyes down to her. “Now kiss me, you cry baby.”

*****************

The trip into Paris was quick and easy. The plane ride went by smoothly and they were met at the airport by two Range Rovers, ready and waiting to take them their hotel for their weekend stay. The four of them chatted on their way through the streets of the city. Alex was the least talkative, busy taking in the sights of the city she had always wanted to visit but had never had a chance.

Harry pointed out many of the landmarks as they went by, except for the Eiffel Tower, which needed no pointing out. Alex and Emma both watching it go by with wide smiles and Harry and Molly shared a look over them, both happy to see mother and daughter so happy.

When they arrived at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée it was late evening. After checking into their beautiful suite and discussing what to do for dinner, they all eventually decided to just order room service, relax, and get rested up for the morning.

And later, long after Emma had fallen asleep in the bed in Harry and Alex’s room, after both Harry and Alex had hugged and kissed Molly goodnight, they sat snuggled up together on the comfy couch in the living room of the suite, enjoying the soft music playing from the speakers hidden around the room.

“Thank you for taking us here,” Alex said softly. She turned her face up to his from where it lay against Harry’s shoulder. “I know we haven’t done much yet but check in and spend a ridiculous amount of your money on room service…” She smiled as he smirked about the room service before continuing. “But even if that’s all we did…it would be an amazing birthday. I love you, Harry.”

His lips curved up and he leaned over and kissed her softly. “I love you, Alexandra. Happy birthday.”

“It’s not my birthday yet,” she teased, flashing her watch, showing the time as five past eleven.

“Ah! But you forget,” he grinned. “Paris is one hour ahead of London. It is your birthday here.”

Alex laughed. “I did forget. Well in that case,” she reached up with one hand and wrapped her hand around his neck, pulling him down for a sweet kiss. “So far, this is absolutely the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

“Hmmm…glad to hear that,” Harry responded against her lips. Even as he said the words she surprised both of them when a big yawn took her over. “Tired?” he asked, chuckle escaping his lips.

“Apparently,” she laughed. “It just hit me.”

“Well, to bed then, Alexandra. We have a big day ahead of us.”

She nodded and they rose, shutting off lights and turning off the music before moving hand in hand into their room. They both changed into pajamas and then crawled into bed, tucking Emma in between them.

Alex was asleep in no time but it took Harry a bit longer. He laid there and watched the two of them, both Alex and Emma, for a while; watching their faces – so much alike – relaxed and happy in sleep. He couldn’t help but marvel at how lucky he was to have them both; how much he loved them both. Then finally, with a big yawn of his own his eyes slid closed and he drifted off, completely content.


	40. Chapter Forty

Their day at EuroDisney would forever go down as one of the best days of Emma’s life.

They did everything that they could possibly fit into their hours spent there. Of course, because of whom Harry was it wasn’t completely safe for them to be standing in lines of people for hours. As a result, they were forced at times to be moved to the front of line; to be treated as VIPs. Alex could tell Harry wasn’t completely comfortable with it and didn’t want to be treated as such, but had no choice.

Something happened though as they moved their way to the front of each line. Emma, with her infinite ability to charm anyone she came across, would wave at people in line and offer big smiles as she passed. She would call out apologies for cutting in line to people as they passed and those people couldn’t help but smile back at the precious six year old.

As they moved through the park and would go through more lines, people who had seen them pass at other rides would call Emma’s name and wave to her, loving when she gave a big smile and wave back. There were even a few high-fives exchanged with people who were completely enamored with her.

Alex watched in wonder as it all unfolded before her. Maybe she should have been nervous with all of the people watching them; watching Emma. But the sensible part of her knew Harry’s security team had them well protected and that Harry would not have taken them there if there were any threat to their safety. Emma had always been outgoing and far from shy so this was completely in character for her and Alex was hesitant to quell any part of the awesome person her daughter was. So, because Emma was sticking close to them, always holding on to someone’s hand and staying inside their protective circle, Alex didn’t interfere.

On the other hand, the reaction to Emma made Harry’s head spin just a bit. Emma had no qualms about all of the people around talking to her or knowing her name; any of it. She just went on like it was completely normal that these people who didn’t know here were smiling and waving at her. He would be lying if he said it didn’t occur to him that Emma was a complete natural with people, a big part of who Harry was and what a big part of the royal life he led contained. He realized though, that the thought of that, the thought of Emma being able to charm people so naturally, relaxed a tiny part of his brain that constantly worried about the impact that bringing Alex and Emma into this madness was going to do to them.

Before they even left the park, the pictures from that day had gone viral. Alex swiping Harry on the nose with the ice cream cone she had been eating and laughing as he wiped it off with a grin, Harry carrying Emma around on his shoulders with Minnie Mouse ears perched firmly on top of her head, and the four of them, Harry, Alex, Emma, and Molly posing with the various characters made fast and furious rounds on social media.

And they all really only served to make the world fall in love with the Prince’s girlfriend and her daughter that much more. Alex, as a royal girlfriend that seemed more serious than anyone had seen Harry with in a long time, had been gaining popularity steadily through the months and it completely skyrocketed when the world saw her happy and laughing with her daughter, Harry, and Molly that day.

******************

Later that evening, after seeing Molly and Emma off to the theater, Harry and Alex stepped from their hotel, and after navigating the crush of paparazzi that was waiting for them, slipped into a waiting car and headed off to dinner.

“Where are we going?” Alex asked after her eyes had cleared from the flashbulbs from the paparazzi and she could see again.

Harry grinned and took her hand, pulling her to him and tucking him up under his arm. “One of my favorite places.”

“Place or restaurant?” Alex asked, narrowing her eyes.

He shrugged. “Maybe you’ll just have to see.”

“You are up to something.”

“Can’t a guy just take his girlfriend out for her birthday?”

“Of course he can,” Alex laughed. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you are up to something.”

Harry chuckled and brought Alex’s hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her palm before moving slowly to kiss the pad of each of her fingers softly. Heat immediately seeped through Alex’s bones at his actions and she shuddered against him. His eyebrows lifted slightly at her reaction and a smug smile tugged at his lips. When her eyes went soft and her lips turned up slightly, Harry continued his actions. He kissed her palm again and then her wrist, his lips pressing right against her pulse point, feeling her blood pounding for him. Keeping his eyes trained on hers he moved his lips further down the sensitive underside of her arm until he was at her elbow.

“Harry…” she whispered. She shifted and pressed her side closer to him. The effect he was having on her was maddening. And in no way was she ready for it to stop.

He smiled against her skin and moved further up, under her bicep and then up over her shoulder. He kissed his way softly across her collar bone, up her neck, over her chin, and then he was finally at her lips. “I love you, Alexandra,” he whispered when he got there. “Happy Birthday.”

And then with a soft, sweet, too short kiss, he pulled away from her.

“Wait…” she gasped, trying to pull him back to her; his lips back to hers.

“I can’t, Alexandra,” he grinned. “We’re here.”

“Here?” Alex blinked, still lost in his lips on her body. At his smirk she suddenly snapped to, remembering that they were one their way to celebrate her birthday. “Oh! Here!” she laughed, shaking her head.

And then she caught a glimpse out the window of just what they were pulling up to.

“Harry!” she exclaimed as they pulled up in front of the Eiffel Tower. “What are doing here?”

“Well, there is a lovely restaurant up at the top. I’ve booked it for us. The food is excellent and the view is insane. I figured if you wanted to do the Eiffel Tower, I wanted you to do it in the best way possible,” he said with a grin. “I know it’s cheesy…but hey, I like that you make me cheesy.”

“Harry!” she exclaimed again, a huge smile breaking across her face. She smacked him lightly on the chest in her excitement and he laughed, loving her exuberance. “This is so amazing! Completely and totally amazing. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, love,” he answered as the car pulled to a stop. He tugged on her hand and smiled wide. “Now come on, let’s go celebrate.”

Alex couldn’t keep the grin from her face as the doors open and Harry exited, coming around to her side to help her out. She couldn’t stop herself from looking at him over and over again as he tucked her arm in his and led her through the gaping crowds at the base of the tower towards to elevator that had been secured in anticipation of their arrival. She couldn’t help the way she wanted to take his face and kiss him over and over again for being cheesy and romantic and loving her enough to be proud of it.

When they stepped from the elevator the manager of the restaurant was waiting on them. He greeted them both with a flourish and expressed his delight to have them.

“Is everything ready?” Harry asked the over the top manager, raising his eyebrows.

“Oui. Of course, monsieur. Everything is in place.”

“Excellent. Merci,” Harry answered politely. He then turned and winked at Alex as the manager went to open the doors to the restaurant.

And Alex never expected what greeted them on the other side.

“Surprise!”

Alex jumped, startled, and her hands flew to her mouth as she took in the room.

Their friends were all there. Charlotte, Mia, Beatrice and Dave, Eugenie and Jack, Will and Kate, Mike and Zara, Peter and Autumn, plus several other friends she had met and gotten to know since meeting Harry were all standing around a giant table in the empty restaurant. They all wore big smiles and were moving forward quickly to hug and kiss her and wish her happy birthday.

Alex’s eyes filled up with tears instantly and she turned toward Harry, getting one look of amazement in before everyone reached her. There were many hugs and kisses given as Alex recovered her senses and wiped at her eyes. When the hellos were made and they were ready to sit, Harry offered Alex his arm and moved her toward the table, seating her at the place of honor and moving in next to her.

She turned to him instantly as every took their seats and got comfortable. “I cannot…Harry...” Her hand pressed to her heart. “Just…thank you. Thank you so much. I’ll never know how you did this without me finding out but I don’t even care. This is perfect.”

He reached up and pressed his hand to her cheek and then leaned in, pressing a warm, firm kiss to her lips. “You’re welcome,” he murmured against her lips.

“Oh come on! Already?” one of the boys shouted out, followed by laughter and groans from the table.

Alex giggled and pulled back, turning her head in the direction the voice came from. Seeing Mike grinning like a fool she just laughed. “It’s my birthday,” she said sassily. “I’ll kiss him as much as I want.”

Will laughed from across from her and nodded. “Fair enough. We’ll keep Mike under control.”

Charlotte snorted. “Good luck.”

The laughter rose again just like it would so many times that evening. And with Harry’s hand on her knee and their circle of friends surrounding them, Alex really did have the most amazing birthday ever.

****************

“I still can’t believe you did that,” Alex sighed as they stepped into the hotel room late that night. Molly and Emma were long asleep in Molly’s room and it was just the two of them.

Harry laughed as he followed her into the bedroom, pulling off his tie as he went. “I’m happy you enjoyed yourself.”

Alex grinned as she kicked off her shoes near the door and moved to the mirror over the dresser to pull the pins from her hair. “I more than enjoyed myself, Harry,” she said, her voice light and happy as she watched him slide his jacket off and move to the closet to hang it up.

He winked at her as he moved back in to the room and sat on one of the chairs situated in front of the end of the giant, opulent bed and immediately bent down, pulling off his shoes and moving them to the side. When he sat back up his eyes fell on Alex, who had moved to stand in front of him, leaving a few feet in between them. He looked up at her and noticed instantly that her demeanor had completely changed. The happy and content look in her eyes had given way to something new; a heavy but excited look that spoke of want and of need and made him suck in a sharp breath. It pulled at him; at his insides, his heart, and even though he tried to ignore it, it pulled right at his cock, already growing in his pants.

“Alexandra,” Harry called in a low voice. “Do you know what it does to me when you look at me like that?”

“Yes,” Alex responded instantly. The word was clear and determined and it snapped Harry to attention. “It makes you want me naked with you.”

His heart slammed into his chest. “Do you want to be naked with me, Alexandra?” he asked, his voice calm despite the emotions and desire for her that she inflamed with her words.

Alex stepped one step closer then, her eyes never leaving Harry’s. She shrugged lightly, which completely betrayed the fire in her eyes. “I mean, we are in Paris. It is the City of Love.” Her fingers played at the tie on her wrap dress, running it through them lightly.

Harry swallowed hard and shifted in the chair. “Yes, we are…”

“And,” Alex began, a small smile forming on her lips before tugging at the tie on her dress. “We are in love, Harry.”

His lips curved into a smile and his heart beat a little faster as he watched her dress loosen around her. “Very, very much in love…” he agreed softly.

She moved forward another step so she was standing between his legs. He tilted his head to look up at her and his hands flexed where they rested on his thighs. He was aching to touch her, but he was too enthralled in what she was doing to interrupt her. And then, her dress loosened completely, falling slightly to either side of her and Harry fought to keep his eyes trained on hers, to pay complete attention to her and what she had to say in that moment.

“And I would just hate if this went to waste, especially after you've given me such an amazing, over-the-top birthday,” Alex whispered, reaching up and pulling the dress from her shoulders.

“If what went to…” Harry managed to whisper before his eyes flicked down, seemingly of their own accord, and fell on her body. “Fuck…” he groaned, taking in what she was left in, the lingerie that clung to her in all of the most important places and sent his lust skyrocketing. “Was that under there the entire time?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“And if you…” He trailed off, cleared his throat, and sat forward a bit. He couldn’t help but want to be closer to her. “If you were wearing that the whole time then you…this isn’t just a spur of the moment decision. You want this?”

Alex scooted closer and her shins bumped the seat of the chair, but it still wasn’t close enough for her. Harry recognized it instantly and he reached for her, his hands sliding around her waist and bringing her down to him. And she went, gladly. Her feet left the floor and she moved her legs on either side of his, straddling him and settling in his lap. Harry groaned at the feel of her on his lap, in his hands; pressing herself against him.

“I want this,” Alex said. Her hands moved up his stomach and over his chest before settling on his shoulders. “I never not wanted this. I just wanted to move forward in our relationship without it. We jumped into sex so quickly when we first met, and that’s completely okay, but I wanted this second chance we have to be about…everything else.”

“Everything else?” Harry asked as he moved his hands from her waist down to settle on her thighs. Alex smiled softly at him and her fingers began to toy with the top button on his dress shirt in a move that he knew meant that she meant business and was itching to undress him. The thought of her, wanting him that much in this moment, was making it difficult for him to breathe, let alone form a coherent thought.

Her eyes flicked down towards her fingers playing with his button before they turned back up to him slowly, wide and open full of love for him. “Hmmm. Yes, everything else. How much fun we have together, how much you make me smile and laugh, how you are with Emma…I wanted to pay attention to all of that, to give it all of the credit it was due without sex. And now…”

Harry’s hands flexed on her thighs. “And now?”

Her fingers popped the button she was playing with open. Then she moved to the next one, and the next one, and kept going until his shirt was completely unbuttoned. She pushed the sides apart, baring his tight stomach and broad chest to her. Her hands fell on his stomach and he jumped at her touch, groaning as she moved her hot fingers higher and higher until they were moving up into his hair and she was leaning down, pressing herself against him, her mouth coming within less than an inch of his.

“And now, I want to pay attention to this. I want to be naked with you and I want you inside of me and…and I need it, Harry. I need you. Can I have you, please? It is my birthday…”

“Can you have me?” Harry murmured softly as his eyes searched hers. He moved his hands from her thighs and reached up, pushing them into her hair and angling her face over his. “Alexandra...do you have any idea…just…you have me. You’ve always had me. You will always have me.”

“Harry…” she whispered, emotion filling her eyes at his words, her lips curving into a happy, warm smile for just a moment before he tilted his head and pulled her closer to him, bring her lips down onto his in a crushing kiss. It was a kiss that spoke of love and want and desire. It was a kiss that spoke of affection and hope and complete and utter wonder at what they had found in each other. It was a kiss that started off as slow and passionate but changed and grew more intense and needy as they moment heated up between them. 

Harry sat forward with a groan that pushed from deep inside him and into Alex’s searching mouth. Keeping one hand tightly wound in her hair he moved his other arm around her hips and pulled her tighter against his lap. She moaned as she felt him hard and ready beneath her and she instinctively rolled her hips on top of him, wanting to be closer, needing more contact with him.

“Jesus, Alex…” he groaned, pulling his lips from hers and dragging them in a hot path over her jaw and down to her neck. With a whimper she tilted her head back, giving him more access to the sensitive skin there. He took full advantage of all that she offered him, kissing and licking his way down the column of her throat and over her collar bones.

When he reached the tops of her breasts, peeking tantalizingly out over the lace and satin concoction she has spent much time and effort picking out especially for this moment, Alex sucked in a sharp breath and her hands tightened in his hair, holding him tightly to her. He smiled against her heated flesh and leaned up for just a moment to press a soft kiss at her shoulder before pulling at the delicate bra strap that rested there, sliding it down quickly before moving to her other shoulder and doing the same. The material covering her breasts loosened and Harry smiled wide. He leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth before bending back down and pressing hot, wet kisses to the tops of her breasts.

“Harry…” Alex moaned, shifting her hips again against him. “Harry, please…”

He knew what she wanted, and because Harry wasn’t about to deny her anything in this moment, he complied, tugging the material that still covered her down and exposing her to him fully. With a smirk of a grin at what he was about to do to her, Harry bent forward and captured a hard nipple between his lips, pulling it tightly and flicking it with his tongue.

Alex arched against him, crying out hoarsely as he teased and pulled at her before switching to the other breast and paying it the same, torturous attention. Alex moaned and moved against him while he loved her with his mouth until she couldn’t take it anymore, until the pleasure from it threatened to take her down. Her fingers tugged at his hair, pulling his mouth away from her body and looking down on him with heavy eyes as he turned his eyes up to hers. Her chest was rising and falling with heavy, shallow breaths and her eyes were dark and filled with wanting him and Harry was almost surprised he didn’t fall apart right then.

“Take me to bed,” Alex said, bringing her hands up to the sides of his face. Her voice was low but packed with emotion. “Make love to me, Henry.”

The words hit him in the gut, the words he hadn’t heard in so long, and he immediately moved, not wanting to waste any time. With grace that he wasn’t quite sure how he held in that moment, he rose easily from the chair, keeping her in his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms wrapped around his neck and she smiled with anticipation as he walked them over to the bed.

He lowered them both to the soft mattress, reaching out a hand behind her to steady their descent. Alex felt the luxurious material at her back, she knew her surroundings her opulent, but all she could really focus on was Harry; the way he looked above her, the way he felt against her, the way he tasted when his lips were on hers.

“You are so beautiful,” Harry smiled down on her. At her soft smile in reaction Harry chuckled and leaned in, settling his lips over hers. With a moan she opened her mouth under his and his tongue slipped in instantly, teasing and stroking along hers. His hands went back to her body and he found he suddenly couldn’t wait to see her, all of her. He made quick work of her bra and tossed it across the room with a smirk, earning a giggle from Alex as her hands pushed at his shirt, moving it off of his shoulders and down his arms. He sat up and pulled it the rest of the way off, discarding it without a second thought.

His eyes roamed over her, taking her in, absorbing the way she looked for him in that moment. He scooted forward on his knees and he legs moved farther apart to accommodate him and he grinned, for no other reason that he loved being like this with her; intimate and sexy and completely in tune with each other. He moved his hands to her legs and ran his fingertips slowly from her calves to her thighs and then smoothing up over her hips. His fingers curled into the material of her barely there panties and he bit his lip as his eyes flicked up to hers.

“Can I take these off?”

“We can’t do this if you don’t,” she responded, her lips tilting at the sides with her sass.

Harry couldn’t help the chuckle the fell from his lips, his head shaking slowly. He pulled at her panties as he held her eyes with his, slipping them from her and tossing them to the side. “You’re lucky it’s your birthday, Alexandra.”

“Mhhmm…” she murmured as he immediately moved over her, his lips dipping down to kiss her stomach, his tongue dipping to swirl in her belly button before moving lower, kissing a hot trail further and further down.

Her hands moved to his shoulders and then to his hair as she watched him working his way towards her sex, his lips and tongue sliding slowly along the sensitive skin of her abdomen. And suddenly…suddenly while watching him worshipping her like this, preparing to kiss her in the most intimate of places, Alex was filled a need for him that was so overwhelming it slammed into her like a truck. Her breath caught and her heart beat so hard in her chest she was certain Harry could hear it like it was his own. She didn’t want to wait another minute for him. It had been too long. The waiting was over and she found she couldn’t go another second without his body joined with hers.

“Harry…” she called out to him, wanting his attention. She tugged on his hair and his eyes flashed to hers just as his lips reached the top of her cleft, preparing to love her there. “No…”

He immediately stilled and his eyes filled with concern. “What? What did I do wrong? Are you not ready?”

Alex’s eyes filled with tears and she wanted to both laugh and cry at the same time. “No, you are perfect, Harry,” she said, her voice wavering. “I just…I need you. Right now. I need you inside of me right now.”

Harry’s face flashed and he was torn. He wanted to worship her, wanted to give her as much as he could. But the way she was asking…

“Harry…please,” she whispered. She sat forward and moved her hands to his face, pulling him up and pulling his face to hers. His lips smashed against hers and his arms immediately moved around her, pulling her tightly against him. “Please…baby,” she moaned against his mouth. “Make love to me.”

Then, her hands went to his pants, unsnapping and unzipping and reaching in to run her hands against his hard length. And Harry’s restraint broke with a guttural groan and he immediately moved to help her, pushing his pants off of his own hips and maneuvering out of them all the while keeping his mouth firmly attached to hers. She grinned against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck while he struggled with his trousers; giggling when he finally got them off and flung them as far as he could.

“Oh God, Alex. Come here,” he murmured into her mouth, moving into a sitting position on the bed and pulling her around him, settling her against him. And she went gladly, folding herself around his hard, warm body as his lips and tongue continued to worship hers. Then she felt him, hard and hot under her, and she immediately and instinctually reached under her, took him in her hand, and guided him to her. Harry tore his lips from hers and watched her face, her eyes; her reactions as she sank down on him, enveloping him tightly within her warm, wet body.

“Fuck…” he groaned, reaching up to twist a hand in her hair, pulling her forehead to his as she finally sank all the way down and settled on him. “You feel…amazing…”

Alex moaned, and leaned her head back, absorbing the sensation of him so deep inside of her. It had been much too long. She had missed this; how full and complete she felt when he was joined with her. Harry leaned forward and pressed a hot solid kiss at the base of her throat, right between her collarbones, letting his lips linger there while he took several deep breaths, trying to steady himself; trying to steady his heart. His hands moved to her back, smoothing over her skin, rubbing softly, trying to calm them both in that moment before he shifted, wrapping both arms tightly around her, pulling her as close to him as possible. Her head tipped forward again and her eyes slid open, searching for him and finding him, his deep blue eyes looking up at her.

Waiting for her.

And so she stopped waiting. Tipping her head down to his and nudging his nose with hers, she smiled, pressed her lips to his, and began to move on him. Harry groaned against her mouth, his lips parting and allowing her tongue entry into his mouth. They moved slowly together and held tightly to each other, moaning and sighing into each other’s mouths, their breath mingling, whispering words of love against each other’s lips.

As the intensity rose between them Alex’s movements on Harry became more purposeful and much less subtle. Her arms tightened around his neck and she press even closer, rocking against him as she began to feel the build-up begin deep in her belly. She whimpered and pulled her mouth from his. She looked down on him, her eyes almost frantic and filled with lust, and dug her nails into his back, spurring him on further.

With a smirk of pride that she was close, and that he knew the signs that told him that, Harry shifted slightly; not enough to interrupt their movements or change their closeness, but just enough that each time that Alex rose and sank on him her swollen, sensitive clit rubbed against him. It pulled her to higher level of intensity; a higher level of pleasure and she found herself thrust immediately right to the edge.

“Oh God…” she moaned, her mouth and eyes falling wide as she moved faster and faster on him. “Harry…”

“Yes baby,” he encouraged. His arms tightened fractionally around her and he pressed he lips to her neck, sucking lightly on the skin there as he felt her body tense up around him. “Come on…”

And she went. She went with a cry and a shudder as her body pulsed around his with a fierceness that he remembered existed, but felt brand new to him on a completely new level. He tried to hold out against it, to keep it together and keep them going but he was powerless against her. Her body demanded everything from his and he gave it to her gladly. He reached a hand up into her hair, wrapping his fingers around a fistful of the silky strands, and pulled her lips down to hers. She moaned into his mouth, her tongue finding his just as Harry finally stopped fighting the battle and lost himself inside of her.

“Alex…” he groaned against her lips, his eyes opened to find hers watching him, just as he had been watching her in her moment. She pressed small kisses to his lips while she held his eyes and let him come down, let him settle himself from what they had just shared.

“I love you,” Alex whispered against his lips. Her eyes were soft and warm and happy and it tugged right at Harry’s heart. It was that look that made this all worth it; that made sex between them so perfect. Sure, he had missed how good it felt and how they moved together as if they were made to fit that way; but it was that look from her, when she felt complete and loved by him that brought everything together for him. That was the look he had killed the last time he woke her up from a nightmare.

“I love you too, Alex,” he said, his voice catching with emotion.

“You look like you want to cry,” she responded, only half-teasing.

He chuckled, loving that she knew how to pull him from that moment and back to her. “No, I’m not going to cry.” He leaned up and kissed her on her nose and then rubbed his own nose alongside it. “I’m far too happy to cry.”


	41. Chapter Forty One

Waking up in the beautiful hotel room in Paris the day after her birthday, with Harry sleeping soundly next to her, brought an immediate smile to Alex's lips. He was so peaceful and calm in his sleep, especially recently. His therapy with Duncan had been working wonders and the nightmares and the anxiety that had come with sleep had faded to almost nothing.

Alex turned on her side to look at him spread out beside her. She couldn’t help the small sigh that escaped her lips as she looked over him. One arm was thrown over his head and the other rested on his broad chest, rising and falling with his steady breathing. The covers were pulled down low on his waist, exposing his well-defined stomach to her.

She loved his body; every single solitary inch of it. It was like a treasure map that she would never tire of exploring. Her own body flushed at the thought and suddenly she felt the urge right then to do some exploring.

With a slow smile she sat up in the bed and quietly rose to her knees. She scooted down the bed just a little so that her knees rested by his. Taking care to be slow and quiet, she tugged the blanket further and further down until it was over his hips and down his thighs. She grinned to herself, loving that fact that he was naked and completely at her disposal. Biting her bottom lip, she moved gently over him; straddling his legs and bracing her arms on either side of his torso. She peeked up at him, making sure he was still sleeping. He hadn’t so much as stirred, but she still kept her eyes trained on him as she lowered her head and pressed a soft kiss right in the center of his chest.

He stirred slightly and she went still, holding her position and her sneaky smile until he was still again. Then she moved again, sliding further down his torso and leaning down yet again, pressing another kiss, this time against his stomach, right above his belly button. His muscles flinched under her lips, but his eyes still remained closed.

And then, with a wide smile born of love and anticipation, Alex dipped even further, pressing a warm, wet kiss against the tip of him.

His eyes fluttered open then, falling with surprise and instant lust on his beautiful girlfriend, the woman he loved more than he ever thought he could love another person, smiling up at him, her lips pressed to him; rousing him faster than even he thought was possible.

“Alex,” he groaned, his voice was hoarse from sleep. He reached for her then, wrapping his hands around her arms, not really knowing if he wanted to hold her where she was or pull her to him in order to keep his own sanity. She knew what that mouth of hers did to him.

In the end though, he didn’t have to make the decision, Alex made it for him.

“Good Morning, Harry,” she called out to him in a voice that made his blood run hot. And then with a sly grin and dancing eyes her lips closed over him, drawing him deep into her hot, wet mouth.

******************

“Harry…” Alex murmured as she lay on his chest a while later, happy and satisfied, tracing her fingers in the light patch of hair on his sternum.

“Hmmm?” He turned his eyes down to meet hers.

“Remember how I told you awhile back that Emma and I go to my parents for Thanksgiving every year?”

He nodded as his fingers played in her hair, twirling the silky strands around his fingers. “I remember.”

She took a deep breath. “Well, it’s only a little over a month away. I should have made our travel arrangement ages ago.”

His eyebrows lifted and his lips tilted into a small smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well,” Harry grinned as he wrapped his hands around her arms and pulled her up so she was laying on him. She crossed her arms on his chest and looked up at him as she waited for him to finish. “There is a woman who works for me and her job, her entire job, his to make and keep track of my travel arrangements. She’s very good at her job.”

Alex’s lips tilted into a small smile. “You know, it wouldn’t do for her to make arrangements for me and Emma. Unless…” she wiggled then, scooting further up on him and pulling a little laughing groan from Harry.

“Unless what?” His eyes were happy and light as they searched hers.

“Unless you were to come with us.”

And even though he was expecting the question, even though he knew what she was asking from the second she mentioned going home, the words still hit him in the gut.

Going home with her. Meeting her parents. Seeing where she had grown up and getting to know more of her history. It was something he wanted. It was something he wanted desperately.

“I could come with you, Alexandra,” he said in a low voice. “In fact, I would love to come with you.”

“Yeah?” she whispered, her eyes widening. “You would go all the way to Texas with us?”

“Oh no, Alex. I would go anywhere with you. Anywhere.”

She bit her lip and blinked several times, trying to contain the emotion she felt at his words. “Can you please stop trying to make me cry when I’m asking you to come meet my family?”

“Ha! I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry.” He moved his hands to her face and cupped her cheeks. “I want to go all the way to Texas with you and Emma. Just tell me when we need to leave and be back and I’ll make sure everything is taken care of. Flights, hotels; everything.”

“Oh, no,” Alex said, putting her fingers to his lips as he tried to lean in and kiss her.

“No, what?” he asked with a smile, kissing her fingertips.

“No hotels. We will be staying with my parents.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “Even me? With the security team and the extra precautions?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Yes of course. There is room for everyone.”

“Then I guess it’s settled. We will go have Thanksgiving with your family in Texas,” Harry said in a clear voice. His smile was wide and happy and his eyes were soft with the meaning of the trip they were planning.

He leaned forward to kiss her then, his lips finding hers and his tongue sliding inside of her mouth. The kiss was passionate and intense and full with the weight of yet another big step they were making with each other. And just when Harry’s body started to flicker to life again, surprising even him, Alex’s stomach growled loudly. She giggled into his mouth and he couldn’t help but chuckle as he pulled back, arching an eyebrow.

“Hungry, love?”

“What was your first clue?”

He laughed loudly and shook his head. “Smart ass,” he teased. Then he was moving, rolling her from him and then pulling her from the bed. “Come on, let’s get ready, get Molly and Emma, and go get breakfast. What do you say?”

She smiled up at him then, completely happy, even if they had to leave Paris today. “I say that sounds wonderful.”

********************

“Do you think I could ask you for something?” Harry asked Alex as she sat in his office with him one afternoon, eating Chinese takeout for lunch right out of the containers. It was two weeks before they were supposed to leave for Texas and Harry had just a few more details to work out.

Alex smiled as she swallowed her bite of food. “Sure. What’s up?”

“Could you give me your parent’s phone number? I’d like to relay a few of the details about what is required for the POs and the security precautions they will put in place when we arrive.”

Alex nodded, a wide smile crossing her face. “Absolutely. Although, you know I am well aware that you can get their number without me giving it to you. In fact, I’m pretty sure you already have it.”

Harry chuckled and winked at her. “True. The security team got it the second I gave them the details; but I didn’t want one of the POs calling and frightening them with all the technicalities. I figured I’d call and add a little charm to that awkward conversation.”

Alex was about to answer, about to make some joking remark about his ability to charm anyone, when Charlotte strolled into the office, breezing through and making herself right at home. She plucked a fortune cookie from the bag on Harry’s desk and sat right down in the chair next to Alex.

“What awkward conversation?” Charlotte asked as she broke apart her fortune cookie. Alex laughed as Charlotte didn’t even look at her fortune; she just tossed it in the wastebasket next to Harry’s desk and bit into the cookie.

“Harry’s going to call and talk to my parents about the security concerns when we go to Texas,” Alex answered. She glanced at Harry and laughed at his annoyed look at Charlotte for just barging in and making herself at home.

“Ah, yes. Texas,” Charlotte nodded. “Let me ask you this; what exactly do you do in Texas for an entire week?”

“Charlotte, you know I’m trying to have lunch with my girlfriend here,” Harry interrupted, his eyes narrowed.

Charlotte turned towards him. “Then eat, Harry. Don’t let me stop you.” Alex snorted her laughter as Charlotte turned back towards her, having dismissed Harry and now waiting for an answer to her question.

“Well, there are quite a few things we will do. We plan to take Emma to the Zoo, we’re going to go out to one of my favorite dance halls, and of course there is Thanksgiving Day…”

“Right. Thanksgiving,” Charlotte interrupted. “Can you explain to me exactly what you do at Thanksgiving?”

“Jesus Christ, Charlotte. If you want to go and see for yourself, all you have to do is ask,” Harry teased her.

Charlotte turned, looked at him, and popped the last of her fortune cookie in her mouth. She was silent for a moment as she regarded him and all of the sudden Harry groaned and leaned his head back against his chair, having seen it coming before she even said it.

“What?” Alex asked, confused at what was going on.

“You know,” Charlotte said with a grin. “I think I will go. I’ve never had an American Thanksgiving. I’ll just go have Marilyn get me on your flight right now.”

And with that Charlotte stood and breezed right back out of Harry’s office, leaving Alex laughing and Harry shaking his head about what just happened.

"I guess I should let your parents know that one more will be joining us," Harry said.

"Ha! There is no more room at their house. She's going to have to stay with Matt."

A slow smile spread across Harry’s face. "Perfect. Can you do me a favor though?"

Alex shrugged. "Sure."

"Can we not tell her that until we get there?"

"Oh God," Alex laughed with a roll of her eyes. "You are terrible. But no, I won't tell her."

Harry clapped his hands together and grinned. "Excellent."

***************

The flight to Texas was relaxed and easy. Emma kept Harry occupied with Disney movies until she fell asleep, and then Harry leaned over to Alex, who had her own video monitor pulled up with a movie.

“Whatcha watching?” Harry asked, reaching for her hand and pulling it into his lap.

Alex turned to him and smiled as she pulled a headphone from one ear. “What? I couldn’t hear you.”

“What are you watching?”

“Oh,” she gave him a shy smile. “Dirty Dancing.”

Harry laughed. “Why are you embarrassed? That’s your favorite movie.”

“I’m not embarrassed. It’s just that…it’s always been my favorite movie, but now when I watch it I always think of the night at your place; the first time I ever came over.”

“Ahhh,” he grinned. He loved that particular memory himself. “That was a great night.”

“Until Emma got sick and I had to leave you turned on and panting on your couch,” Alex teased.

“I was not panting,” he laughed in return.

Suddenly Charlotte sat up from her seat next to Alex and ripped a headphone from her ear. Both Harry and Alex turned to face her, their eyes wide.

“Could you two please knock it off? I’m trying to sleep here and I do NOT want to hear about how turned on Harry was watching Dirty Dancing,” she hissed at them.

Both Harry and Alex were dead silent for a moment while Charlotte just stared at them, waiting for them to speak.

“Charlotte,” Harry finally said, speaking in a low voice.

“Yes, Harry?” she smarted back, tilting her head to the side.

“I was going to wait until we got to Texas to tell you this, but since you seem to need something to distract you from images of me turned on…”

“Stop,” Charlotte warned, holding up a hand.

Harry grinned and Alex just shook her head, feeling almost sorry for herself that she had to sit between the two of them for the rest of the flight.

“Anyway, I was going to wait, but I’ll just go ahead and give you this now,” Harry continued.

“Give me what, Harry?” Charlotte asked impatiently.

“There was no more room at Alex’s parent’s house. You have to stay with Matt…for the entire week.”

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed and her chin instantly set in defiance mode.

Alex immediately reached up and pressed the call button. The First Class flight attendant was there within moments.

“Can I help you ma’am?”

“Yes, can I get a glass of champagne please? I think I’m going to need it,” Alex asked sweetly.

“Right away, ma’am,” the flight attendant said.

And as she bustled off to get Alex’s drink, both Harry and Charlotte burst out laughing.

***************

Alex was surprised at how smoothly things transitioned once they landed in Houston. They were off the plane, through customs, and had their luggage, and were out by the cars while their bags were being loaded without any of the angst that usually went along with international travel.

“Harry!” Emma squealed excitedly as they waited to get into the cars. “I’m so excited to see my Mimi and my Poppy and my Uncle Matt! Are you excited?!”

Harry laughed and reached down to pick Emma up, moving her to his hip. “I’m very excited Em. And can I let you in on a little secret?”

Emma nodded excitedly. “Yes!”

Harry leaned in and said in a mock whisper, just loud enough so Alex could hear. “I’m a little nervous too.”

“What?” Emma asked, crinkling up her nose. “That’s crazy, Harry. It’s just Mimi and Poppy. They are really nice, I promise.”

“Yeah?” Harry asked, lifting his eyebrows.

“Oh yeah. And you know what?”

“What?”

“They will love you, just like Mummy and I do.”

And Harry had to stall for a second, had to catch his breath, and had to blink back the emotions that Emma’s words caused. He looked up at Alex and caught her eyes. She was watching them with the same emotions splashed on her face as he felt inside of him. After a split second she offered him a smile, a sweet, soft smile that let him know she felt the same as Emma. Harry took a deep breath and turned back to Emma. “Well Emma, that’s very sweet. Now, I have another question. What about Charlotte?”

Emma turned and looked towards Charlotte, who couldn’t help but laugh, even as she rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. She knew where Harry was going with this.

“What about her?” Emma asked.

“Do you think your Mimi and Poppy will love Charlotte?”

Emma grinned. “Uncle Matt likes her, so I think that Mimi and Poppy will.”

Charlotte groaned but the smile stayed in place. “You too, Emma? Traitor.”

Emma turned back to Harry. “What’s a traitor?”

“Okay,” Alex interrupted loudly, clapping her hands together and bringing to a halt to what would probably be an endless stream of questions from Emma. She didn’t mind answering them, and Emma would probably be right back to it once they were in the car, but the longer they stood outside and talked, the longer it was going to take them to get to her parent’s house. And she was dying to be home, to see her family. “The bags are in the cars, y’all. Time to get moving.”

“Y’all?” Harry and Charlotte asked said in unison. Harry’s lips twitched and Charlotte right out laughed.

Alex rolled her eyes. “We’re in Texas now. I can say y’all all day long and both of you can kiss it. Now, let’s get in the cars. Come on…let’s go!”


	42. Chapter Forty Two

The drive to Alex’s parent’s house in the suburbs of Houston took about thirty minutes, but it was quite a role reversal for Harry and Alex. Usually it was Harry pointing out things as they drove by; places that he had been, landmarks that had particular meaning to him. But now it was Alex who was busy pointing at things as they passed, telling stories or anecdotes about why they meant something to her.

And Harry listened. He soaked it all up. He loved hearing about her and her life before London; her life before him. He committed it all to memory; the waterpark right off the freeway that her and her friends used to visit every single day in the summers before they could drive, her favorite restaurants, the place on the freeway where she had gotten in her first car accident.

“It was just a small fender bender, but I cried for two days. I was in my brother’s car and I felt terrible,” she said with a sheepish smile.

A smile that made Harry smile even wider.

And soon enough they were pulling off of the freeway and into the suburb Alex’s parents lived in. It was quiet and the roads were lined with trees; hardly anything visible from the main road.

“Where is everything?” Charlotte asked Alex. “I mean, you gave the impression that this was a pretty busy place. I see cars; quite a few cars. But where are they going? I just see trees.”

Alex laughed. “It’s part of the charm of this place. Right beyond these lines of trees there are shopping centers and so many houses it will make your head spin. But from here, it just looks like woods. Our turn is right up here actually,” she said, a huge smile breaking across her face from her excitement. “Once we turn you will see.”

Alex’s extreme excitement to be here, to be home, calmed Harry’s nerves for this moment quite a bit. It was obvious to him how much she loved her family and it put him at ease. Even though he hadn’t officially met her parents yet, he had only spoken to them briefly on the phone, their friendly and welcoming voices told him that this wouldn’t be like meeting the aristocratic parents of former girlfriends. He had always hated those times; feeling like he had to put on an act, a show, and play his up own aristocratic background up just to feed their egos.

Alex was right, once they pulled off of the main road, the neighborhoods and shopping centers came into view and they saw that it really was a bustling place. And then they were turning again, pulling into one of the neighborhoods. Their driver laughingly turned off the GPS, not needing it at all with Alex pointing out the directions from the backseat.

And then they were there. The two black Range Rovers pulled up in front of the sprawling house on the big green lawn and they were there.

Alex was home.

A flurry of activity started as soon as the doors were opened on the Range Rovers. The front door of the house opened immediately after and Alex’s parents came rushing out, both with big smiles on their faces. Alex’s breath caught and she teared up as she stepped from the car, overcome with emotion at not having seen her parents for such a long time. She wanted to run into their waiting, open arms and hug them both for hours, but she resisted the urge. She not only needed to get Emma out of the car, but she wanted Harry to be by her side when she greeted them with all of the hugs and kisses she wanted to give.

“Come on, Em,” Alex smiled as she lifted her daughter from the car from under her arms. Emma’s smile matched hers and the little girl’s feet were barely on the ground before she was flying towards her Mimi and Poppy, her long gangly legs just flying in all directions as she tore across their lawn.

Alex laughed as her mom caught Emma first, enveloping her in a big hug and smothering her in kisses, making Emma squeal in delight. Harry slid from the car next to her then and Charlotte joined them from the other side. Both of them were grinning at the reunion happening in front of them as they waited for Alex’s lead on going to meet her parents.

“You ready?” Alex turned to Harry and whispered, her eyes swinging up to meet his.

His smile softened and he reached for her hand, entwining their fingers together. “Absolutely, my love. Let’s go meet your family.”

Alex smiled wide and proud and she moved forward, tugging Harry along with her and nodding for Charlotte to follow. And Alex tried to be calm. She tried to remain collected. But when they were only about ten feet from them, Donna Emerson caught her daughter’s eyes, eyes so much like her own, and they instantly filled with tears. Her arms opened wide and Alex couldn’t help herself. She dropped Harry’s hand and ran forward, flying into her mother’s open arms and letting her envelope her into a huge hug.

“Mom,” Alex cried and laughed at the same time. “I missed you so much.”

“Oh honey, I missed you too,” Donna answered, her own voice hoarse with emotion. She pulled back after a few moments, wanting to hug her daughter forever, but knowing there were other hellos to be had and introductions to make. Alex smiled wide at her mom one more time, tears shining in her eyes before turning to her dad, standing so strong and tall beside her mom, just like he always had.

“Daddy,” Alex whispered, moving into his arms for a hug. His arms closed around her and she was unable to help the tears that slipped from the corners of her eyes.

“Good to see you, Boot,” he said gruffly, squeezing her tight.

Harry hung back with Charlotte, watching the reunion scene with a pounding heart and a soft smile.

“Wow,” Charlotte breathed. “That’s a family right there.”

Harry grinned. “Yeah.”

And then Alex was moving out of her dad’s arms and turning to Harry with a wide, excited smile. She held her hand out for him and he instantly moved, stepping forward, nervous but excited to finally meet her parents.

Her hand found his instantly when he got to her and she turned back to her parents. “Mom, Dad…this is Harry.” Her smile was proud, her face completely lit up with love for him.

Harry gave them both a warm smile and moved to hold his hand out to Alex’s mom. “Mrs. Emerson; it is so nice to finally meet you.”

And Harry was completely taken by surprise when she bypassed his hand completely, pulling him instantly into a big hug, wrapping her arms tightly around him. “I told you on the phone to call me Donna, Harry,” she said warmly as she squeezed him tightly. When she pulled back from him Harry had to swallow the lump in his throat, he had to breathe through the emotion at being pulled right into Alex’s mother’s arms.

“My apologies,” he grinned. “Donna it is.”

“Wonderful,” she beamed before turning and gesturing to Alex’s father. “I know you two spoke on the phone as well, but officially I’d like you to meet my husband, Michael.”

Harry grinned as Michael immediately put his hand out and he took it, both men shaking firmly. “It’s nice to meet you, sir. Thank you for having us this week. Really, thank you both. It’s a lot of…inconvenience.”

Michael laughed and reached up to clap Harry’s shoulder with his free hand. “Nonsense. We’ve got plenty of room. I’m only sorry that we couldn’t accommodate Matt’s lady friend, which I think Matt’s completely fine with,” he laughed as his eyes fell on Charlotte. “And I’m thinking that you must be her. Charlotte, right?”

Charlotte stepped forward then, a smile on her face, biting her tongue at being called Matt’s ‘lady friend.’ “Yes, I’m Charlotte Blakely. It’s lovely to meet you.”

And just as Harry was, Charlotte was pulled into a warm hug, first by Michael and then by Donna. 

“We’ve heard so much about you from Matt,” Donna said, smiling warmly at the pretty brunette. “It’s lovely that you could come with everyone.”

“He told you about me?” Charlotte asked almost incredulously. She pretended not to hear Harry chuckle and Alex giggle off to the side. 

“Of course, dear,” Donna said. “Matt’s not shy.”

Charlotte laughed then, she couldn’t help herself. “Oh, I’m aware.”

“Ha!” Donna laughed. “He certainly doesn’t hide it.”

“Not at all,” Charlotte grinned. “Where is he by the way?”

“Work,” Michael offered. “He should be here in a couple of hours.”

Charlotte nodded and was about to respond when Emma came running over, tugging on Alex’s hand.

“Okay! Come on guys!” Emma cried out, growing tired of all the adult interactions. “Let’s go inside!” She turned and looked at Harry as she tugged on Alex again. “Harry, did you know that Mimi and Poppy have a movie theater in their house? It’s the best thing ever.”

“Yeah?” he laughed. “Sounds like Disney movie watching Heaven.”

Emma sighed as the rest of the adults finally decided to follow her inside, laughing at her banter with Harry. “It really is, Harry. It really is.”

*****************

Once the cars had been unloaded, Michael volunteered to show Harry’s security team upstairs to the rooms that they would be occupying. While he did so and went over the technicalities as far as the patrols and surveillance they would have to do periodically during the week with them, everyone else convened in the kitchen, which was quite the norm for the Emerson home.

The kitchen was big, open, and bright. There was a large granite topped island and breakfast bar in the center of the room and that is where Harry, Charlotte, and Emma ended up; each perched on a stool while Alex helped her mom pull out an impressive array of snacks she had made for their arrival.

“Wow,” Harry commented as the spread was laid out. “Donna, this all this just amazing. Are you sure you don’t need any help? You went through all this trouble and…”

Donna laughed and waved him off as she pulled the plastic wrap from a tray. “Don’t you dare you get up, young man. This is no big deal. You’ve been on a flight for hours and I just wanted you to be able to eat before dinner.”

“Mimi, what about me?” Emma piped up. She was up on her knees on her stool and leaning on her elbows on the counter.

“What about you, Bug?” Donna asked with a smile.

“Can I do anything to help?”

“Absolutely!” Donna answered. “You can sit your cute little behind right on that stool and tell me all about these horse riding lessons you’ve been taking.”

Emma smiled big and clapped her hands together. “Harry’s cousin Zara is teaching me, Mimi. She’s so pretty and funny and did you know that she’s been to the Olympics?”

“Yeah?” Donna looked impressed. Her eyes flashed to Harry for confirmation.

He nodded and grinned. “She won a Silver Medal in London last year.”

“Very cool,” she grinned. “Well, Miss Emma Rose, it sounds like you are very lucky to have Zara as your instructor.”

Emma nodded. “I am.”

Alex came around the island then, having finished helping her mom, and she took the open stool next to Charlotte. “How’s work going, Mom?” she asked as she took a sip of water from a water bottle.

“It’s great,” Donna smiled. “I’ve made some good progress with my kids so far this year.”

“What do you do?” Charlotte asked as she reached for a baby carrot from the vegetable tray.

“I’m a Special Education teacher. I work with Elementary School students. Mostly kids with Autism.”

Charlotte grinned. “That’s amazing.”

“It really is,” Harry agreed. He had a wide smile on his face and he leaned forward on the counter, focusing his attentions squarely on Alex’s mom. “How long have you been working with Special Education children?”

Donna took a sip of her water before answering. “About thirty years. I took three years off when I had Matt and then Alex, and even though I didn’t really have to work due to Mike’s job, I really wanted to go back. Plus, I was able to have both my kids at the school I work at up until fifth grade, and that was really nice.”

“And Mike, he works in the oil business, right?” Harry asked.

Donna nodded. “He does. He is working a lot with newer technologies lately. He’s really interested in how his company can work with Green Energy and keep up with the changes it is making. You should ask him about it, he’d be glad to tell you all about it.”

“Tell him all about what?” Mike asked, walking into the kitchen. He walked over and put an arm around his wife and looked down at her with a smile.

“I was just telling Harry about your interest in Green Energy,” she replied.

“Ah yes!” Mike said, his face lighting up. “What do you know about Green Energy, Harry?”

Harry’s face lit up. “Quite a lot actually. My father is really interested in it himself…”

**************************

The next couple of hours passed quickly for everyone. The conversation flowed wonderfully in the big, open kitchen and Harry found himself grinning several times just from watching Alex interact with everyone. She had always been open and funny and warm with him, but seeing her let down her guard so completely made his heart swell. She was so instantly at ease in this place where she grew up.

The laughter was free flowing in the room as well, and it was just as the laughter died down in the room at a story that Mike had told that they all heard the front door open.

“Ah, that would be Matt,” Donna said happily.

“Hello?” Matt’s voice rang out into the foyer of the house as he opened the front door. His voice trailed closer as he continued to talk, “I see two scary looking black SUVs out front which can only mean one thing…”

“We’re in here, Matt,” Donna called out with a smile. She winked at Charlotte who, surprised by the playful action by Matt’s mom, let a smile and small laugh slip out before she even realized it.

Matt appeared in the doorway then, still clad in his dark suit from work, with a wide smile on his face. They all slid from their stools to greet him, but Emma beat them to the punch and bolted from her own, squealing and she ran towards Matt with wide spread arms.

“Uncle Matt!”

Matt grunted as Emma’s little body hit his own, but he laughed, clearly tickled at her excitement.

“Hey Bug!” he called happily, pulling his niece into his arms and smothering her with kisses, chuckling at the tiny squeals of delight she made.

He put Emma down and then greeted Alex with a warm hug and kiss on the cheek. Then he turned to Harry and grinned as the two shook hands. Matt told Harry how glad he was that they had come for the holiday and of course, that he had been practicing and he was definitely going to kick his ass at FIFA sometime during the week.

He turned then and spotted Charlotte. A wide grin spread across his face and Harry and Alex looked at each other knowingly.

“Ah! My houseguest for the week.” Matt teased Charlotte. He stopped then, narrowed his eyes slightly, and pointed at her. “Charlotte, isn't it?”

Her lips twisted up into a smirk and her head tilted up to him as his moved closed to her. “Only out of necessity, Matthew.”

His eyes crinkled and he chuckled low as he leaned into her, pressing a warm hand around her back and a soft kiss to her cheek. “It’s good to see you,” he said to her in a soft, warm voice.

She leaned into him before she could help it, before she realized what she was doing, and pressed herself just lightly against him; chest to chest, stomach to stomach. She heard his breath suck in and she flushed, suddenly remembering where she was. She pulled back and back into herself, moving slightly away from him and clearing her throat.

“Thank you for letting me stay with you this week,” she said politely.

Matt laughed, recognizing that her sentimental moment was over and she was back in proper lady mode. “Anytime,” he said with a wink before he moved away from her and around the island to his parents.

“Pop,” Matt said with a grin as he patted his dad’s arm affectionately before laying eyes on Donna. “Mama,” he greeted cheekily. He leaned down to kiss her cheek and then stood back up and looked out at the room. “Okay,” he grinned, rubbing his hands together. “I’m officially on vacation for the week. It’s time for a drink. Who’s in?”

********************

“Alright, Wales,” Alex grinned as she sauntered out on to the pool deck with a bowl in each hand. “Chocolote Chip Cookie Dough ice cream courtesy of Blue Bell Creamery. The best ice cream in the world.”

The night was warm for November, even in Texas, and Alex had decided that it was the perfect time to introduce him to the wonder that was Blue Bell; the first of her childhood favorites that she was letting him in on during their week-long visit. Emma had long ago been put to bed, Matt and Charlotte had left for the night back to his house, and her parents were fast asleep in their room on the other side of the house. Alex had been too wired, too excited to go to bed, so she had suggested they come out here for a bit and enjoy the warm night. Harry had only been too happy to oblige.

Harry couldn’t help but grin at her excitement as she moved toward where he sat, spread out on one of the big loungers by the pool. He took her in as she walked; the sway of her hips, the flush on her face from the wine they had been drinking. She was happy and sexy and so at ease in this place; this place where she grew up in.

“Scoot,” she ordered with a tilt of her chin.

“Bossy,” he replied as he moved to the side, making room for her.

“You like it.”

“Ha! And sassy too.”

She slid in next to him and smiled, handing a bowl off to him. “Where do you think Emma gets it from?”

Harry laughed and shook his head. “I’ve always known where Emma gets it from.”

Alex nodded and giggled as she took her spoon from her bowl and held it up in the air. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Harry mimicked, holding his spoon up like hers.

Her lips curved up at the sides and she arched an eyebrow. “Are you ready for this?”

“Absolutely,” he winked at her.

“Alright. Dig in.”

They both dipped their spoons in then, scooping up a bite and bringing it up to their lips at the same time.

“Ohhhh…this is good…” Harry groaned, quickly spooning another bite into his mouth.

“Told you,” Alex said smugly as she watched him eat.

“I never doubted you.”

Alex smiled and took another slow bite, savoring it. Harry, on the other hand, took his down faster, cleaning his bowl in a hurry.

“It looks like you enjoyed it,” Alex teased.

“I did, is there more?”

“Nope,” she laughed as she shook her head. “We got the last of it.”

“You still have more.” He lifted his brows and pointed his spoon towards her bowl.

“What? You think you deserve some of mine?”

His eyes danced and his smile was cheeky. “I do. Come on…give me a bite…”

“No way!” she exclaimed as she spooned another bite and moved the spoon towards her lips.

Harry grinned; a completely playful and silly grin, and then he reached up and his fingers wrapped around hers on her spoon before it made it to her mouth, taking her by surprise. And then, with the cocking of an eyebrow he tilted her spoon back and turned her hand, causing the bit of ice cream to slide ride off the spoon…and onto her chest.

“Harry!” Her eyes were wide as she put her spoon down, looking around for something to clean up with.

“Relax Alex, I got this,” he said in a low, throaty voice, his eyes flashing up to hers as he leaned forward.

“What…ohhhh…” Alex moaned as his lips and tongue found her skin, found the sticky, cold, ice cream that had fallen there. “Harry.” The spoon clinked against the glass bowl as it dropped from her hand.

“Mmm?” He smiled against the soft, pink skin of her cleavage. He tugged at the fabric of her shirt, revealing more of her, and his tongue dipped even further below.

“Harry…” A soft, tipsy giggle pushed from her lips, her free hand tugging into his hair; unsure if she wanted to push him closer or pull him away. “I think you got it.”

“I don’t know,” he leaned back a few inches, his eyes wild as he reached for the spoon. “I think I missed just a bit…” Alex watched with baited breath as he scooped up another spoonful of ice cream and without taking his eyes from hers, dropped it—quite purposefully—between her breasts.

“Oh!” She gasped at the sensation, cold ice cream against her skin—hot from the Texas night. On reflex her chest arched out to him and his grin pulled wide. “What are you doing?”

“I…” He sat up, his hands reaching for the bowl. “…am helping you…” He moved the bowl to the stand beside them and flashed the most cocky, smug look she had seen from him in some time. “…clean up.” His hands worked quickly, pulling her t-shirt up and over her bra, holding it there as his mouth returned to her skin; hot and wet in search of the creamy deliciousness he had just put there.

“Jesus!” She gasped, her hands moving to his head. And though she knew that maybe she should pull him back—they were at her parents’ house, in the wide open backyard—she simply couldn’t bring herself to do that. His tongue was warm and with every long, lap he took at her, he was sending wave after wave of the most tingling sensation over her skin.

*M*

“You taste amazing,” he assured her, his fingers moving to pull back the thin lace of her bra; his tongue slipping underneath it; causing her to hiss and press closer.

“It’s…the ice cream…” Alex breathed.

“No,” he shook his head; tugging her bra lower and lower until he exposed one pert nipple to the night air. “There’s no ice cream here…” His thumb ran over the sensitive nub and Alex had to bite her lip to keep from calling out.

“Harry…”

“But I can fix that,” he grinned and reached to the bowl. Bypassing the spoon altogether, he dipped two fingers into the ice cream, bringing it quickly back. When he smeared it over Alex’s nipple, her head fell back against the chair. And when Harry’s tongue darted out to lap it up, she moaned into the still night air and pushed his face into her chest—no longer caring in the least that they were in a lounge chair, in the open, at her parents’ house. She only wanted more.

And when he gave her more, when pulled her nipple into his mouth, sucking it sharply between his lips and skimming his teeth along it, she shuddered. “Yes…” she moaned softly.

“Mhhmmm…delicious,” Harry moaned around the tight, hard nipple in his mouth.

The vibrations from his voice immediately shot sparks directly to Alex’s core. Her fingers tightened in his hair and her entire body reacted, arching toward him, asking for more of what he was offering to her.

He couldn’t help the cocky grin that hit his lips when she did that, when her body reached for his like that; when she wanted him like that. And maybe most other times he would have moved into her and pulled her body tight against his and given her the contact and the pressure she craved from him in that moment. But this time, right now, with the sweet taste of the ice cream and the even sweeter taste of her mixed together on his tongue, he wasn’t ready to give in just yet.

He wanted to play.

He pulled up and away from her then. A little moan of disappointment left her lips and her eyes fluttered open, finding him as he moved his body above hers.

“Where are you going?” she called out, reaching for him.

“Shhh…” he whispered as he pressed an ice cream flavored finger to her lips. “I’m not going anywhere.” His mouth pulled into a smug, cocky smile as his fingers left her lips and found her shirt again, still bunched up above her exposed breasts. Gathering the material in his hands he tugged and she immediately raised her arms so that he could pull it from her. Bending down slightly he reached a firm hand around her and unclasped her bra, pulling it with him when he sat back up and tossing it to the side.

“Alex…you look good enough to eat,” he said, his voice soft and deep as he stared down at her.

“Then come back,” she beckoned, her voice whisper soft as her body arched into the compliment her gave her, her chest thrusting up into the night air towards him.

He could see the stickiness of the ice cream left on her and the wetness from where his mouth had been and it sent a wave of lust running through him. His cock surged in his pants and he forced himself to take a deep breath, to calm down, to remember exactly what he wanted to do here.

His lips tugged up at the corners. “Patience is a virtue, Alexandra,” he chided.

She moaned, her eyes growing heavy and her body flushing at the meaning behind his words; at the teasing that was sure to come.

A light, growling sort of laugh left Harry’s mouth at her reaction to him. Then, reaching down, he grabbed the bottom of his own shirt and pulled it up over his head, tossing it into the pile he had started with her clothes. “Things are about to get a little messy, baby…”

Her eyes widened as his fingers dipped back into the bowl beside them. He reached up and smeared the half melted ice cream over her lips, and before she could tip her own tongue out to catch any of it, his mouth swooped down on hers.

With a groan her mouth opened under his and his tongue thrust in immediately, bringing the sweet taste of the ice cream and the spicy taste of him with it. The way they moved was fluid. What could easily be mistaken for a well-choreographed dance gave tell to just how in synch Alex and Harry had become. As he took place between her knees, she made room. As her neck stretched up to kiss him closer, more fully—he pulled back—just enough to drive her mad without losing the kiss altogether. Her eyes pulled open as Harry sucked the last bit of ice cream from her bottom lip and released her.  
With lust filled eyes Alex watched as Harry took her in, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight as he moved his focus to the previously unattended breast. As one warm, rough hand moved to cup it, to hold it firm in his palm, his other hand was quick to the bowl of melting ice cream. Alex’s breath sucked into her lungs as she watched him scoop a dollop up onto his fingers and brought it across her bare chest to her other nipple—now aching for the attention he was about to provide.

Her hands wrapped around the stiff fabric of the lounger she sat in and her chest pushed up into his hot, welcoming mouth and she could feel the heat pool between her legs; she could feel her nerves awakening underneath his touch.

“Mmm…” He moaned against her breast as his mouth sucked her in, pulling her out with a grin. “It looks like I made a mess,” his eyes flickered to the tiny droplets of ice cream that had fallen from his fingers as he moved. “Just let me…” His lips descended to the soft, sensitive skin just below her breasts, just at the bottom of her ribs. And as his tongue licked up the trail he had left, a laugh—a giggle that spoke of tickling and desire—burst through her lips. And it only spurred him on.

His hand returned to the bowl again but this time, it wasn’t just a finger full, this time it wasn’t just a dollop. Alex gasped when his hand flattened out at the top of her chest and ran straight down her middle, between the peaks of her breasts, to her belly button.

“Harry!” She gasped.

“Alex!” He mimicked and met her eyes. And when he licked his lips, when he offered a wink and that damn crooked smile of his, Alex had no idea what it was inside of her that kept her from tackling him and jumping him right then. And then his head lowered and his tongue swept out of his mouth over the soft curve of her stomach; dipping into her belly button and her hips arched off the lounger and Harry smiled wide. “There we go.”

“Shhhh…” Was all she could manage as her eyes pressed closed and her hands shoved back into his hair. Harry made no haste as he licked up the sweet trail he had smeared across her. He sucked up the cool liquid, he licked at the hot skin underneath and when he finally reached the top of her chest, Alex had been worked into a frenzied sort of ecstasy. His eyes flicked up to hers and he saw fire there and his entire body moved towards her. With one finger, he dipped into the ice cream and brought it to her lips; parted and panting. 

And Alex, not to be underestimated, moved her lips around that finger and sucked it all the way into her mouth. Every single nerve ending Harry had stood at attention while he watched as Alex, with wide innocent eyes, sucked and licked all of the sweet ice cream off his finger. Pulling it from her mouth with a pop, she smiled at the stunned look on his face, at the way his cock was pulsing against her and she knew—she had him just as much as he had her.

“Harry…” She spoke in a soft purr of a voice.

“Hmmm?” He swallowed, summoning his blood back to his brain.

“I think maybe…” She reached over and ran two fingers through the now mostly melted bowl of ice cream. And then Harry watched with a boiling desire as Alex, his sweet, beautiful Alex, ran a line of ice cream up the inside of her thigh, stopping just at the bottom of her shorts. “You might have missed a spot.” 

With a deep, shuddering breath his eyes followed the line her fingers had made before they flashed back up to hers. He almost faltered at the look there. Her eyes were full of love and lust and…an unashamed confidence he had never seen there before.

“Alex…” he groaned as his hands moved down over her hips to the outside of her thighs. His fingers flexed there as his eyes held hers, totally hooked on the look he saw in them.

“Harry…” She reached up and rubbed his lips with her fingers. “You missed a spot, baby. You should really get that…” Her eyes flashed down to her thigh and her hips rolled upwards towards him and back down to the lounge chair in a move that Harry found so fucking sexy he almost forgot how to breathe.

Taking a deep breath and shaking his head slowly at her he moved down her body, keeping her eyes held with his. He gently pushed the leg that Alex has applied the streak of ice cream to up so her knee was bent up into the air and her foot rested flat on the lounger. Then, with firm fingers he pushed her leg out just a bit. And then, not being able to wait any longer, not sure that he could; his mouth descended on the soft, smooth skin of her leg.

“Oh fuck…” Alex hissed as her entire body jerked at the sensation. His mouth was hot and wet and it felt so amazing against the stickiness of the ice cream that was drying on her thigh. He was licking and sucking a slow, torturous path and her senses were alive, completely on fire with it. Her heart was pounding fiercely and she was almost sure that she had never wanted him as badly as she did right then. Her entire body ached with it; with the need he was arousing in her.

“You taste…” Harry breathed against her skin as his lips and tongue moved higher and higher, almost to the edge of her shorts. His voice, his breath against her, brought goosebumps to her skin and made her own breath catch. “So fucking sweet...I could taste you forever…”And just as he was getting to the last of the mess she had so purposefully made on her thigh, just as his tongue was licking away the last of the sweet desert from her skin, his other hand, still placed on her other thigh, started sliding upward until his fingers were moving under the material of her shorts. He ran his fingertips over the line of her panties along her hip. She moaned and turned her hips, trying to get closer to his teasing hand.

“Please…Harry…” she panted, her eyes turning down to his. “Please touch me, Harry. I need you to touch me.”

“Alexandra…” he growled with a shake of his head. “I am touching you, baby.”

“No, Harry…” She surprised him then by pulling from the lounger and sitting up. His eyes widened but he followed, sitting up with her but keeping one hand on her thigh and the other still teasing under her shorts.

“What, Alex?” he whispered. His fingers dipped under the edge of her lace panties then; just enough to feel the softness of her skin at the juncture of her thigh, but not enough that would bring her any real satisfaction, any real relief.

Her eyes pulled up to his and her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. “Harry. Touch me.” Her voice was a bid louder; a bit more demanding.

His fingers slipped a bit further under her panties.

She moaned and her eyes slid closed for just a moment. When they opened again they were hazy; unfocused. “Harry…”

He scooted closer to her then and brought his mouth close to hers. Their breath mingled together as his fingers shifted in her shorts, moving downwards and just barely grazing the top of her sex. “Where do you want me to touch you love?”

Her big blue eyes flashed just the tiniest bit of the innocence he adored before her confidence returned; full force and then some. He saw it happen and he steeled himself for what he was certain she would say. He waited for her to say the words, to name the place she wanted him. But when Alex moved to action, it was nearly his undoing.

Gathering her wits and her strength, she slid a hand around his neck and pulled his face close to hers, so that their lips were almost touching. His eyes held hers steadily. They were so close that he could read every emotion in them and his heart thumped in his chest. Then, her other hand wrapped itself around his wrist and she very deliberately moved his hand, sliding his fingers over her sex.

“Henry. I am so incredibly, unbelievably wet for you right now. Feel baby…” Her voice was low and throaty as she moved him, shifting her hips so his fingers could move further down.

“Holy fuck, Alex…” he groaned as his fingers moved slid down over her. “You’re so wet.”

“Mmm…” She moaned, her hand resting over his. “You’re driving me mad, Henry.”

“So wet and warm…” He moved closer, fingers slipping further into the warm, wet center of her.

“I know I should be mad but…” Her hand pushed on his, wanting him closer; needing him closer.

“Mad?” His lips twitched into a smirk but his fingers remained in place; a second one slipping inside of her.

“First…you took my ice cream,” her eyes flashed wicked and for a split second, Harry was nervous and then her lips parted and she pushed his hand further into her and his nervousness was replaced by something else entirely.

“I did,” he nodded.

“And then…ohhhhh…” Her head fell back just a bit as his thumb found her clit and gave her just a taste of what she knew he had ready for her.

“And then?” He teased, moving his fingers deeper, making a small ‘come here’ motion. Alex moaned; her hand pressing him closer.

“And then…” She took a deep breath and pulled her head upright. “Then you made a mess.”

“You like the mess,” he held her eyes and pushed his fingers further; slipping in a third.

“I love the mess,” her voice was low and growly. Her hand slipped from her pants and reached for the bowl of ice cream, her hips arching against Harry’s movements. “Oh God….but…” She took a breath, trying for control. “I think…I would like it even more if…” And Harry watched, his own judgments clouded by the intense want he felt for her, as she pulled the spoon from the bowl and with a wicked grin he hadn’t seen from her in a long time, she ran the sticky, wet spoon down the middle of his chest. “If it were all over you.”

He groaned, his entire body pulsing with her actions, her words, with the unbelievable way her wanted her. He pressed his hand harder against her, bringing a moan from her smiling lips. “Alex…”

“I want to taste you, Harry…” She licked her lips and moved forward, rising up on her knees. The move forced Harry to move his hand from her and her breath caught as his fingers slid from her. She shook her head slowly when he tried to go back to her. Instead she scooted closer to him on her knees until she was only inches from him. “I do like this mess, Harry. I really like this mess…” And then she picked the spoon up from the bowl again and with a raised eyebrow she ran another line on him, this time all the way across his broad chest.

“Fuck,” Harry groaned as she quickly turned around and placed the bowl back on the stand. “You have me so turned on, Alexandra.”

“Yeah?” she asked as she turned back to him; her eyes bright, excited, lusty.

His hands flexed and moved to her hips, bringing her close to him. His eyes were hot and heavy as they met hers “Incredibly.” His voice was low.

“Do you think…” She raised an eyebrow and her eyes danced. “It would turn you on if I did this?” She leaned forward then and tipped her tongue out, running a long, wet, hot line across his chest.

“Jesus Christ,” he panted. His cock surged in his pants with every swipe of her tongue, with every low moan that pushed from her lips. “Yes…”

And Alex was instantly drunk with power. She pressed further.

“What about this, Baby? Does this turn you on?” She moved down this time, licking and sucking and biting her way down the first line of ice cream she had drawn on him. “You taste so good, Henry. So sweet and spicy…”

“Alex…” he growled in warning.

She was absolutely wrecking him. And she was moving torturously down his body, setting him on fire. He moved his hands into her hair, not knowing if he wanted to pull her closer or tug her away. And then when she reached his abdomen, when her tongue slid down under his belly button, when her hands came up to his belt buckle and slid it open with easy precision, Harry couldn’t take it anymore. With a groan he tugged on her hair, pulling her up, pulling her lips to his. She moved into him and just as his mouth closed over hers, just as his tongue slid along hers, she pressed her chest into his and they both gasped. They were both sticky and wet from the ice cream and the sensations it created were completely new and different in a completely amazing way.

“Wow…” Alex grinned against his lips.

Harry’s arms moved around her, pushing her sticky body against his. “You feel…” he trailed off, not being able to find the words. Instead he pushed what he couldn’t say into her mouth; letting his lips and tongue tell her everything he couldn’t say in that moment.

Her hands were still on his belt buckle, and although they had stalled when their bodies met, she went to work again. Unsnapping and unzipping quickly she slid her hand inside and had her hand wrapped around him before he had a chance to come to terms to what she was doing.

Harry’s arms tightened around her as a groan pushed from deep in his chest. Alex’s tongue pushed into his mouth, stroking against his tongue the way her hand was stroking against his length and he couldn’t get close enough to her.

“Harry…” She called to him and his opened; dark and heavy. “I want you inside of me.”

“Fuck. Alex.” She delivered two long, hard strokes to him; his hips jutting towards her.

“Yes,” her nod was firm, her grin naughty. “Please.” Turning to the ice cream, Alex dipped the tip of her finger into the last of the sweet stickiness and ran that finger along the side of his neck. Her mouth close behind, she licked up the sweet salty skin there and when she reached his ear, she breathed. “Come on baby…”

“Come on?” Harry breathed; heavy and deep. And then, just as quickly as she had taken him into her hand, she had released him; rising from the chair.

Harry spun around to watch her as she moved, as she strutted away from him. She glanced over her shoulder, tossing him a look of seduction that pulled at his gut, at his cock, and she quickly undid the button and zipper to her shorts.

“Harry…” She beckoned and, biting her lip between her teeth, she let her shorts drop to the ground at her feet.

“Jesus,” he shook his head, his fingers digging into the fabric of the lounger. When she turned to face him, Alex’s smile spread wide; sweet and happy and full of the kind of peace she felt in that moment, at her childhood home, with this man who meant everything. And then, taking a breath, her fingers slid into her panties and she pushed them down over her hips. Harry’s hand moved over his heart, pushing to his skin as though he were trying to keep the organ from bursting out of his chest. “Fuck. Alexandra, you’re killing me.”

“I think it’s time for us to wash off, don’t you?” With a flick of her heel, she kicked her panties in his direction and before he could respond she turned and dove straight into the heated pool. Harry glanced around him, momentarily so upended that he wasn’t sure what to do next. Lucky for him, Alex knew exactly what she was doing. “What are you waiting for Wales, an engraved invitation?” She swam to the edge and looked up at him, her hair slicked back from the water. “I’m wet and hot and…are you really going to sit there on the side of the pool while I swim naked by myself?”

“No,” he found his voice, his desires taking over. Shaking his head, he rose to his feet; tugging his shorts down from his hips. “No I am not fucking sitting here on the side of the pool.”

Alex grinned, her lips pulling wide in victory, in anticipation, in excitement. “Then come on in, Captain,” she tossed out as she pushed back from the wall, swimming backward while keeping her eyes trained on him. “The water’s mighty fine.”

And Harry wasted no more time. He walked straight to the side and dove in after her. Opening his eyes under the dark water, he spotted her silhouette and moved to her. Alex watched in anticipation as his dark form approached her under the water, but in the end she simply wasn’t prepared for when his skin met her skin. She wasn’t prepared for the way his hands wrapped around her calves and slid up the back of her thighs as he moved toward the surface of the water. She wasn’t prepared for the way the front of his body felt as it glided up the front of hers. And when Harry broke the surface of the water, she couldn’t help the shudder that moved through her body or the moan that left her lips.

“Oh God, Harry,” she whispered as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her slick body against his. Her eyes turned up to his and her hands moved from the water and up his arms to his neck, pulling his face to her. “Kiss me…” she whispered.

And Harry complied. His mouth closed over hers and he groaned as her lips immediately parted, her own tongue drawing his in. “Alex…” he groaned against her lips. His hands roamed her body, taking in her curves, re-tracing all of the places he already knew by memory. “Do you know what you’re doing to me?”

“Yes,” she whimpered softly as his hands circled her waist. He lifted her and she immediately followed, wrapping her legs around his waist. “Yes, Harry…” She could feel him, hard and hot under her and she was almost sure that she had never wanted anything more in her entire life that she wanted him right in that moment. “Baby…Henry…please…”

He moaned against her lips and nodded his head slowly and began moving her backwards through the water. Her lips and tongue were frantic on his and he wasn’t entirely sure that he would even make it to the finish with her; she had him so turned on. When they reached the wall he pushed her against it, pressing his body tight to hers. He pulled back to look at her and his breath left his lungs in a rush. She was naked and wet in his arms, her long hair spread out and floating in the water surrounding her. Her eyes were dark and wild and it was all for him. That knowledge, that this was all for him, surged him forward, pushed him into action. He shifted her, wrapping a strong arm around her waist and moving himself under her, poised right at the entrance of her body. His other hand moved up and he pushed a stray lock of wet hair from her face before he moved to cup her cheek, bring her eyes up to his. The heat between them surged even further, if that was even possible.

A low moan pushed from Alex’s lips. “Harry, I need you. I need you inside of me right now. Please…” she pleaded again. “If I don’t have you inside of me right now I’m going to…”

“Alex…” he groaned as her words slammed into him. He was done. He couldn’t hold out any longer. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her lips to his. Her mouth opened under his and he pushed his tongue into her mouth just as he pushed himself up in her hot, wet body; burying himself in one long, slow, deep stroke.

“Ohhhh…fuck,” she cried softly. She felt so full, so complete with him inside of her. He fit there perfectly, as if his body and her body were made for exactly this; to be joined like this with the other. “Harry…” she struggled to find the words, to find the ability to breathe; to think.

“Jesus, Alex. You are so fucking wet…I can’t…” He pulled out and pushed up into her again. It was slow and devastating and it made Alex’s toes curl and her heels dig into Harry’s back.

Alex’s lips found his and they kissed again; a deep, wet, thrusting kiss that seemed to last forever as Harry stayed buried deep inside of her. And then, just as she had slowed them back from the brink of their frenzied pace, Harry moved; in and out. His rhythm was slower, longer, and with every full motion in, Alex let out the tiniest of gasps; her fingers pressing into the wet skin of his shoulders. Harry’s hand tightened around her waist, pushing her to him with a groan.

“Oh my God…” Alex breathed, her jaw slack as her body rocked with every in and out motion Harry pressed to her. Her breasts were tight to his chest, rubbing against his skin with the most delicious friction. His eyes were trained on her, serious and undaunted, and it made her whole body arch to him.

“I love you Alex…” Harry groaned, taking a step closer to the side of the pool, pushing their bodies tighter together. One hand left her body, slapping against the concrete rim of the pool, holding tight for leverage and, capturing her mouth with his, he picked up speed.

“Oooooo…” The moan that rolled from Alex’s throat only spurred him on. And his hips moved faster. Her head tipped back against the side, her eyes fluttering closed, but he couldn’t have it that way—he couldn’t have her that way. Not this time.

“Open your eyes,” he commanded, his lips pressing hotly to her jaw. “Alex open your eyes and…fuck…” He groaned, too close to be mincing words. “…look at me…” And from where she summoned the ability to lift her eyelids, she would never ever know, but she did. And she met his eyes and her lips twitched up in a hazy, delirious smile.

“Mmm…” She smiled, encouraging him with her grin, with her gaze, with the way her hips thrust up to meet him.

And Harry pressed on. He was moving against her so deep, so wildly that he was nearly lifting her up and out of the water. And she was holding onto him so tightly, with so much need that she was certain she would leave prints on his skin.

“Alex,” he groaned, the waver in his voice telling her what he would never be able to articulate.

“Please,” she whispered, trying to adjust her hips, her angle. “Harry please…I’m so…” She gasped for breath. “I’m so close. Please…”

“Tell me,” he asked—he begged. “Fuck. Tell me Alex…You’re so fucking hot when you’re like this; putting my fingers inside of you…”

“Oh…”

“Ordering me into the pool.”

“Harry…”

“Tell me, my beautiful, sweet, sexy Alexandra…tell me what you want…” He pushed in deep and sharp. “Tell me right now.”

She whimpered, not sure if she could find the words.

The arm around her hips tightened and pulled her down on him hard, going impossibly deep. “Tell me, Alexandra. Whatever you want. I’ll give it to you right now…right this fucking second…”

“Oh GOD Harry…” she cried out as he hit bottom again and again. “Fuck! Make me come…I want to come all over your cock right now…”

“Holy shit…” Harry groaned. Her voice saying those words undid any ounce of self-control he had. Without losing any of his pace, any of the rhythm they had established, he shifted her hips and hammered himself into her, hitting that spot he knew from experience was there head on. She gasped and her eyes flashed to his. Her fingernails dug into his back and her entire body prepared itself for what was coming. “Yes…” he hissed. “Come on baby…come around my cock…”

And she did. She went, her entire body pulsing all at once with the intensity. His lips covered hers just as the first wave hit her, catching her cries in his mouth, wanting every single part of her orgasm for himself. She had begged him for this, said things to him she had never said before, loved him as she had never loved him before, and as she rode out the final waves of her orgasm around him, Harry couldn’t hold it back any longer. And as he felt his end coming, he groaned deep and low in a completely animalistic type of way against Alex’s mouth. His release slammed into him and burst forth from him with an intensity that he had never quite felt before, but wasn’t quite sure he knew how to handle. His entire body shuddered as he pressed her as tightly to him as he could and buried his face in her neck, giving her everything he had.

*EM*

“Oh my God, Harry,” Alex breathed. Her eyes opened and she had to blink several time to focus. The pool water was still moving in waves around them and he was still breathing heavy around her, against her neck. “Are you okay?” she asked, a small giggle escaping her mouth.

He chuckled low and deep, pulling his face slowly back from her neck. “Am I okay? Fuck, Alexandra. I’m more than…God….” He loosed his grip on her then, knowing he had probably left bruises on her hip. He smoothed a hand there, where he had held her, and his other hand left the pool edge, moving to push her hair from her face. “I love you,” he breathed as they sank into the water a bit without the support of his hand on the edge of the pool. “You know no idea just how much I love you right now.”

Alex smiled wide, her eyes soft and teary, but happy. “Yeah?”

He leaned forward and kissed her gently. “Yeah.”

“I love you too, Henry.”

He grinned at her, holding her eyes for a moment before glancing around them. “We should probably clean up and go inside before someone decides to find us. We weren’t exactly discreet.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed. “No, not exactly.”

He shook his head at her and moved them towards the stairs. He pulled her from him then as he rushed out; covering his naked bits - much to Alex’s amusement - as he found two towels for them in the plastic bin Alex directed him to.

Wrapping one quickly around himself, he held the other out for her. He wrapped her up tight and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose, loving the smile it brought to her face. He made quick work of scooping up their clothes and their bowls and then they snuck inside the house, being careful to be quiet as they washed the bowls and then went upstairs.

As they readied for bed, putting on their pajamas and brushing their teeth, they couldn’t help the way they smiled at each other, how giddy they felt. It felt almost like the beginning, when they were just realizing how they felt, when it was new. And in a way it was new. She had brought him home and into her world. She had shown him a side of herself that he had never been privy to and he adored it.

And when they crawled into bed at the end of their first day in Texas, Harry pulled Alex into his arms and they both knew that they had stepped over some line; some invisible line that signaled that they had moved to a deeper place in their relationship.


	43. Chapter Forty Three

“Are you about ready?” Harry asked, poking his head into the bathroom attached to Alex’s old bedroom; the bedroom they were in for their visit to Texas.

She smiled wide at him in the mirror as she worked her curling iron over her long blonde locks. “Five minutes?”

“Okay,” he smiled back. “I’m going to go downstairs. I heard Emma running around and yelling something about pancakes.”

“Ha! Dad must be making them for her. Emma loves his pancakes.”

Harry nodded. “I remember you telling me that. I’ll see you down there shortly.”

She nodded and he winked at her before moving out of the door. He opened the door to the room and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door quietly behind him. He made it about four steps down the hallway before his eyes flashed to the walls and stopped dead in his tracks. Maybe it was the light streaming through the windows or maybe it was that the night before he had been too caught up in Alex to notice, but the walls in the hallway were just lined with pictures.

With a giant grin Harry forgot his mission to go downstairs in search of pancakes and focused on the framed photos on the walls. They seemed to be in chronological order, documenting Matt and Alex from when they were babies and then on from there. There were pictures of both of them as babies, as toddlers, as small children. Harry stopped on a picture of Alex when she was probably about Emma’s age and he smiled softly, his fingers coming up to the frame to touch it gently. It could have been a picture of Emma; they looked so alike at that age.

He moved through the years slowly, taking in Alex and Matt through their teens. There were pictures of them playing sports, pictures of them at school dances, and pictures of them at their individual high school graduations. And it wasn’t very far after Alex’s high school graduation picture that he came across a picture that made his heart slam into his chest with such force that he immediately pressed his hand against chest, as if that could calm it. His breath caught and his lips parted as he stared at the photo.

The photo was in black and white and there was Alex with a big, excited, smile on her face; young and beautiful and very, very pregnant. She was sitting on her couch, her legs crossed under her, her arms wrapped around her belly.

He was mesmerized.

Of course, he knew she had been pregnant. He knew she’d had a baby, obviously. But he had never seen a picture of her pregnant. She didn’t have any displayed in her flat, and he had really never thought anything of it until right at this moment. He stared at it, not really able to process the visual image of Alex, his Alex, the woman who was his future, pregnant.

He didn’t hear her as she approached; he was so caught up in his own thoughts. It wasn’t until she was behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her chest against his back that he knew she was there. He smiled softly and leaned back into her slightly. His hands moved up to cover hers where they rested on his stomach. She stood on her tip toes and peeked over his shoulder, pressing a kiss to it through his shirt.

“I was really, really pregnant there,” she said softly. “She was born the next day.”

“You are really, really beautiful there. God, Alex. Happy and so beautiful,” he responded. His voice was low, reverent.

“You think so? Even with my big ‘ol belly?” she joked, a small giggle escaping. But then Harry turned in her arms, and the laughter died on her lips. His eyes were dark and full of emotion and his arms went around her, pulling her incredibly tight against him. “Whoa…Harry…”

“I’m sorry,” he said. His hands flattened against her back, his fingers rubbing through the material of her shirt. “It’s just…I’ve never seen a picture of you…” he blinked before giving her a slow smile. “Pregnant.”

Her eyes widened a bit as she caught on to what was going on in his head. “I didn’t realize you had never seen it…I guess I don’t have any pictures up in my flat. I don’t know that I even have any…”

He shook his head. “I’m not…I…” he laughed at himself as he trailed off, not being about to articulate in any way shape or form what he wanted to say, what he knew he wasn’t supposed to be saying to her.

“What is it, Harry?” she asked softly. Her hands moved up his arms and over his shoulders before wrapping around his neck. She pulled him down so his forehead rested against hers. “Tell me.”

“I can’t…” he breathed with a wide smile, his eyes crinkling at the sides. He knew she understood. He knew she was following his train of thought.

“Why?”

“Because it’s against the rules, Alexandra.”

She grinned. “So break the fucking rules, Harry.”

“Alex…” He shook his head slowly, his forehead moving against hers. And because he couldn’t help himself, he took two steps forward, moving her backwards and into the wall behind her, pressing her up against it with his body. He brought his hands to her cheeks, cupping them in his hands and tilting her face to his. “Are you sure?”

“Yes…” she breathed; her eyes wide, her smile even wider. She was completely and totally enthralled with this moment, with him.

“Someday…someday I want that…” He slid a hand from her face and down to her stomach, fanning out over her lower belly. She took a deep, shuddering breath at his action. “I want to make your belly swell like that. I want to put my babies in there...in here…” His fingers flexed on her belly and she couldn’t help the small moan that escaped her lips. His head tilted to the side and his eyes opened even wider; hopefulness and honesty flooding them. “I want that, desperately…with you.”

“Someday…” she repeated softly. She wasn’t even sure she said it loud enough for him to hear. Lord knows she didn’t hear it, not with the blood rushing through her veins, pounding in her ears.

“Yes, love. Someday. Babies. With you,” he murmured. He watched her then with baited breath. He knew she could accuse him of overreacting to a picture, of going too far, of saying things they had agreed not to say. But he also knew that they had moved into a deeper part of their relationship in the past twenty-four hours and that she felt that just as much as he did; had felt the shift in their dynamic.

And then she brought her hands down to his shirt, fisting her hands in the material there and tugging him closer to her. Her eyes flashed down for a moment before she turned them back up to him. And what he saw there absolutely slammed him right in the gut. The same want - the same need - he felt was reflected right there in her big blue eyes.

“I want that too, Harry,” she whispered. Her eyes filled with tears but her lips were smiling. “I want to make babies with you…someday.”

“Yeah?” he barely choked the word out.

She nodded slowly. “Now, you better kiss me Wales, or I’m…”

And his mouth was on hers, not letting her finish what she was going to say. And truthfully, the second his lips moved over hers, the second his tongue thrust into her mouth, she forgot whatever it was she was going to say. All that mattered to her was this man, this amazing, sexy, smart, loving man who was pressing her into the wall, completely turned on at the thought of making babies with her.

“Oh God, Alex,” he murmured against her mouth as he leaned into her, pushing her harder against the wall. She felt him, hard and pressing against her and she couldn’t help but reach for it, pushing a hand in between them and running her hand along his length. “You’re killing me…”

“No, you’re killing me,” she breathed, squeezing his length in her hand. “Eating ice cream from me, fucking me in my parent’s pool, telling me you want to put your babies in my belly…you’re killing me.”

“Stop it,” he grinned against her mouth. “Unless you want me to do it all again.”

“Oh, I want you to do it all again, Harry.”

“Alex…” he warned with a shake of his head. He was so close to taking her back to their bedroom and ripping her clothes from her body it wasn’t even funny. “Stop.”

“I don’t want to stop.” Her bottom lip stuck out in a playful pout as she squeezed his length again. Her eyes were pulling him in, beckoning him. “I want to keep going. I want more.”

Groaning and hating himself even as he did it, Harry reached down and pulled her hand from him. He pinned it down by her side and looked at her with the sternest face his could manage in that moment. “We can’t do this here and you know it...”

“But…”

He chuckled and put his fingers to her lips. “We have to go downstairs and have pancakes with your parents and Emma. And then we are all going to the Zoo.”

“Fine,” she sighed, although the playfulness remained about her. “But later on, Wales, you’re mine.”

With a quick, soft, kiss he pulled back from her and make quick work of adjusting his clothes and himself as she did the same. He shot her a cocky, smug smile and winked at her. “I’m always yours, baby.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alex chuckled. “Until you want pancakes and then I’m second string.”

“Well, you did say your dad made excellent pancakes.”

“I have something better than his pancakes.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

“Jesus Christ,” Harry laughed. He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the wall and in front of him, guiding her down the hall to the stairs. “I don’t know what is in the air in Texas, but I like it.”

**************

“Harry, what was your favorite animal of all of them?” Emma asked on their way back from the zoo. The entire group had spent the majority of their day there, enjoying a guided tour that Harry had made arrangements for. They were now on their way back to Mike and Donna’s house for the evening. Harry, Alex, and Emma were being driven back in one of Range Rovers, while Mike had Donna, Matt, and Charlotte with him in his SUV.

“Hmmm. Let me see, Em. What was my favorite animal? Maybe my favorite animal to see were…the snakes,” he said with a grin.

Emma just rolled her eyes. “Harry, snakes are not animals. They are reptiles. I mean, did you not learn anything today?”

“Ha!” Harry laughed, along with Alex. “I guess not, Em. Can I choose again?”

“Yep,” Emma said with a nod.

“Okay. How about the elephants? I really liked the elephants.”

“Me too,” Emma smiled. “I wish I could have touched one like we saw the people feeding them do. They looked so friendly.”

Harry nodded and glanced over at Alex, who was watching them with a smile. “Some of them are.”

“Have you ever touched one, Harry?”

“An elephant? I sure have.”

“Really?” Emma squeaked. “Where?”

“In Africa.”

“Wow,” Emma breathed. “I’m so jealous.”

“Aw. Well…” he glanced at Alex again and smiled. “Maybe someday I can take you and your mum to Africa for a holiday. We can definitely find an elephant for you to meet and probably quite a few other animals as well.”

“Please don’t be joking with me, Harry! Please!” Emma cried. A look of pure excitement and hope was plastered on her cute little face.

Alex couldn’t help but chuckle. “I don’t think he would joke about that, Emma.”

“She’s right, Em. I would never joke about that. Maybe on your next school break?”

Emma nodded emphatically and Harry reached over to ruffle her hair. He grinned as she giggled and then leaned into his side, resting her head on his chest. He moved his arm around her and held her there. He glanced up at Alex and smiled softly at her.

Alex’s heart was full to bursting with love for him in that moment; it had been all day really. She couldn’t help but look at him every chance she got today. And she had constantly wanted to be touching him, to have some sort of contact; whether it be holding hands or leaning her head on his shoulder or letting him hug her as they stood and waited for the next part of their tour to begin. This moment was no different, especially with her daughter snuggled up next to him so easily, so comfortably.

She reached her arm across the seat, over Emma’s head, and placed her hand on Harry’s cheek, caressing his smooth skin softly. “I love you,” she mouthed to him.

He leaned into her hand, his heart beating wildly, with Emma in his arms and Alex looking at him like she was…like he was everything to her. “I love you,” he mouthed back to her. He turned and kissed her palm then, his eyes never leaving hers. “So much.”

She held his stare, not moving, not wanting to move, for a long minute. Then, peeking down at Emma and seeing that she had fallen asleep, she looked back to Harry. “Do you want to go somewhere after we get back to my parent’s house?”

“Where?”

She smiled wide. “Somewhere I want to show you.”

“Then yes,” he said, smiling softly. “Of course, yes.”

******************

“Hey Matt,” Alex called out when she found her brother with Charlotte in the living room after they had all arrived back at the house.

“Yeah?” he asked, swinging his head around to her as she walked into the room.

“I have two favors to ask of you,” she said with grin, holding up two fingers.

“Shoot.”

“First, can I borrow your old truck?”

Matt nodded. “Sure, but why?”

“I want to take Harry out to the creek.”

Matt laughed. “Ahhh. The creek, huh? Well, sure. It’s not here though, it’s at my house.”

“That’s fine. The POs will take us over. I just need to know where the keys are.”

“In my pocket,” he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled them out, holding them out in front of her before narrowing his eyes and snatching them back from her at the last second. “Hold on little sister, what the second favor?”

Alex smiled sweetly at him and tilted her head. “Can you guys watch Emma while I take Harry out there?”

“Of course,” he laughed, handing the keys over. “Be careful.”

“Thank you!” she called as she turned and sailed from the room. “I always am!”

****************

“Care to tell me where you are taking me?” Harry asked as they climbed into Matt’s truck at his house. “I mean, you tell me to wear clothes that I can get dirty, you’re all secretive with my POs, and now we are climbing into this massively high truck…what’s up, Alex?”

She started the ignition and Matt’s old Chevy roared to life. She shifted into gear and turned on the lights and then she finally turned to him, a wide smile on her face. “We are going down to the creek.”

“The creek?” Harry asked, a smile tugging at his lips. “And what are we doing down at the creek?”

“Goin’ muddin’.”

“Muddin’?”

“Yep.”

“As in, you’re going to drive this thing through the mud?”

Alex’s eyebrows lifted. “Yeah. Is that a problem?”

Harry laughed and held up his hands. “No way. Just making sure I was clear on what we were doing.”

“Excellent,” Alex grinned as she pressed the gas and the truck launched faster than she had anticipated. “Shit. Sorry,” she laughed as she threw an apologetic look at Harry. “It’s awhile since I’ve driven this thing.”

“Should I be scared?” he quipped, his lips tugging upwards in a smirk of a smile.

“Shut up,” she laughed. “I’ll get the hang of it again.”

And she did. It only took about ten minutes to get to the creek from Matt’s house, but by the time they got there, Alex had gotten familiar with the old truck again, the truck her brother had taught her to drive. Once they reached the point where they would go off road, Alex rolled down the window and signaled to the POs trailing them and pointed to a cleared area about fifty yards from where they were. Then, with an excited smile towards Harry she pulled them onto the grass and dirt and down towards the creek.

“It rained late last night, so…” she said, concentration furrowing her brow. “There should be plenty of….” Her face broke out into a huge smile and laughter bubbled from her lips as they slid, and she expertly maneuvered the truck. “Mud!”

Harry couldn’t help but laugh with her as she drove them through, making donuts and figure eights in the muddy area. “Where did you learn to do this?” he called out to her as he watched, impressed, as she maneuvered the huge truck.

“Matt taught me,” she returned. “Brave, huh?”

“Ha!” Harry laughed. “Well, he did a great job.”

She winked at him and then continued to play for a few more minutes before she pulled the truck to a stop in the middle of the field. She took the truck out of gear, put on the brake, and killed the lights. Then, she reached for the radio dial and turned it on, quickly tuning it to her favorite country station, turning the volume up so the familiar music filled the cab of the truck.

“What are you doing, baby?” Harry asked with a smile as she unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to him.

She moved then, pulling herself onto her knees and scooting to him. She leaned over and pressed the button on his seatbelt and she pulled it from him as it unhooked. She turned her eyes up to his then and he sucked in a sharp, deep breath. He knew that look. He had seen it last night and he had seen it this morning...and he was seeing it now. It instantly made his blood run hot in his veins.

“Alex…what are you doing?” His voice was deep and throaty as she moved over him, placing her legs on either side of his, straddling him.

“Isn’t it obvious, Harry?” she grinned as she settled against his lap. “I’m about to have my way with you.”

“Here?”

“Now,” she nodded. Her eyes were sultry, heated. “God...I’ve wanted you all day, Harry. Ever since you pushed me up against the wall this morning and told me you wanted to put your babies in my belly…” She sat up straight and held his eyes as her fingers moved to the buttons of her shirt, popping them open one by one. “Ever since then the only thing I’ve wanted…the only thing I can think about…” She opened the last button and pulled the shirt open, revealing her lace covered chest to him. “Is putting you inside of me.”

“Fuck…” Harry breathed, his eyes raking over her body, his cock instantly growing hard in his pants.

“Yes,” Alex nodded, her lips pulled into a wide, mischievous grin. “That’s the idea.”

*M*

His hands moved to her, moving over her hips to her waist. She gasped when his hot hands met her bared skin, caressing upwards until he cupped her breasts in his palms and thumbed her nipples through her bra, bringing a small moan from her lips. And then his hands moved higher still until they were on her neck, cupping her face; his thumbs rubbing her cheeks. He pulled her face down to his, until their lips were almost touching, their breath mingling together.

“You are so fucking sexy, do you know that?” Harry murmured with a cocky smile.

“You make me sexy, Harry. It’s all for you, because of you,” she answered with a cocky smile of her own. “Now, are you going to let me take your clothes off and help me fog these windows up or…”

With a laugh he tugged her lips to his and she sighed as his mouth open under hers instantly. Her tongue slid in to tease along his and he groaned into her mouth. His hands moved from her face to her hips and, gripping her almost roughly, he pulled her tighter against his lap. That action and the need within him it represented shot the up the intensity in the cab of the truck, between them, instantly.

Harry pushed Alex’s shirt from her shoulders, his hands running down her arms and sending shivers through her as he pulled it from her body. His lips moved to the soft, flushed skin of her chest. He pressed hot, wet kisses to her cleavage and his fingers moved to pull at the straps of her bra, tugging them down and loosening the material covering her breasts.

“Ohhh…” she moaned when he dipped his hands into the cups of her bra and pulled her breasts out, cupping them in the palms of his hands. His thumbs came up and thumbed her sensitive nipples, smirking as she squirmed in his lap.

“You like when I do that…” His voice was low, throaty. Her eyes instantly snapped to his and she nodded, her teeth biting into her lower lip.

“You know what else I like?” she whispered.

He lifted an eyebrow. “Show me.”

With a wide, confident grin she rose up a bit on his lap and leaned forward, brushing a nipple against his lips, swollen from their kisses. He groaned at her actions and his cock pulsed from the confines of his pants. He took her cue and his lips closed around the nipple she offered to him. He never took his eyes from hers as he worked her breasts with his mouth, first the one she offered and then the other. He watched as her eyes grew heavier, as her hips began to turn against him, as her breathing became shallow.

“Oh God…Harry…” she whimpered as she wound her hands into his hair and then tugged him from her. “Fuck…when you do that…” she offered him a sultry smile. “It makes me so wet…”

He shook his head slowly at her. “If you talk to me like that tonight, Alex…” he took a shuddering breath. “After all day of wanting you, if you talk to me like that right now it’s not going to take me long to get there, baby.”

Alex’s eyes flashed wicked and she leaned over him, pressing her lips to his and pushing her tongue into his mouth. Her hands went down to his shirt and she tugged, bringing it up and pulling back from him only to tug it over his head and throw it down on the seat beside him. Then she was back, kissing him, pressing her chest against him, her hands running down his body to the waist of his pants. He groaned and his hands moved to her hips as she scooted back a touch, allowing her enough room to unbutton and unzip him. Her hands were inside his pants, inside his boxers within seconds, finding him throbbing and hard for her.

“You don’t want me to talk to you, Harry?” she whispered as she stroked him. She bit playfully at his lip and his eyes snapped open to hers.

“Alexandra…” he warned. She was walking dangerously close to the edge; an edge where he wasn’t sure he could control himself with her.

“You don’t want me to tell you how much I love when you’re inside of me and your mouth is on me and your hands are on me?” She stroked him faster and she watched as his jaw clenched and she felt his fingers dig into her hips. She wanted this so badly. She wanted him to lose control. She wanted him to fuck her senseless and she was determined to drive him there. “You don’t want me to tell you how good it feels when you are so deep inside of me that I can’t tell where you begin and I end?”

“Alex…” he breathed. His eyes were intense, his voice gravelly and low. “You know what you’re doing, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she nodded instantly. She knew exactly what she was doing. She squeezed him harder in her hand to prove her point.

“Fuck…” he growled as he wrapped a hand around her neck and pulled her mouth to his. His tongue thrust instantly between her lips and she moaned, her hand moving faster against him. His hand immediately moved to her wrist and he pulled her from him and moved her hand around her back, holding it there. With a sly grin against his mouth she immediately tried to get at him with her other hand but he was too quick, immediately wrapping the fingers of his other hand around that wrist and pinning it behind her as well. Her eyes slid open then to find his already open, looking at her with so much want that she wanted to burst into flames right then. And they sat there like that for a few beats, all harsh breaths and emotions flying. Alex watched as Harry tried to check himself, tried to keep the control he was so good at keeping.

“Stop, Harry,” she whispered. She watched as his eyes focused. “Don’t hold back on me. I don’t want you to. Give me everything you have, baby.”

And Harry lost it.

His hands released her wrists and moved immediately to her jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping as she reached around her own body to undo the bra that still hung around her arms. She flung it off just as he was pushing her jeans and panties down over her hips frantically. Not to be outdone, Alex leaned down and dug her fingers into the waistband of his jeans and jerked. Harry lifted his hips even as Alex lifted hers, both of them trying to get the other pants off at the same time. Alex managed to get Harry’s over his hips and down to his knees but hers weren’t so easy.

“Shit, Harry…” she gasped as she tried to toe off her boots so he could get her pants off and she could climb back on top of him, where she desperately wanted to be. “My boots are fucking tied…I can’t…” she panted in frustration.

Harry wasn’t to be deterred. “This way,” he commanded, turning her body around and wrapping a strong arm around her waist.

And then, with his pants around his knees and hers around her ankles, he pulled her back tight against his chest, he pressed his lips against her neck, and positioning himself under her, he pushed her down onto to him. He groaned against her skin and her nails dug into the arm that was wrapped around her as she sank down onto him, the relief at him being inside of her instantaneous.

“Jesus…” she moaned. “Oh my God, Harry. You feel so fucking amazing.” Her head fell back against his shoulder and she reached up a hand to tangle in his hair, the other still gripping at the arm tight around her waist. She rose up a bit and sank back down on him, bringing groans from both of them. “Please Harry…”

And because it was as simple as the fact that he couldn’t resist her or anything she wanted right then he moved, thrusting up inside of her. “Fuck…Alex, you feel…” He held on tight to her as he picked up the pace, pushing her down to him even as he thrust up sharply into her body over and over again. Little cries left her lips every time he slammed home. Her breath came in sharp bursts, as if he was pushing it from her lungs with every thrust. “Is this what you wanted, Alexandra?” he demanded as he pounded up into her even harder.

“Yes!” she cried out, her fingers tightening in his hair. Her face turned to his and she held her eyes open to his, showing him just how much she had wanted what he was giving to her. And even as he was pushing her, pushing them both harder than he was sure he’d ever done before, being rougher with her than he ever had, her lips curved up at the corners and she whispered, “More…”

“Holy fuck,” he growled. “You are going to be the death of me…”

“More…” she whispered again as his hips continued their punishing rhythm against hers. And just as Harry was sure he could give her no more, that she really was going to kill him, Alex pulled on the arm he had wrapped around her. Her eyes never left his as she took his hand in hers slid it down her body and to her sex, her fingers sliding his down into her wetness. His rhythm inevitably slowed as she began to move his fingers for him. “Like this…” she directed, her bottom lip pulling into her teeth. “When I do this…when I think of you and do this…this is what I do…”

“Alex, stop…” he warned. He didn’t really mean it. Of course he didn’t mean it. She was showing him how she… “Fuck…” he gasped as her hand pressed harder on his, turning faster circles. She arched against him and her hand tightened in his hair before she released her hold there and found his other hand, bringing up to her breast. She wrapped his fingers around a nipple and forced him to tug.

“And this…” she breathed. “I do this too.”

“I can’t…” he whispered, his eyes wild. “I’m too close, baby.” And he was teetering dangerously close to the edge. She was making this impossible for him, her hands holding his, both of them pleasuring her as he thrust up into her incredibly wet, warm body. He wasn’t going to make it.

“Yes you…ohhh…” she moaned; her eyes fluttering closed for a brief second before snapping back to him. “Yes you can, Harry.”

“No…”

“Yes…”

“Alex. Fuck…come on, baby…”

“That’s it Harry, just like that…oh GOD…here it comes…” she cried out as she moved his hands faster against her body. And then her entire body tensed, her back arched, and her head fell back against his shoulder as she exploded around him. She saw stars as she clenched her eyes shut with the intensity of it. Her entire body pulsed over and over again around him, as he continued to move his hands against her, even as hers fell away.

“My god, you are so beautiful when you do that,” Harry whispered as he watched her, enthralled. And then, amazed he had held on as long as he had, but satisfied that she had what she wanted, he finally gave in and with one last thrust, he buried himself to hilt, sank his teeth into her shoulder and shouted his release against her skin, losing everything he had within her.

*EM*

It was several long minutes later before either of them moved; before either of them had the strength to do so. Alex was the first to stir, the first to be able to breathe normally again. She lifted her head from his shoulder and turned to look at him. She couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled from her lips when she saw the look on his face.

He turned towards her and blinked. “Are you laughing at me?”

“No,” she chuckled. “I’m not laughing at you. You just look…bewildered is all.”

He shook his head and brought his right hand up to her head, pulling her face to his for a slow, sweet kiss. “I’m not bewildered. I’m just…blown away by you right now. Blown away and totally in love.”

“Hmmm…” she murmured, kissing him back for a moment before pulling away. “I love you too. So much, Harry.”

He grinned at her and then he helped her to get her clothes back on and situated while getting his in order as well. He smirked as he looked at the fogged up windows and what they had done in here just minutes before. And then a thought occurred to him that had him bursting out in laughter.

“What?” Alex asked as she looked over at him from the driver’s seat, where she was pulling her seatbelt on.

His lips twitched as he pulled his own seatbelt on. “Well, I just can’t wait to see the look on your face when you have to hand the keys to this thing back to Matt.”

Alex’s face flushed crimson immediately. “Shut up.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed. “Don’t worry baby. I’m sure he wouldn’t be too upset to know what his little sister just did in his truck.”

Alex narrowed her eyes at Harry, but the twitch to her lips indicated that she wasn’t mad. “Well, if he is mad…it isn’t me who he would be mad at, would it…Harry?”

His face immediately straightened at her words, knowing she was talking about him. “And that’s why he will never, ever know.”

It was Alex’s turn to laugh loudly and she did, the sound of it warming Harry’s heart as she drove them off into the Texas night.


	44. Chapter Forty Four

“Mummy?”

Alex’s eyes slid slowly open into the early morning light at the small voice that called her name. She turned toward it and found Emma standing at the door to the bedroom, peeking her head in. “Emma? What is it baby?”

Emma moved inside the door and shut the door quietly behind her before she padded across the carpeted floor to stand in front of Alex’s side of the bed. “Mummy, it’s thundering and lightening outside. It woke me up.”

As if on cue, lightening flashed into the room and the thunder clap was almost immediate. Emma jumped and her eyes widened. “That must have been really close.”

“Sounds like it,” Alex murmured with a smile as she pulled back the blanket. “Wanna climb in with us?”

Emma nodded quickly and she climbed in next to Alex who grunted as a wayward gangly elbow shoved into her side.

“Sorry, Mum,” Emma whispered. She glanced back at Harry to see if he was still asleep and he was, his t-shirt covered chest still rising and falling softly.

“It’s okay, baby,” Alex whispered as she pulled the covers up over them. She smiled softly as Emma curled up into her, tucking her back into Alex’s chest. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and sighed, loving these moments. Emma was so on the go, much like Harry, always into something, wanting to be in the middle of it all. Alex adored that about both of them, but she also adored the quiet moments like these with Emma, when she could just cuddle up with her daughter and enjoy her.

“Mum?” Emma whispered.

“Hmmm?”

“I’ve had so much fun here this week. I’m glad Harry could come.”

Alex smiled sleepily and kissed the top of Emma’s head. “Me too, Em. Now let’s go back to sleep. It’s too early to get up.”

“Okay,” Emma sighed. “I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.”

Alex pulled her daughter a little tighter against her and closed her eyes. Her mind drifted back towards sleep even as she felt Emma’s breathing even out against her. She was just about asleep when she felt the bed shift and then felt warmth against her back as Harry moved into her.

“Look at you two,” he whispered into her ear. His lips tilted up into a smile as he peeked over her shoulder at Emma snuggled up.

“The thunder woke her up and she came crawling in,” Alex whispered back. “She just got back to sleep.”

“I’ll be quiet then,” Harry murmured as he shifted a bit closer and slid a gentle arm around both of them, holding them close.

And that’s how they drifted back to sleep; Harry holding both of his girls in his arms, completely content.

*******************

The day continued to be rainy, which wasn’t so bad considering they didn’t have anything specific planned, but it did keep them confined to the indoors. Of course, Emma jumped at her chance and suggested a Disney movie marathon in the theater room. No one saw any reason that a movie marathon wouldn’t be a perfect way to spend a rainy day, so that’s what they did.

During Cinderella, their second movie of the day, Alex began to get a tiny bit restless and decided she needed to move around a bit. She nudged Harry and she gave him a small smile when he turned to look at her. “I’m going to go see what Mom’s doing in the kitchen and stretch my legs a bit.”

“Okay, do you want me to come with you?” he asked.

“No,” she shook her head. “Stay. Watch Cinderella,” she said with a wink.

He chuckled and pulled her to him for a quick kiss before she stood and made her way out and across the house to the kitchen.

“Hey Mom,” she said as she found Donna going through cabinets. “What are you doing? Do you need any help?”

Donna turned and smiled at her daughter. “I’m just going over my list of things I need for Thanksgiving dinner. Whatever I don’t have I need to go to the store later and get. Tomorrow the stores will all be madhouses. I don’t need help, but you can sit and talk to me.”

“Okay,” Alex smiled as she slid onto a stool.

“I don’t even need to ask about our resident Disney fan Emma, but are you and Harry enjoying your visit?” Donna asked.

“Very much,” Alex said with a firm nod of her head. “He likes it here. He really likes you and Dad.”

Donna grinned at Alex and then dipped into the pantry for a moment before coming back out with a package of Oreos. She pulled the package open and slid them over to Alex. “I know you love them,” she winked. “Want some milk too?”

Alex laughed, loving that her Mom didn’t even ask if she wanted cookies. She just knew shoved them at her, knowing she would eat them. “Yes, please.”

Donna quickly poured them each a glass and leaned on the counter across from Alex, grabbing a cookie after Alex did and dipping it into her glass. “We like him too, baby. Very much.”

“Yeah?” Alex’s face softened.

Donna chuckled. “We do. He’s unbelievably polite and so easy to talk to. I honestly wasn’t expecting him to be so…” she trailed off, not really knowing how to phrase it.

“Open?” Alex offered.

Donna scrunched her nose and nodded. “Yeah, I mean, given who he is and everything.”

Alex nodded as she dunked an Oreo. “It was kind of wild how he was never that way with me. Closed off I mean. He just seemed to instantly trust me, and I him.” She shrugged and turned her eyes up to Donna as she bit into a cookie, chewing thoughtfully. “His family as well; they were all very accepting of me and Emma right away.”

“Think about it though, Alex. You were the same with him. You never let anyone in, not since John. And you just let Harry right in.”

“I did,” Alex agreed. “It just felt…I don’t know…” She stop smiled almost shyly at Donna. “This is going to sound so silly and cheesy, but it felt completely right instantly for him to be in my life. Once he was there, it was like…he fit, Mom. With me and Emma, he just fit in.”

“She adores him,” Donna said softly. “Her eyes when she looks at him, Alex…”

Alex’s eyes snapped to her Mom’s from where she was dunking an Oreo in her glass. She heard the catch in her voice. “She loves him. And he her,” she said simply, making assurances to her mother the best way she knew how.

“Yes, I can see that.” Donna blinked away the emotion that had surfaced and she quickly put a smile on her face. She grabbed another cookie and they sat in companionable silence for a few moments before suddenly Donna stood up straight. “Oh goodness! I almost forgot to tell you. Erin called this morning, she said that her, David, and the baby can come for Thanksgiving after all.”

“Did I hear someone say something about a baby?” Harry asked, smiling wide as he moved into the kitchen.

“Ha!” Alex laughed as he moved over to stand behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. “Mom just told me that my cousin Erin, her husband David, and their new baby will be here for Thanksgiving. Last I heard they weren’t going to be able to make it.”

“Are you a fan of little ones, Harry?” Donna asked with a smile. “Other than Emma of course.”

Alex snorted and Harry shook his head and laughed at her reaction. “I love kids, Donna.”

“Your brother and sister-and-law had a baby in July, right? I think I remember seeing something small about it on the news,” Donna joked.

Harry grinned and reached around Alex for an Oreo and dunked it in her glass of milk. “They did. Little Henry. He’s amazing.”

“Will and Kate have to throw an extra protection officer on Henry any time his uncle here comes to visit. He keeps trying to make off with him,” Alex teased.

Donna laughed. “Well, baby Abby doesn’t have any protection officers, so we will just have to keep a close eye on you, Harry.”

“Noted,” he chuckled. “Although, I am pretty sneaky.” He moved from behind Alex and slid onto the stool next to her. “Remind me of who all is coming to Thanksgiving again,” he said as he grabbed another cookie. They were all making quite a dent in the package.

“Well,” Alex began. “There is Erin, David, and baby Abby of course. Erin’s parents, my Uncle Alan and Aunt Wendy, who is Mom’s sister, will also be here. Also, my dad’s brother, Uncle Nick and his wife Susan will come. Their two kids, my cousins Sam and Charlie will also come with their wives. Sam and Carly have a daughter, Taylor, who is four. And Charlie and Jess have two boys; Jack is five and Carter is three.”

“Sounds like a blast,” Harry said, his lips curling up at the corners.

“Oh God,” Alex laughed. “You’re going to want to sit at the kids table, aren’t you?”

Harry’s eyes widened, bringing laughter from both Alex and Donna. “There’s a kids table at Thanksgiving?”

***************

The weather finally cleared in the late afternoon. Despite her dream day of watching Disney movies, Emma was definitely suffering from cabin fever and bouncing off of the walls. Matt, seeing an opportunity to get some alone time with his niece, asked Alex if he could take Emma on a campout on some land a friend of his owned about thirty minutes away.

“But it rained all day, Matt. How are you going to camp? The ground is soaked,” she asked, her nose scrunching up.

“Muuuuuum,” Emma whined. “Please don’t say no!”

“Emma, I’m not saying no. I’m just trying to figure out how the heck he thinks you guys can camp on muddy ground,” Alex laughed as Emma hung off of her waist, pleading with her to let her go.

“I’m going to set us up in my truck, Alex. Remember that old makeshift tent I built years ago that fits over the bed of the truck?”

“Oh yeah!” Alex exclaimed, remembering. “That sounds fun.” She looked down at Emma then, who still had her arms wrapped fiercely around Alex’s waist. She put her hands on Emma’s face and grinned. “Okay, Em. You have to all clear. You may have a campout with Uncle Matt tonight. I’ll go pack you a bag.”

“Yay!” Emma squealed as she squeezed her mom in a tight hug before bouncing away from her to Matt. “I’m so excited, Uncle Matt!”

“Me too, Bug,” he grinned, ruffling her hair. “Why don’t you go help your mom pack your bag? I’ll go to my house to get the truck and everything we’ll need. I’ll be back in about half an hour and then we can go.”

“Okay,” Emma said with a smile before taking off towards to stairs. “Come on, Mum!”

“Never a dull moment with that kid,” Alex said with a playful roll of her eyes before she moved off to follow Emma up the stairs.

Matt immediately turned to Charlotte who was sitting on the couch with Harry, watching the conversation go down. “Are you sure you’re okay with me going off with Emma for the night?”

Charlotte rolled her eyes, but Harry caught the small smile that tugged at her lips. “Yes, Matt. I’m a big girl. I’m going to stay here and get drunk with Alex.”

“You are a bad, bad influence on my little sister,” Matt teased.

“Ha! No worse than this one right here,” Charlotte tossed back, nodding towards Harry.

“I doubt it,” Matt laughed. He walked over then, and surprising both Charlotte and Harry, he leaned over, balancing with his hand on the arm of the couch, and dropped a quick, soft kiss to Charlotte’s lips. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he said softly.

Charlotte blinked and Harry’s couldn’t help the way his mouth dropped a little bit at what he just saw.

“Okay,” Charlotte said, blinking a few more times before she seemingly recovered herself a little bit. “Now go, you don’t want your niece to wait on you.”

“I sure don’t,” he grinned. And then with another quick kiss to Charlotte and handshake to Harry he was gone, seemingly just as excited as Emma was.

Charlotte immediately turned toward Harry when she heard the front door shut. “Don’t even,” she snapped, pointing a finger and narrowing her eyes.

“Hey…” Harry chuckled, holding up his hands in front of him. “I’m not the one who just kissed you like that. Don’t get mad at me.”

Charlotte lips pulled tight. “Harry, I said don’t…wait, what? Kissed me like what?”

“Like he was going to miss you.”

Charlotte groaned. “Oh shit.”

“You are in so much trouble,” Harry laughed.

“Shut up.”

“You really should be nicer to me, Charlotte. I mean, not only do you work for me, but my girlfriend’s brother is totally enamored with you. I mean, that’s a lot of power for me to have,” he teased.

“I hate you.”

“Aw,” Harry chuckled as he leaned over and wrapped an arm around Charlotte’s shoulders, pulling her to his side. “You do not. You love me….and Matt. You love him too.” He bit his lip in an attempt to keep from laughing when Charlotte turned to him with a death stare.

“I’m gonna kill you,” she murmured, her eyes narrowed.

“Ha! Oh, I know. But it will have been all worth it, just to see this look on your face.”

**********************

Matt and Emma got out to the land right before the sun set, giving Matt just enough time to get everything set up before it got too dark. Blankets and pillows galore were placed in the bed of the truck and the tent went up over it. The top of the tent was mesh, allowing the night sky to be visible once they were under it. Matt smirked to himself as he got everything ready, remembering just how popular with the ladies this particular brilliant idea of his had made him in high school.

“Alright Bug, we are ready,” he called out to Emma, who was about twenty feet away from him, entertaining herself by turning circles under sky, watching the stars that had just begun to twinkle as she spun around. He laughed as she stopped and then immediately stumbled from being dizzy. She giggled as she caught herself and then came running over. Matt caught her with a grin and lifted her onto the tailgate.

“Shoes off, Emma. You don’t want to get mud on the blankets.”

“Oh yuck,” Emma agreed. “No I don’t.”

Matt chuckled and helped her get her little boots off and then directed her to crawl in, which she did. Then, hopping onto the tailgate himself, he pulled off his own boots and crawled in after her. He laid back on the blankets and turned towards Emma, who was staring up at that sky.

“This is a fun idea, huh Em?”

She turned towards him. “Yeah! Thank you for thinking of it, Uncle Matt.”

“Sure, Bugger.”

“What do you think Mum and Harry are going to do tonight?”

“I’m not sure about Harry, but I know that your mum is going to hang out with Charlotte for the night.”

Emma turned and grinned at Matt. “You could have asked Charlotte to come if you wanted to, Uncle Matt.”

Matt’s eyebrows rose and his lips turned up at the corners. “Now why would I do that?”

“You like her.”

“You think so?”

“Yep,” Emma said, matter of fact. “I notice these things. Besides, she’s pretty.”

“She is,” Matt agreed with a laugh. “But not as pretty as you, Bug.”

Emma giggled prettily and reached down to bring a blanket up over her as the night had grown chilly. They both grew silent for a moment, just watching the stars.

“Harry thinks my mum is pretty,” Emma said, her voice happy with the knowledge.

“He absolutely does.”

“And he makes her happy,” Emma said, a little more serious this time.

Matt’s eyes softened. “Unbelievably happy.”

“Did my daddy make her happy?”

Matt immediately turned to her. “Yes, he did. And he gave her you, which really is the happiest thing that’s ever happened to her.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely.”

“I have a question, Uncle Matt…” Emma said, a little hesitantly.

“Shoot, bug,” he prodded gently.

“Can someone have two daddies?”

Matt blinked, stunned for a moment. “Well, Emma. Why don’t you tell me why you are asking that question and then I will do my best to answer.”

“Okay,” she agreed in a small voice. Her little fingers twisted nervously. “I never knew my daddy…” her voice trailed off and Matt was quiet, knowing she was mulling something over, trying to wrap her brain around it. Then her big blue eyes turned up to his. “But I was hoping someday that Harry might want to be my daddy too. I just don’t know if it’s allowed.”

“Oh sweet girl,” Matt murmured. Unconsciously his hand came up to his chest, resting over his heart. “It’s allowed, Emma. It’s very much allowed.”

“Do you think my daddy would be okay with that? I know he watches from Heaven.”

Matt couldn’t help it; he reached over and pulled Emma into his arms. He laid back and tucked her into his side. “Your daddy would be very much okay with it. Harry loves you and your mum very much. I know your daddy sees that and wants that for both of you.

“Okay,” Emma said simply, accepting Matt’s answer without a second thought. “Can you tell me about all the stars now?” she asked, completely changing the subject, causing a low rumble of a laugh to roll through Matt’s chest.

“All of them? That’s quite a bit.”

“Yes, all of them! Please?”

He chuckled and adjusted them both so they were both looking straight upwards. “Okay,” he pointed upwards. “See that star, the really bright one high in the sky?” Emma nodded, looking to where he was pointing. “That’s called the North Star, but I call it Emma’s Star.”

Emma smiled prettily. She had heard this before, no doubt, but she never tired of it. “Why?”

“Because it shines the brightest, of course.”

***************

“So what are we doing tonight?” Alex asked Charlotte as she flopped down on the couch in between her friend and Harry.

“Getting drunk,” Charlotte responded immediately.

“Yeah?” Alex chuckled, leaning into Harry’s side. “Any particular reason you want to get drunk?”

“Do I need a reason?”

“No,” Alex laughed. “Not at all. I was just curious if…”

“Matt kissed her,” Harry interrupted, his voice smug.

“Shut it,” Charlotte said immediately, causing Harry to dissolve into laughter.

“So what if Matt kissed her? I’m pretty sure they’ve done more than that.” Alex said, scrunching her forehead and turning to Harry.

Harry shook his head, fighting off the urge to laugh again. “He kissed her like this,” he finally said, leaning over and dropping a soft kiss to Alex’s lips. “And then he said, ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’”

Alex immediately turned and pointed to Charlotte. “Aw! He’s going to miss you!”

“Jesus Christ,” Charlotte swore, throwing up her hands. “What is with you two? You are the sappiest, most ridiculous…whatever. Are we getting drunk or not?”

“Absolutely,” Alex nodded. Both Donna and Mike walked into the room right then and Alex grinned as her eyes fell on her mom. “Hey Mom?”

“Yes, Alexandra?” Donna asked as she walked over and sat on one of the chairs across from the couch. Mike followed and took a seat on the chair next to her.

“What kind of wine do you have?”

“Plenty of whatever you need I’m sure. Why? Would you like a glass?”

“Actually,” Alex said, a smile tilting her lips. “Charlotte and I were hoping to have a few glasses. Want to join us? We can have some girl talk.”

Donna clapped her hands together and smiled wide. “I would love to! Come on ladies,” she said, standing up and motioning to the girls. “Let’s go raid the wine fridge.”

Alex and Charlotte quickly nodded in agreement and the three women quickly moved from the room, talking and laughing and leaving their men completely forgotten in their wake.

Mike looked towards Harry, a mock horrified expression on his face. “Harry, what do you say I grab a bottle of scotch and you meet me on the back porch and we can talk more about that…environmental stuff you were telling me about the other day?”

Harry had a moment of confusion, not knowing what the heck Alex’s dad was talking about, but then the realization hit him. Mike wanted to get the hell out of this room before they got sucked into the inevitable drunken gossip; and in true man form he had found a way to express that without expressing it. He grinned. “I think a discussion about the environment over a bottle of scotch sounds right up my alley.”

****************

Three hours and four bottles of wine later, Donna, Alex, and Charlotte were sufficiently drunk. Both Mike and Harry had called it a night an hour before, much to the delight of the three tipsy women in the living room, who were more than happy to tease the men about not being able to keep up.

“Okay, Charlotte,” Alex turned towards the brunette on the couch next to her. She giggled as wine threatened to slosh over the side of her glass at her sudden movement and took another quick gulp in the interest of not letting it happen again.

“Okay, Alex,” Charlotte mimicked, smirking at her friend.

“Tell us the truth,” Alex said, smiling wide. “Tell me and mom the truth. You like Matt, don’t you?”

“Oh come on!” Charlotte groaned. Her head fell back into the couch as Alex and Donna both giggled into their wine glasses. “Why do you insist on this line of questioning?”

“Because I know you do,” Alex said. “And I’m determined to make you admit it.”

“I do not.”

“Mom,” Alex called, looking towards her mother. “Matt likes Charlotte, doesn’t he?”

“He does,” Donna nodded. “He told us all about you before you got here.”

Charlotte snorted. “I’m not sure there was much to tell.”

“Well,” Donna drawled, a slow smile spreading across her face. “I believe his exact words were, ‘She’s snarky and disagreeable, but when she smiles it’s all worth it.’”

Charlotte was stunned for a moment. She was stunned by the words; stunned that Matt said them to his parents. And for the few seconds that it took for Alex’s face brake out into a wide smile and whip back around to Charlotte, she tried to process that Matt had said something so…nice about her.

“Oh my God!” Alex squealed, snapping Charlotte from her thoughts. Charlotte's momentary stunned look was quickly replaced by one of indifference.

“Stop,” Charlotte grimaced, glancing towards Alex.

“I will not,” Alex continued, determined. “Damn, he likes you…a lot. Matt doesn’t say stuff like that. And you like him too. I mean, you’ve stayed at his house for three nights now and you haven’t once said you want to kill him.”

“That doesn’t mean I like him,” Charlotte sighed. “It just means I…”

“Like him?” Donna offered teasingly, much to Alex’s amusement.

“Okay, look.” Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Matt is fun. Matt is amusing. He’s funny and witty and of course I...like him. But…” she trailed off and narrowed her eyes at Alex when her own eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak. Alex quickly snapped her lips shut and Charlotte took a deep breath and continued on. “But, it doesn’t go beyond the fact that when he isn’t being annoying I enjoy his company.”

Alex and Donna were both silent for a moment and Charlotte was convinced she got her point across. She relaxed back into the couch and pulled her glass of wine to her lips. And then Alex sidled a little closer to her and Charlotte immediately knew that nothing she had said had penetrated though the alcohol haze in Alex’s brain.

“Charlotte?” Alex asked sweetly.

“No, Alex. Whatever your about to ask, the answer is no.”

Alex wasn’t deterred. She leaned in a bit closer and put her head on Charlotte’s shoulder. “When you and Matt get married can I be in the wedding?”

“Oh God. And you’re done,” Charlotte moaned, snatching the wine glass from Alex’s hand and moving it to the table beside her.

Alex dissolved into laughter and collapsed backward onto the couch and Donna joined in, her laughter joining with her daughter's to bring a smile - even though it was small - to Charlotte's lips.

***************

It wasn’t too much later when the ladies decided to call it a night. Alex was sufficiently drunk, Charlotte was pretty much passed out on the couch, and Donna, while not as inebriated as the other two, needed to get to bed as she had to get up early and start preparing for their Thanksgiving dinner in two days.

Alex managed – barely – to make her way up the stairs to her room. She opened the door to the room and she smiled hazily, seeing Harry sleeping in the bed; in her bed. He was lying on his stomach, his face turned towards her, completely relaxed in sleep. She walked over to the bed and climbed on top of it on her knees, scooting over to Harry and placing her hand on his back.

“Haaaaaarrrrry,” she called as she shook him. “Haaaaaarrrrry. Harry…”

His eyes pulled open slowly at her actions, blinking a few times as he took her in. “Alex?”

“Hi Harry!” she said brightly.

His eyes opened wider and his lips tugged up at the sides. “Oh God. You’re sloshed.”

“Incredibly,” she nodded as she sat back on her heels, smiling down at him.

He laughed as he turned over and sat up, running a hand through his hair. “Did you drink any water?”

“Water?” Her nose crinkled, confused. “No. I drank wine. You can’t get drunk on water.”

“Ha! No, love, I know that. Did you drink any water before you came to bed?”

“Nope,” Alex grinned. She scooted closer to him then and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her close to him. “I just came straight to bed. Bed with you.”

Harry chuckled. “I do appreciate that, baby. However, you need water and Advil, or you’re going to hate life in the morning. Let me get you some,” he offered, leaning over to kiss the tip of her nose before sliding out of her arms and out of the bed.

Alex grinned as she sat back on the bed and watched him move around, pulling the Advil bottle from his travel case and then going into the bathroom to run her a cup of water. He was back quickly and came around to her side of the bed to stand in front of her.

“Here,” he said, holding out the two small pills. “Take these.”

“Okay,” Alex shrugged, taking him from them with the glass of water. She tossed them back with a gulp of water and went to hand the glass back to him.

“No,” he shook his head with a smile. “Drink all of it.” He watched as she drained the glass and then held it up proudly in front of her. He took it from her and went back into the bathroom and filled it up again, bringing it back. “Okay, now drink this one and I’ll get you something to sleep in.” His voice was amused but loving and it made her feel warm, warmer than the alcohol. It made her feel taken care of.

She took smaller sips as she watching him go and pull her clothes from the drawers. “You love me,” she sighed when he came back to stand in front of her.

“I do,” he smiled as he took the glass from her and set it on her nightstand. He pulled her shirt from her head, quickly replacing it with a tank top.

“You love me a lot,” she grinned as she moved to stand so he could help her from her jeans and into her sleep shorts.

“I really, really do,” he laughed as he tugged her shorts over her hips for her. Her eyes were hazy and her cheeks were rosy and he couldn’t help but find her amazingly sexy in this moment, even though he would never act on it, not with her level of inebriation.

Alex wrapped her arms around him and leaned into him. She rested her chin on his chest as she looked up at him. “You love me so much that you’re going to marry me someday, aren’t you?”

Harry’s eyes widened in surprise before he shook his head slowly and his hands came up to smooth her hair from her face. He smiled softly down at her. “I’m absolutely not having this conversation with you now. Not while you’re shitfaced.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to, Harry. I know. I know that you love me and you want to marry me and put babies in my belly. You told me…and…” Suddenly she perked up. “And you know what I thought of today, Harry?”

He chuckled. “What did you think of today?”

“You know the movie, Up?”

“The one with the old guy?”

“Yeah!” Alex exclaimed, clearly excited he knew what she was talking about. “And you know the talking dog?”

“Yeah…where are you going with this?”

Alex grinned. “You’re that dog, Harry.”

His forehead crinkled and his lips twitched. “Okay, what in the hell are you talking about?”

Alex giggled and moved back from him, sitting back on her heels on the bed. “When mom and I were talking about my cousin’s baby and you came in all excited cause you heard the word baby. When someone says, 'Baby'…you are that dog. You just snap to attention like he does when he sees a squirrel. Someone says, 'Baby' and…” Alex suddenly sat straight up and snapped her head to the side, seemingly concentrating on something in the distance. Then she turned back around to him with a wide, proud smile. “See? You’re the Up dog.”

Harry stared at her for a long second before breaking out into laughter. “Okay love,” he said, guiding her back onto the bed and then moving around to his own side, climbing under the covers. He pulled her to his side and kissed the top of her head. “No more wine for you until you can come to bed without comparing me to a dog. Even if it is a cartoon one."


	45. Chapter Forty Five

“So, you kids are going dancing tonight?” Alex’s dad asked. They were all in the kitchen piling pancakes onto their plates. Matt and Emma had just gotten back from their camping trip the night before, Alex and Charlotte were nursing slight hangovers from the mass ingestion of wine the night before, and Harry was full of snarky comments for the two of them.

“I don’t know, Mike. I’m not sure Alex and Charlotte can handle it. I mean, they look like they aren’t really sure they want to go,” Harry teased.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes into a death stare while Alex rolled her own eyes as she slathered butter on her pancakes. “Oh stop. You’re just trying to get out of going because you can’t two-step,” Alex said.

“It’s true!” Emma called from her stool where she was busy pouring way too much syrup on a stack of pancakes that was way too tall. Alex could almost hear the stomach ache complaints starting already. “He can’t dance at all. Mummy has been trying to teach him and he keeps stepping on her toes.”

Alex laughed as she reached over and removed the syrup from Emma’s grasp. “Too much, Em,” she shook her head when Emma opened her mouth to protest. She swung her gaze back to everyone else and a smug smile. “It’s true though. Harry can’t dance.”

“What in the hell…” Charlotte trailed off and her eyes darted quickly first to Emma and then to Mike. “Sorry, I meant what in the heck are you talking about? Harry can dance just fine.”

Mike laughed and shook his head. “Don’t apologize to me. I’ve heard that word plenty of times. And I think Emma’s drowning herself in syrup over there and she didn’t even notice.”

“I heard,” Emma piped up, never taking her eyes from her pancakes.

“Okay, back to the ‘Can Harry dance?’ debate,” Matt laughed, drawing the attention back to center. “I’m lost.”

Harry shook his head as he moved around the island and sat on the stool next to Emma. “I can dance. Alex has danced with me. I know to do a proper waltz as well; it’s somewhat of a…requirement in my family.” He smiled sheepishly. “But the two-step eludes me. I don’t know why; I just can’t seem to pick it up.”

Charlotte peered at him. “That doesn’t make any sense, Harry. Matt showed me the two-step in five minutes. If you can learn to waltz you can learn to two-step.”

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. But seriously, let’s talk about Matt teaching you how to two-step.” He turned to Matt. “I mean, I can’t show her how to do anything; even if she doesn’t know how to do something she still says I’m doing it wrong.”

A smug smile crossed Matt’s lips. “I guess I’m just that good.”

“Oh for Heaven’s sake…” Charlotte groaned. “I just didn’t want to look like a fool tonight, that’s all.” She shot Matt a look before turning to Alex. “That reminds me, Matt is taking me to some store to get some boots later. Want to go?”

“Cavender’s? Sure,” Alex smiled. “I already have boots, but I’ll still go.”

“I don’t have boots,” Harry spoke up around a bite of pancake. “I need boots…” he turned and winked at Alex. “And a hat. I need a Cowboy hat. I may not be able to dance like a cowboy, but at least I can try and look like one.”

*************

“Okay, Emma,” Alex called out to her daughter as Emma stood in front of the mirror at Cavender’s Boot City with two different little cowgirl boots on her feet. Alex had given Harry the okay to buy her a pair, now it was only a matter of getting Emma to decide; which was becoming quite the ordeal. Matt and Charlotte had just joined them from the ladies boot aisle where Charlotte had picked out her own boots and were quite amused at Emma’s predicament.

Meanwhile, Harry’s security officers were standing at attention while people stood at the ends of the aisles and snapped pictures with their camera phones. The news of their visit was spreading fast and the store was getting quite busy. Still, with Mark and Thomas providing a watchful eye and Emma firm by her side, Alex felt safe, if not a little unnerved at the attention.

“Mummy,” Emma looked at her with wide eyes. “I can’t decide. I like the pink ones and the black ones. And I like the brown ones too,” she said, pointing at another pair. Alex bent down close to Emma, understanding that she wasn’t being needy or whiny, she just couldn’t decide.

“Emma, you have to decide,” Alex said gently. “Just pick whichever pair you think you’ll wear the most, baby.”

“Okay, Mummy,” Emma said, her eyes running over the three pairs of boots. “Can you give me another minute?”

“Sure.” Alex stepped back and looked over at Harry as he stepped up to her. “She’s deciding.”

Harry smiled and leaned close to Alex. “Why don’t I just buy her all three?” he whispered so that Emma couldn’t hear.

“Harry…” Alex said softly, her eyes turned to his. “She was told one.”

“But she likes all three. She’s not asking for all three, she’s just trying to decide. If I buy her all three, she’ll be thrilled,” Harry murmured, his eyes searching Alex’s.

“You can’t…” Alex took a deep breath and stepped away from Emma, pulling Harry with her. “I have to keep her grounded. She can’t get…I’ve always done well on money, but I’ve made it a point that she can’t get everything she wants.”

“I’m not trying to spoil her, Alex. Emma is so down to earth; it’s amazing. She would have never even asked for boots if I hadn’t offered.” His lips twitched as he stared down at her. “Don’t make me pull out the puppy dog face, Alexandra.”

“Oh Jesus,” Alex laughed. “Okay. Fine. But you have to promise me something.”

His smile pulled wide. “Anything.”

“Don’t you ever teach her the puppy dog face.”

“Ha! Deal.” He bent down and kissed her quick before he turned to Emma and clapped his hands together. “Emma! Good news. No decision needed.”

And as Harry bent down and made Emma a very happy little girl, Alex stepped back to Matt and Charlotte, not being able to help the smile on her face.

“He’s buying her all three pairs, isn’t he?” Charlotte asked, a smirk on her face.

Alex sighed. “Yes. And I just gave in. I’m terrible.”

Matt laughed. “Nah. You aren’t terrible. If any kid in the world ever deserved that kind of treatment, it’s Emma.”

“He’s going to spoil her,” Alex protested, however weak it was.

“Please,” Matt scoffed. “She’s already spoiled, Alex. But she’s a good kid who never takes it for granted. That’s all a credit to you.”

Alex blushed slightly at the compliment and her smile pulled wide. She bumped shoulders with her brother. “Thank you, Matt.”

Emma came running over then, bouncing with excitement. “Mummy! Three pairs! Harry is buying me all three!”

“I know,” Alex said brightly, reaching down to cup her daughter’s cheeks. “You said thank you, right?”

“Yes Mum, like ten times,” Emma giggled.

Alex couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay Sassypants. Let’s go then, get you and those three new amazing pairs of boots home."

****************

Harry’s security team contacted the dance hall, Big Texas, before their arrival and the manager was very gracious about them coming in that night. He set aside a VIP area for their group and spoke at length with Mark about security concerns and making sure that nothing was posted on their website or any social networking site about the fact that Harry was coming in that night. Plenty would be posted by the other patrons once they arrived, but they didn’t want the cause a frenzy before that.

Matt had made some calls as well and gotten in touch with some of their old high school friends and asked them to join. Being so close in age, Matt and Alex had always run in the same circle of friends, many of whom hadn’t seen Alex since their graduation.

All in all, it was set up to be an amazing night.

And when Alex stepped downstairs that night, having just finished getting ready and looking for Harry, she was beyond excited for their night out in one of her favorite places in the world. She followed the voices and laughter floating through the house into the kitchen and her mouth dropped as she rounded the corner.

There stood Harry in jeans, a tucked in button down, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat, leaning casually up against the counter, talking and laughing with her and Emma. Emma was hanging off of his waist and he had an arm casually draped around her little shoulders as she listened intently to the back and forth between Mike and Harry.

“Hey y’all,” Alex called softly, interrupting their conversation as she walked over to them, her boots thumping softly against the floor.

All three of them turned to her, but it was Harry’s eyes she sought; it was Harry’s eyes that flashed and then moved slowly over her dress, her chic denim jacket, and down her well-shaped legs to her boots. It was Harry’s lips that she watched turn upwards as he took her in. He couldn’t tell her that he thought she looked fucking fantastic, but she could tell; his face gave everything away. She threw him a quick saucy look before tearing her gaze from him.

“Daddy,” she greeted as she stepped in front of them. She leaned up to press a kiss on his cheek and he grinned, throwing an arm around her.

“You look beautiful, Boot,” he said proudly.

“Thanks Dad,” Alex said, nudging his side with her shoulder.

“Why do you call her Boot?” Harry asked with a smile. “I’ve heard you say that a few times since we’ve been here.”

“Because she wore boots all the time when she was little,” Emma piped up. “Right, Poppy?”

Michael nodded. “She did, Bug. All of the time.” He turned and winked at Alex. “Everywhere she went she had her cowgirl boots on. She even wore them to bed. And it took Donna hours one night to convince her that it would ruin them if she bathed with them on. She was stubborn as heck about it.”

“Stubborn?” Harry’s eyebrows lifted playfully. “Imagine that.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Shush. Where are Charlotte and Matt?”

“Here!” Matt called as he moved around the corner, pulling Charlotte with him by the hand.

“Oh my God,” Charlotte immediately burst out laughing when her eyes fell on Harry. “You’re wearing a cowboy hat!”

“You knew I was going to be.”

“But the visual is much, much different.”

“Matt’s wearing one,” Harry pointed out.

“Totally different,” Charlotte chuckled with a shake of her head.

Matt walked over to the group and Emma ran to him, squealing as he picked her up in his arms. “It’s because I’m much more handsome, isn’t it, Emma?”

“Noooo,” Emma giggled. “You are both handsome.”

“Ah, so diplomatic,” Matt laughed. “Okay everyone,” he called out, addressing the group. “Are we ready?”

“Yes!” Alex exclaimed first, almost bouncing up and down. “Let’s go.” Her smile was wide, her eyes bright.

“Ha! Okay, y'all heard the lady,” Matt said, setting Emma down. “Time to go.”

With smiles and hugs all around, the foursome bid good-bye to Mike and Emma and with an air of excitement that Alex hadn’t felt in quite some time, they made their way out of the house and into the waiting Range Rovers, pulling off into the night towards the dance hall.

************

When they arrived to Big Texas they were immediately ushered inside and shown to the VIP area that was set up for them. It was on an elevated area that looked out over the expansive dance floor. It had its own private bar as well as a few pool tables and several brown leather couches arranged around low tables with buckets of ice cold beer on them.

“This is great,” Harry grinned as he grabbed a beer from a bucket, twisted the top off, and handed it to Alex before grabbing one for himself.

“Yeah?” Alex asked as she took a swig from her beer. She laughed as Matt pulled the cap from a beer for Charlotte, earning him a look that clearly said “I could have done that myself” before she grudgingly taking the bottle from him.

Harry shook his head at the twosome with them before turning his attention back to his girlfriend. “I like it, very open and relaxed. When are your friends getting here?”

“They should be here any minute,” Matt offered.

As if on cue someone called Matt’s name and they all turned, watching a group of about ten came towards them.

“Alright,” Matt grinned. “The party is here.”

As they had to be cleared by not only the security provided by Big Texas according to a list that Matt had provided, but also had to be searched by Harry’s Protection Officers, the group filed in slowly, allowing time for everyone to be introduced to Harry and Charlotte and for Alex to reunite with her friends that she hadn’t seen in so long.

It was toward the end of the introductions that Harry was caught off guard when a tall, dark haired guy called Alex’s name and then with a big grin moved in and enveloped her into a bear hug, lifting her off the ground. Alex laughed as she was pulled into the air and then set back down, giving the guy a big smile as she stepped back next to Harry.

"Ryan! It's so good to see you!"

"You too, Alex," Ryan answered with a playful wink. "It’s been way too long."

"It really has.” She turned to look up at Harry and was a little surprised to see him without his friendly, excited smile he had been wearing a moment ago. "Harry,” she smiled. "This is one of my oldest friends, Ryan. Ryan, this is my boyfriend, Harry."

Ryan smiled wide and he automatically offered a hand for Harry to shake. "Nice to meet you, man. I've seen the pictures but it’s still somewhat surreal to see you here with our little Alex."

Harry’s lips pulled into a smile, and no one but maybe Alex or Charlotte would have been able to tell that it wasn't his true, genuine smile. Alex blinked in confusion. She didn’t understand why Harry had been so friendly to the others and was pulling back a bit when it came to Ryan.

And then it clicked.

And she couldn’t help but grin.

He was jealous.

“Harry, Ryan is one of Matt’s oldest friends,” Alex offered as Harry shook his hand.

“And yours, Alex,” Ryan laughed. Alex almost giggled. She could almost feel Harry fighting off the jealousy beside her; trying to keep his brain in practical mode.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Harry said politely, his eyes firmly holding Ryan’s as he held his hand for an extra second, squeezing it once more before he released it.

To Ryan’s credit, if he noticed Harry so obviously sizing him up, he didn’t acknowledge it. He simply grinned at both of them once more and said he was going to go say hi to Matt and meet Charlotte. Alex nodded and returned his smile, offering a small wave as he moved off. Harry nodded at him and then watched him with steady eyes for a minute. When he finally turned back around his face registered complete surprise; Alex was laughing at him, her hand firmly clamped over her mouth.

“Are you laughing at me?” Harry asked, bringing a finger to his chest. She nodded as her eyes crinkled up with her giggles and Harry couldn’t help that his lips twitched at her infectious laughter, even if it was at his expense. “What are you laughing at me, Alexandra?”

She finally pulled her hand from her mouth and took a breath, fighting the giggles still as she wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. “You were jealous,” she finally managed to get out.

“Well first, I was not,” he said, his eyes growing wide. “And second, why would it be funny if I was?”

“Oh come on, Harry!” she laughed. “Yes you were. And it’s funny because you were completely sizing him up like he’s any kind of threat to you and he’s just not. At all.”

“I know he’s not…” he trailed off and shook his head, trying to get his damn head under control. It really was crazy the things she did to him, the emotions she pulled up in him without even trying. It wasn’t that Harry had never been jealous before, it was that common sense usually prevailed. He looked down at her, meeting her eyes, loving that she making fun of him for this; because the truth was he deserved it. “I know it’s not a threat, Alex,” he laughed. “I’m sorry…I just,” he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck as he grinned sheepishly down at her. “I recognized him from the picture on the wall at your parent’s house. The one of you at some kind of formal dance, a prom maybe? And he was your date.”

“Ah,” Alex nodded with a small smile. She moved into him then, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his chest as she looked up at him. She knew people would be taking photos of them like this. She knew they were in a wide open area but she didn’t care. It was cute that he hadn’t gotten jealous and even more endearing that he owned up to it so quickly and she couldn't help but be as near to him as possible. “He was my prom date,” Alex confirmed. “I was actually dating him at the time.”

Harry’s eyes went wide. “You said…”

“I never said I didn’t date him, Harry. I said he wasn’t a threat; because he’s not. I dated him for like, five minutes, ages ago. He was a friend before and he remained a friend after,” she said. And when he tried to say something, something she was quite confident wouldn’t do him any favors she rolled her eyes and continued on, her voice teasing. “For Heaven’s sake Harry, I didn’t even sleep with him so relax yourself.”

He sighed. “I’m being a shit, aren’t I?”

Her nose scrunched up. “Little bit.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’ll forgive you. But you have to go buy Ryan a shot first.”

He threw his head back in laughter. “You drive a hard bargain, but you have a deal. Want one as well?”

“Absolutely,” she grinned. “Let’s go do shots.”

And so they did. Ryan was graceful in accepting the offer from Harry who was surprised to find that Ryan was actually a really nice guy and had genuine affection for Alex in a way that Harry respected. They all chatted for a while before Ryan thanked them both and moved off to go hit the dance floor.

“See, not so bad,” Alex grinned.

“Not at all,” Harry laughed. He glanced down and noticed her feet tapping to the music and he leaned closer to her, grinning slightly as he did so. “Baby?”

She turned her happy blue eyes up to his. “Yeah?”

“Wanna dance?” He nodded to the dance floor.

She pulled a face and a chuckle escaped her lips. “You can’t two-step.”

“Aw,” he pouted, putting his hand over his heart. “You’re killing me. I want to dance with you. You can’t humor me? I mean, you do have boots on. If I step on you, it won’t hurt that bad.”

“You do have a point,” she laughed. “You know people are going to be laughing at this all over YouTube tomorrow though, right?”

“Jesus, Alex,” he laughed. “Any more blows to my ego that you’d like to throw tonight?”

She grinned. “It still wouldn’t make it any smaller if I did.”

He shook his head, biting his lip to keep his smart ass retort back. “Come on baby, dance with me and my huge ego. Please?”

“Alright Wales,” she finally nodded. “I’ll let you spin me around.”

“Fantastic,” he said, his smile pulling wide as he held out his hand for hers. She took it and he pulled her in the direction of the dance floor excitedly. She glanced at him with a little bit of question in her eyes, wondering why he was so excited to make a fool out himself in front of all of these people, but she didn’t dwell on it, figuring it was the same giddiness that she felt, being here and having fun. And when they reached the dance floor Alex turned to him, prepared to assume the awkward, stunted stance she had suffered through when trying to teach him.

And then Harry surprised the shit out of her.

As soon as their feet hit the wood floor he pulled her into his arms and there was nothing awkward and stunted about it. Her eyes flashed up to his and she gasped right before a huge smile spread across her face. And then he was moving, his feet shuffling expertly; leading her perfectly around the dance floor in time with the music.

“Oh my God!” She exclaimed as he spun her around and back to him, pulling her tight to him as he looked down at her with one of the biggest smiles she’d ever seen on his handsome face. “You can dance, baby!”

“I can absolutely dance,” he laughed, spinning her again, much to her delight.

She laughed as she looked up at him, loving the feel of him moving her around the dance floor. “You tricked me.”

“I did,” he agreed with a nod. “But only because I wanted to see the look you have on your face right now.”

“Surprise?”

“Partly,” he smiled as he leaned down closer to her, his lips next to her ear. “You look so happy right now that my ego has grown at least three times the size it was, knowing that I did that for you.”

“Oh no…” Alex laughed, biting her lip as he pulled back and looked back down at her. “Lord help us all.”

****************

“Have you seen Matt?” Charlotte asked as she walked up to where Alex was standing with Harry. They had taken more than just a few turns around the dance floor and were taking a break, needing something to drink and a moment to rest.

“He walked off when you went to the restroom,” Alex said with a smile. “He said he would be back in a few minutes.”

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders and reached down for a beer, pulling the top off and taking a swig. She was just opening her mouth to say something to Alex and Harry when the DJ killed the music and lights hit the empty stage at the front of the club, about twenty feet from their VIP area. Everyone’s heads turned at the same time and Charlotte jumped when she Alex squealed in front of her, clapping her hands together and turning to Harry excitedly. In fact, as Charlotte glanced around the group gathered in their area, everyone was moving forward excitedly.

“Howdy y’all,” a deep, throaty voice came through the speakers.

Charlotte groaned. She would know that voice anywhere.

Her gaze swung to the stage just as the band walked on, and sure enough, Matt walked on last with a damn guitar strapped to his body. He walked his microphone stand to the front and adjusted it while Charlotte stood there watching, slack jawed and more than just a little confused.

“Alex,” Charlotte called out, her eyes never leaving the stage even when her friend turned to her.

“Yeah?”

“Since when does your brother play the fucking guitar?”

Alex laughed. “You didn’t know?”

Charlotte raised her eyebrows and shot Alex a look. “Does this look like the face of a person who was aware of this?”

“No,” Alex grinned. “But he’s really good, Charlotte. Really good.”

“This is so fucking cheesy,” Charlotte laughed, taking a swig of her beer as she swung her gaze back to the state. Matt glanced her way just then and winked at her when he caught her eyes. She rolled her eyes in return and just as she would expect him to do he pulled away from the microphone and laughed, strumming a few soft chords on his guitar while the rest of the band got ready. When everyone was ready he turned back to the microphone and the lights turned down in the rest of the dance hall and brightened up on stage. Matt grinned in response.

“Okay y’all,” he drawled. “Some of you may remember me but it’s been a long time since I’ve been up here. However, it’s a special night so I decided to make a one-time comeback. So, that being said, just…be kind, alright?”

Alex and Harry joined in with the laughter and cheers from the crowd and Harry nudged Charlotte, causing her to glance over at him. “Oh come on, Charlotte. He’s doing this for you.”

“Shut up,” Charlotte quipped, even though she couldn’t help the fact that her lips turned up just a bit at the corners.

And then the band fired up and the music blared over the loud speakers and Alex couldn’t help but laugh as Matt got to really going on his guitar.

“What?” Harry called to Alex, leaning down close to her so she could hear him.

“This song,” Alex grinned. “Just listen." Harry laughed and nodded in response as Matt started singing.

Alex was right, he was really good. He had a great stage presence and really looked like he was having a blast up there. And for Harry, it was almost as much of a show to watch Charlotte lose her shit a little bit over the whole thing.

Wrapping his arms around Alex from behind, Harry pulled her against him as he listened. And when the lyrics that Matt was singing sunk in; when he got what was being sung, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Alex,” he asked, leaning low into her ear. “Did I hear what I thought I just heard? Did he just say, ‘Save a horse, ride a cowboy’?”

Alex laughed and nodded, “He did,” she confirmed.

“Well,” Harry grinned while tipping his cowboy hat. “I think I’m really starting to like country music.”

******************

The door was barely shut to their bedroom before Harry was moving in behind Alex, pulling her back against him, his hand flush against the small of her belly, his breath hot against the side of her face.

“Thank fuck I finally have you all to myself,” he growled in her ear. His voice was low and throaty and it made Alex’s insides curl with want.

She moved her hands behind her and to the back of his neck, leaning back against him as she shoved her fingers into the soft hair there, pulling him closer to her. “And what exactly are you going to do with me now that you’ve got me alone.”

He grinned against the soft skin of her neck and then pressed a warm kiss there as he began to walk them slowly forward, his hands firmly at her hips, guiding her. His nipped gently below her ear and his tongue came out to swipe over where his teeth had been. She groaned and her head rolled back on his shoulder. Her eyes slid shut and she let him lead her over to the wood dresser against the wall. He pressed her into it; her hips even with the edge of it. She gasped as he pushed into her sharply from behind. Her hands instinctively moved out in front of her for balance, falling flat on the smooth wood surface. She could feel him, hard and ready under his jeans and her eyes flashed open to the mirror in front of her, catching his gaze in the reflection. His eyes were blazing, his cheeks flushed from alcohol and his desire for her. His lips were tilted smugly at the sides.

“Well you know what the song said baby…”

“Oh God,” Alex laughed, knowing exactly where he was going with that.

“Save a horse, ride a cowboy, Alex,” he said with as much seriousness as he could muster in his inebriated state.

Alex moved, spinning in his arms and twisting her arms around his neck. “Maybe we could arrange something…” she teased as she leaned into him. His hands ran down her back until he reached her ass. He spread his fingers out and pulled her tight against him, grinning as she moaned at his actions.

“Maybe?” He lifted his eyebrows in a mock challenge.

Alex laughed. “You are so transparent, Wales,” she tossed out as she slid her hands into his hair. But before Harry could retort, before he could tease her back, she pulled his head down and brought his lips crashing to hers. Her mouth opening instantly and he groaned, thrusting his tongue inside to stroke firmly against hers.

With her hands still firmly implanted in his hair Alex moved forward, pushing Harry backwards toward the bed. They both giggled as they stumbled, a little from the alcohol and a little from their haste to get naked and into bed, but it didn’t deter them. Harry’s hands peeled clothes from her as they moved; first her jacket and then her dress, lifting it smoothly over her head. Her hands were quick as they pulled his shirt from his pants and then unbuttoned it and pushed it from his shoulders. He laughed as they pulled apart so he could pull his boots off so his pants could come off, both of which he took care of while Alex stood confidently in front of him and removed both her bra and panties, standing naked before him with heavy, lust filled eyes and a body that that was clearly turned on and ready for him.

He had just pulled his boxers off and was about to reach for her when she tilted her head at him and looked at him with a smirk on her lips. “What?” he asked, his lips twisting into a smile.

“Can you put your boots back on?”

He blinked and his jaw dropped a little. “You want me to put my boots back on while we…”

She nodded as she reached up and fingered the brim of the cowboy hat that he had forgotten he was still wearing. “I do,” she grinned. “You look so fucking sexy in those boots and that hat, Harry. You look like a cowboy…” her voice dropped as she moved in, pressing her naked body against his. “And I want to fuck Cowboy Harry. Boots and all.”

Harry was pretty sure he had never put on a pair of shoes faster in his entire life. He sat right down on the bed behind him and pulled the boots right back on his feet and then grinned up at her, damn pleased with himself.

Alex giggled and moved, pushing him back on the bed and climbing over him. She pulled the hat from his head and with a tipsy grin she plopped it on her head and straddled him. She reached between them and found him, hard and ready, and without any preamble she positioned him and sank down on him, sighing even as he groaned at the feeling the swept over both of them at being joined together.

They both knew that this would be fast and slightly clumsy as they were both drunk, but it didn’t matter to either of them.

Alex settled in his lap and grinned. “Now hold on, baby.”

Harry groaned, his hands moving to her hips as she shimmied on top of him. He laughed then, trying to hold himself together and she sat atop him so confidently. “Jesus fucking Christ, Alex. Shouldn't...” he moaned as she moved up and then back down quickly. “Shit. Should I be saying that to you?

Her lips pulled wide and wicked as she really started to move.

“Not tonight, Cowboy."


	46. Chapter Forty Six

When Alex woke up on Thanksgiving morning the sun was already well into the sky and she was alone in bed. She stretched out, enjoying her moment of solitude before she had to get up and start what was sure to be a crazy day.

This would be their last day in Texas. They would leave the next day to go back to London and if Alex were absolutely honest with herself, the thought of going back to London made her a bit sad. She and Harry had made such strides forward during their week in Texas. Something about being in the place where she grew up had connected them in a strong way and really reinforced for her how much she loved him.

And she loved him so much. More than she ever considered possible. She loved him in a way that was huge and scary and wonderful. She loved him in a way that Stole her breath and at the same time gave her a reason to breathe. They had only been together ten months, but those ten months had thrown some serious hurdles at them; things that had threatened to break them and things that almost had broken them. And although most would call Alex strong for what she had been through before Harry and with Harry, there were those, those that would come to light as their relationship moved along, that would call her naïve for being so openly optimistic about her relationship with Harry. She wasn’t, not even a little bit. She knew that things would get rough and overwhelming and at some point it would have nothing to do with Harry and everything to do with her. She knew that they weren’t done dealing with problems; problems would always arise. But, if she continued on this path to a life with him and Emma, there would be times, times like this trip to Texas, that were perfect and amazing and solidified their commitment to each other. And if those moments outnumbered the rough ones even two-to-one, then every single bit of it was worth it.

And so, with those thoughts on her mind and with her smile firmly planted on her face, Alex stretched one more time and then slid from the bed and headed off towards the shower to get ready for the day.

A little under an hour later Alex made it downstairs and the sight that greeted her in the big, open kitchen immediately sent her bursting in laughter.

Emma was sitting cross legged on top of the large Island, covered in flour, while Harry stood In front of her, pink apron firmly in place, covered in a fair amount of flour himself. Alex's mom stood nearby at the counter near the stove, preparing side dishes, laughing, and looking horrified all at the same time.

"What in the world is going on in here?” Alex laughed as she stood in the archway to the kitchen. Harry and Emma lifted their heads to her and they both grinned, happy to see her. Donna caught her daughter’s eyes and gave her a wink before turning back to the food she was preparing.

“Mummy’s awake!” Emma squealed, clapping her hands together and sending flour poofing into the air.

"Mummy's Awake!" Harry mimicked, laughing and clapping his hands together as well, sending another poof of flour in the air.

Alex laughed and shook her head as she walked over to them, amused by their playfulness and as always, a little in awe of how they were together, so fun and completely silly, like two peas in a pod.

"I'm awake!" she smiled. She reached out and ruffled Emma's hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead, trying to avoid the flour that seemed to be everywhere. She turned to Harry, who winked down at her and then pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. "Okay," Alex grinned. “What are you two doing here, besides getting flour all over Mom’s kitchen?”

"Mimi said we could make the pie crust," Emma said, matter-of-fact.

Alex flashed her mother a look, to which Donna simply shrugged her shoulders. Alex's lips twisted for a moment before she turned back to Emma. "Well, that was nice of Mimi; and very, very trusting, since I am almost positive neither of you has ever made a pie crust in your entire lives."

"Hey! I resent that!" Harry cried in mock hurt.

“Me too!” Emma mocked, throwing her little fists on her hips.

"Ha!" Alex laughed, holding her hands up in front of her in surrender. "Okay, Okay. Go back to your pie crust. I’m going to see if Mom needs help with anything.”

“You can help us, Mummy,” Emma offered, pointing to the mess they were creating on the counter.

“Thank you baby, but I think you are doing just fine without me,” Alex smiled as she pressed another kiss to Emma’s forehead. “Keep up the good work and keep Harry in line.” Emma nodded seriously as Harry chuckled and Alex winked at him before she moved off towards her mother. “What do you need help with, Mom?”

Donna, happy for the help and the time spent with her family in the kitchen, put Alex quickly to work. After about fifteen minutes, when Alex was sure that Harry and Emma were both super involved in what they were doing and weren’t paying attention to them, she leaned over close to her mother.

“Mom,” she whispered, her lips twitching as she side-eyed Donna.

“What?” Donna whispered back, turning her attention to her daughter.

“I happen to know you bought frozen pie crusts.”

Donna couldn’t help the sly grin the spread across her face. “I sure did.”

Alex giggled. “So…what in the world are they making?”

Donna glanced over her shoulder, blinked at the mess, and then turned back to Alex. “Honey, I have no idea.”

*****************

“Erin!” Alex squealed excitedly as her cousin and her husband David arrived with their new baby. They were the last to arrive and although Alex had been having a blast watching her family ask Harry and Charlotte a billion questions, had adored watching Harry with her cousin’s kids, she was desperately excited to see Erin, who was without a doubt, her closest cousin.

“Alex!” Erin grinned as Alex rushed to her in the foyer. The two women embraced tightly and then pulled back, grinning at each other before Alex turned to Erin’s husband.

“David,” she smiled wide.

“Good to see you, Alex,” he smiled back and adjusted the baby carrier so he could lean down and kiss her cheek.

“And who is this?” Alex asked excitedly as she peeked into the baby carrier.

Erin giggled. “That’s little Miss Abby, and if you’ll let us get into the door here and set our stuff down you can meet her.”

Alex laughed. “Sorry! Sorry! I just got so excited. Everyone is in the kitchen. Come on.”

She lead them into the kitchen and everyone moved quickly to their feet, saying hello to Erin and David and more than ready to coo over little baby Abby, and Harry was right in the middle of them all, introducing himself to David with a handshake and then to Erin with a kiss on this cheek before leaning in and mock fighting with Alex over who was going to get to hold the baby first.

“Listen Wales,” Alex laughed. “You always hog Henry back home. I will hog Abby and you can’t say anything about it.”

“Okay…” Erin said as she pulled Abby from the carrier and shot a look at Harry and Alex. “By Henry you mean…”

“Will and Kate’s baby boy,” Alex answered with a small smile.

Erin shook her head and laughed. “Will and Kate’s baby. Okay. Yeah…that not weird at all.”

Laughter spread throughout the room and Harry grinned, appreciating their humor about it what most certainly was a situation that was seemed surreal to them. And in truth, this situation seemed almost surreal to Harry himself. All of these wonderful, down to earth people were accepting him, treating him as one of their own, not bending over backwards to please him as people tended to do. But really, he should have expected it. It’s how both Alex and Matt were. It’s how their parents were, and now he could see that her entire family was like that.

Smiling wide he watched as Erin handed over baby Abby to Alex and his girlfriend’s entire face lit up as she cuddled the baby in her arms.

“Aren’t you the most precious thing?” Alex cooed as she rocked the baby in her arms. The baby was awake but calm and stared up at Alex with big brown eyes, making Alex’s heart lurch. “Oh Erin, she’s so beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Erin grinned. “Although, I did have some help in making her.” She nudged David with her elbow and gave a sly grin.

“Okay, enough of that!” Erin’s dad, Alan, broke in with a laugh. “We all know how these things happen, no need to reiterate.”

Everyone laughed and Erin rolled her eyes, used to her Dad’s instant urge to change the subject whenever that particular topic came up. It was common knowledge in the family and they all thought it was hilarious. There were many times that they would find a way to slip small innuendo into the conversation just to rile him up.

“I’m so glad you could come up,” Alex smiled once the laughter died and everyone seemed to turn back into their own conversations.

“Well,” David grinned as he pulled a grape from an appetizer tray and popped it into his mouth. “Thank Abby for finally deciding that she could ride in a car for more than five minutes without screaming bloody murder.”

Alex’s nose wrinkled. “That’s no fun. I’m glad she got over it.”

“Yeah,” Erin nodded. “Me too. She’s quiet now but the only pair of lungs I’ve ever heard as loud as hers is Emma’s and…wait. Where is Emma?”

“Out back playing with the other cousins. Want me to go get her?” Alex asked.

“Yes,” Harry broke in with a nod and a grin. “Go get her and I’ll hold Abby for you.”

Alex laughed. “Are you going to just die soon if you don’t get to hold her?”

“I really just might, Alex.”

“Okay, fine,” she mock pouted. She turned to Erin and David and pulled a serious face. “I’m warning you now. Watch your kid. This one over here,” she nodded her head in Harry’s direction. “Serious baby obsession.”

Erin giggled and David shook his head with a chuckle. “God Alex, poor guy. You don’t have to go around telling everyone that.”

Alex snorted as she turned to Harry, preparing to hand the baby over. “David, everyone knows.”

“Yeah, because you told them.”

“No,” Alex grinned as Harry took the baby from her, his face lighting up as he cuddled her up in his arms. He was instantly transfixed and Alex knew she was being tuned out. “Everyone knows because Harry told Katie Couric last year and sent women into overdrive.”

“Come on, Alex,” Harry interrupted with a groan of a laugh, paying more attention than she thought. “Why don’t you just tell them how you compared me to a dog the other night too?”

Alex giggled. “I’ll let you tell them that one Wales,” she said as she patted his arm, offering him a warm, loving look. “I’m going to go get Emma.”

“A dog?” Erin asked, confused, as Alex walked away. She heard Harry sigh as she rounded the corner of the kitchen and she couldn’t help the laughter that escaped her lips.

She loved that man.

****************

“Alex, where did Harry go?” Alex’s cousin Sam called out to her across the table over Thanksgiving dinner.

“He went to get seconds…” She trailed off and scrunched her nose as she thought about it. “Probably ten minutes ago,” she laughed. “I need seconds myself. I’ll go check on him.”

“He’s probably in there eating the last of the green bean casserole,” her cousin Charlie called out. “You tell him that’s not how things work in the states.”

Alex rolled her eyes and laughed as she slid from her chair and took her plate from the table. “How does it work, Charlie? You always get the last of the green bean casserole?”

“Damn right,” he grinned right before he shoved a huge bite of mashed potatoes in his mouth.

“Well, Charlie…in the UK that definitely don’t curse at the dinner table. It’s called manners,” Alex shot back with a grin before she turned on her heel and left the room, leaving the rest of the table teasing Charlie.

She made her way into the kitchen and ran across Matt, who actually was scooping up the last of the green bean casserole, but Harry was nowhere to be found.

“Have you seen Harry?” she asked her brother. When he chuckled and his lips pulled up into a smirk she immediately knew something was up. “What?”

“Seriously Alex, how old is Harry?”

Her forehead scrunched. “Twenty-nine. Why?”

“He’s at the fucking kids table, Alex.”

Alex couldn’t help but burst out in laughter. “Oh my God. Of course he is.”

Matt shook his head and chuckled. “I know he loves kids, but he’s in there having the time of his life.”

“I have to see this,” Alex giggled. She slid her plate onto the counter and then stepped around the corner to the informal dining room where the kids table was always set up. And sure enough, there was Harry, seated in the middle of all the kids, his plate of seconds in front of him.

She stood and watched in silence for several minutes as he joked, laughed, teased, and indulged the four little kids at the table. And Emma was there next to him, clearly taking on the role of sidekick; much to Harry’s delight.

“Did you know that Harry is a real life Prince?” Emma asked, looking pointedly at four year old Taylor, who went wide-eyed in awe Harry.

“Like in Cinderella?” Taylor whispered.

“Yes,” Emma answered at the same time that Harry chuckled and tried to shake his head in the negative. And then she turned to the two little boys at the table. “He’s also a soldier. He flies helicopters.”

“Really?” five year old Jack asked while three year old Carter’s mouth dropped.

Harry grinned. “Yes, that is true. I’m much better at being a helicopter pilot than a Prince.”

“I don’t think so,” Emma said; matter-of –fact. “I think you are good at both.”

Alex slid her hand over her mouth to keep from giggling at the scene and when she felt someone slide up next to her she turned and, seeing Erin there, she immediately motioned for her to be quiet.

“He’s so good with Emma,” Erin whispered.

“He really is,” Alex nodded.

“I really did get worried that he was going to sneak off with Abby earlier.”

Alex shook her head and pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh.

“And Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“I know you know this but…”

Alex turned and looked at Erin, meeting her eyes, expecting her to say something about Harry and her or Harry and the kids. “What?”

“He’s so much more gorgeous than he is in pictures.”

Alex couldn’t help the giggle that slipped out and of course, she was caught. Harry’s gaze snapped to her, giggling with her cousin and watching him.

“Found me, did you?” he grinned.

“I don’t even know why I wondered where you were,” she laughed.

“Listen,” he defended playfully. “You should know if there is a kids table that is always where I’m going to end up. It’s more fun and conversation is much more interesting conversation.”

“Shall I leave you to your interesting conversation then?” Alex asked, her lips twitching.

“Nah,” Harry shook his head. “You should join us.”

“Yeah?” Alex smiled, her eyebrows lifting.

“Well, only if Emma here says it’s okay,” Harry said with a wink. “What do you think, Em? Can your mum and Erin join us?”

Emma looked up from her plate and nodded quickly. “Yes!”

And so they did. They finished their meal at the kids table and really, it was probably the best time either of them had ever had at Thanksgiving dinner.

Harry was right; the kids table was absolutely more fun.

*****************

"Found you," Alex called softly as she made her way out onto the pool deck where Harry stretched out on a lounge chair, looking up at the sky. Her family had all departed, Emma was in bed, Charlotte and Matt were on their way back to his house for the night, and Alex was ready to spend her final hours in Texas alone with the man she loved.

His heard turned towards her voice, his lips lifting into a smile as he took her in, standing there looking so incredibly beautiful in the moonlight as she stood above him. "You certainly did find me, Alexandra.”

She chuckled and eyed him with playful suspicion. “What's going on Wales?”

"Nothing,” he grinned. His cheeks were flushed from the chilly night, his eyes were hazy from the wine consumed that night, and Alex found him utterly sexy in that moment. “Nothing other than I want my insanely beautiful girlfriend to join me on this lounge chair right here.” He winked as he held out a hand to her. “Will you join me, Alex?"

Her lips twitched. “I don’t have any ice cream with me this time.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed. “I think I’ll live. Come on, Morgan. Come cuddle up with me.”

And because it would be impossible to resist that she nodded slowly, holding his soft gaze with her own. She took his hand and moved in beside him, letting him pull her into the circle of his arms and up against him. She sighed as she laid her cheek against his chest. The night was chilly, he was warm, and she felt perfect wrapped up snuggly in his arms.

They laid there like that, wrapped up tightly against the chill of the fall night until finally Harry look a deep breath and broke the comfortable silence.

"Alex?”

She turned her eyes up to his with a small, happy smile. “Yeah?”

"How come we're never talked about John?”

Alex’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “We have, Harry...”

"No, I know. We’ve had discussions and I know the basics, but you're never given any real...particulars. How you met him, how you fell in love, how you got engaged, your wedding…I know you have memories of those things.”

“Wow…” Alex breathed. She blinked several times, trying to gather her thoughts. “I just…Harry, I just thought those were things that we didn’t need to talk about. How do those things relate to us?”

Harry took a deep breath and reached for her hand, pulling it up to his lips and pressing a warm kiss to her palm. “It relates to us because it was a huge part of your life that I never want you to forget or feel like you have to hide.”

“I don’t feel like I have to hide it. And I’ll never forget it, Harry,” she said softly as she shook her head. “I am…I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with it. I did love him very much. I married him with intention of spending my life with him. I have his child who, despite the fact that she looks just like me, is a visual reminder of him every single day. If he wouldn’t have died…”

“We wouldn’t be sitting here,” Harry finished for her, his eyes looking lovingly down to hers. “But we are, Alexandra. We are sitting here in this place you grew up in and…” he trailed off, his eyes looking towards the sky for a moment before turning back to her. “And I’ve gotten know so much more of you here and God…our relationship has deepened so much. I don’t want that to stop when we go back to London tomorrow. I want to know every part of you, and that includes John.”

Alex could help the grin that lit up her face. “I love you, do you know that?”

“I do,” he smiled as he leaned forward to kiss her softly. “But feel free to keep telling me all you’d like.”

Alex giggled as his lips pressed sweetly to hers several times before he pulled away and tucked her back into his arms. “Okay, so what would you like to know about John?”

“Well,” he started, taking a deep breath. “Let’s start with how you met.”

“How we met...” Alex repeated slowly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve talked to anything about this. It’s weird, but okay. Here we go. When I first moved to London to start school, I stayed with friends of my parents for a bit, who at the time lived in the townhouse next door to Molly’s.”

“Ahhh…” Harry said. “See, that’s interesting. I always imagined you met him through friends or something.”

“No,” Alex smiled, shaking her head. “The Parkers, the couple I lived with, were friendly with Molly and one night, after I had been there for a couple of weeks, she came over for dinner and brought John. He had just gotten home from training on base and was tired and didn’t want to come but Molly made him.”

“Ha…” Harry chuckled. “Was he as grouchy as I am when I get back from training?”

“No,” Alex giggled. “He was not. You could tell he was tired but he was sweet and polite and…” She shrugged her shoulders. “I liked him right away. He was the first friend I made in London.”

“How long were you friends before…”

“Before we got together?” Alex finished for him. When he nodded she took a deep breath. “Not long; a few weeks maybe. He was over one night, just hanging out and he just…kissed me. And that was that. We were inseparable after that.”

Harry grinned. “It’s weird how much like us that is.”

Alex nodded. “It is…but different too. With John I was almost in awe; he lead and I followed. And not in a bad way, just…we were so ridiculously in love and I was so young and if he jumped, I jumped. With you…” She turned her eyes up to Harry’s and adjusted so she could face him face to face. “With you I felt, and still feel, that we are more evenly matched. There have been a couple of exceptions, but for the most part I always feel like you and I are on the same level.”

“I love that about us,” Harry murmured as he reached up and brushed a piece of hair from her forehead.

“Me too,” Alex smiled softly before continuing on. “When we had been dating for about six months he proposed. I accepted and three months later we were married.”

“Nine months?”

“From first kiss until marriage…yes.”

“Wow.”

“You knew it was fast,” she said softly.

“Oh hey…” he murmured, his eyes snapping to hers. “I’m not judging. I guess I just didn’t realize how fast.”

Alex nodded. “I know. It was quick. We got together in September, we were married in May, and by the first of October he was deployed to Afghanistan.”

“And then you found out about Emma…” Harry murmured, his eyes searching hers. Without asking he knew that this would be the difficult part, the part that hurt her to talk about.

She let out a breath and turned her eyes down for a moment. “And then I found out about Emma. He had been gone a month when I found out. I was six weeks pregnant and…” She turned her eyes back to him and smiled wide. “God, Harry. I was so thrilled.”

Harry gulped. “Were you guys…trying?”

Alex couldn’t help the way her lips tugged up at his question. “No,” she shook her head. “Emma was not planned. I mean, somewhere down the road, sure…we wanted children. But we didn’t plan to have Emma right then. I can’t believe I’ve never told you that.”

“I always thought she was planned,” Harry murmured, looking a bit sheepish.

“God, how have we never talked about this?” Alex laughed. “How ridiculous. With as much as we’ve gone through and we’ve never had this basic conversation?”

“I’m glad we are.”

“Me too,” she smiled. She leaned up and kissed him then, not being able to help herself in that moment. He was right. She did feel closer to him after telling him this stuff. He was accepting and wonderfully supportive about it and she felt so incredibly lucky to have him, to have his understanding.

“Mmmm…” Harry smiled against her lips as she pressed them firmly against his. “Alexandra…as much as it pains me to say this…you have to finish your story.”

She pulled back and laughed. “I know, I know. I just couldn’t help it. You’re being so wonderful about this.”

“I am a wonderful guy,” he said with a smug smile. Alex rolled her eyes and then she took a deep breath, preparing to continue.

“Okay, so…I found out I was pregnant with Emma.” Here lips turned down at the corners a bit as she remembered. “I wanted to tell John so badly, but I didn’t want to write it in a letter so I waited. I knew he would get to call at some point and I was going to tell him then. But…”

“The call never came,” Harry finished for her. His voice was low, sorrowful.

“The call never came,” she nodded slowly, her eyes filling with tears at the memory. “Instead, there was a knock on the door at our flat one day and…” She shuddered. “Damn it. Harry…that was the fucking worst moment of my life. He was dead. He had only been over there a month and a half and he was dead. I was pregnant with his child and I never…” She trailed off and wiped the tear that fallen from the corner of her eye. “I never got to tell him. Out of all of it, that’s what hurt the most. He never got to be happy about her.”

“Oh my love,” Harry breathed as he pulled her against him, circling his arms around her. He knew before this conversation just how strong she was, how brave she was. He had always known that she had overcome a huge, devastating personal loss and come out so much better than most people would have. But, even knowing all of those things before, hearing the full story, hearing how much she loved John and knowing how devastating it must have been to lose him without ever telling him about Emma, Harry’s heart ached for her.

“I’m okay, Harry,” Alex said softly as she nuzzled his chest with her cheek. “Back then I wasn’t okay, but I am now. Besides, you know…” she pulled back and tipped her head to look at him. “He knows. He’s up there somewhere and he knows and he’s happy. He’s happy she’s happy. And Harry?”

“Yes, Alex?”

“He’s got to be happy she has you.”

Harry’s heart slammed into his chest. “Alexandra…”

“I’m serious,” she said, her eyes searching his. “You mean more to her than…”

“She means everything to me, Alex,” Harry interrupted in a low, reverent voice. “You and Emma mean everything to me.”

Alex stared up at him, letting his words and this moment sink over her. And then finally, she slid her arms up around his neck and pulled him close. “Harry?”

“Yes baby?”

“I need you to take me upstairs and make love to me.” Her voice was soft, low, and filled with absolute need. There was no way Harry could resist her in that moment and there really was no reason at all that he should.

He moved, pulling her with him from the chair and then, taking her hand in his, he led her into the house, up the stairs, and into their room where he spent their final night in Texas making slow, passionate, soul-altering love making to her.

It was the perfect end to their perfect trip.


	47. Chapter Forty Seven

When they arrived back in London, Harry and Alex’s relationship was incredibly strong. They were closer and more in love than they had ever been and they both understood that the trip to Texas, that pulling Harry in Alex’s life as he had pulled her into his so many months ago had solidified their bond.

Unfortunately for them, the trip to Texas had also amped up the media coverage on them. Harry had gone with Alex and her daughter on a trip home to meet her family for a major holiday and the press went nuts when pictures started to flood the web. Camera phones had captured all of the public outings of their holiday – the trip to the zoo, the shopping excursion at Cavender’s, and of course the night out at Big Texas, the dance hall. There were pictures and video footage galore of Harry spinning Alex around the dance floor, of them looking at each other with complete adoration, and of course, of Harry leaning down to kiss her or more than one occasion.

The level of obsession with Prince Harry, his girlfriend of almost a year, and her daughter was reached a fevered pitch and they all felt it closing in around them. Even Alex, with her ingrained inner calm, knew that it was only a matter of time before the heightened interest had its first huge impact on her life.

And it would be sooner than later.

********************

“Susanna!” Alex exclaimed as she pulled open the door to her apartment one evening about a week after they got back from Texas. Harry’s planned event where he announced his patronage of the organization he had told Alex and Geoff’s widow about a couple of months before was the next day, and Susanna had made her way down to London the night before with her young son to take part in the event. They were staying a hotel that Harry’s office had arranged of course, but as Alex wouldn’t be attending the event, she had wanted to have them over for dinner the night before the event.

“Hello Alex,” Susanna greeted with a wide smile. She genuinely liked this woman, Prince Harry’s girlfriend. She was warm and lovely and to Susanna’s surprise and delight, had kept in touch with her after they visited her at her home.

“Come in, come in,” Alex said excitedly, standing aside and motioning for Susanna and young Adam to enter. Susanna adjusted Adam on her hip and walked through the door and after Alex had closed and locked it behind her, she turned and greeted her, the two women pressing kisses against each other’s cheeks. “Hello cutie pie,” Alex giggled, giving the toddler a little tickle. He giggled back and Alex gave him a little wink before turning back to Susanna. “I’m still working on dinner, let’s go in the kitchen. How was your trip down?”

“Easy,” Susanna smiled as she followed Alex into her kitchen. “We took the train and Harry had a car waiting for us at the station, which was lovely of him to do.”

Alex glanced over her shoulder as she opened her fridge to pull out a bottle of wine. “Well, he’s pretty lovely if I do say so myself, but I’m biased so…”

Susanna laughed as she slid into one of the chairs at Alex’s table, pulling Adam onto her lap. He was tired from their journey down and snuggled up on his mother’s lap, taking in the new surroundings. “He is lovely, absolutely. Is he coming tonight to dinner?”

“He is,” Alex nodded. “He took Emma out to ride horses with his cousin Zara but they should be back any minute. Would you like some wine?”

“Oh yes, please,” Susanna agreed.

Alex poured them both a glass and brought Susanna’s over to her before moving back to the counters to finish up putting together the casserole she was making. “Are you excited for the event tomorrow?”

“I am,” Susanna offered with a soft smile. “It’s just…it’s wonderful that Harry included me, that he included Geoff. My husband would have been tickled pink and would have been strutting about like a peacock, so damn proud.”

“Sounds like Harry and Geoff were quite a bit alike,” Alex chuckled as she opened the oven to slide the casserole in.

“I think so,” Susanna nodded.

“You don’t mind if I mention him, do you?” Alex asked softly as she plucked her wine glass from the counter and went to sit with Susanna at the table.

“No.” Susanna’s lips pulled into a wide smile and she glanced down at her son, still tired from their journey in, relaxing against her shoulder, his thumb firmly in his mouth. “It’s nice. Most people are afraid to talk to me about him. I think they are afraid I’ll break.”

“Ah yes. Well, you are much stronger than I was.”

“I don’t think so, Alex. I think your circumstances were different and you were younger and…” Susanna trailed off as they heard the door to the flat open and Emma and Harry’s voices filled the entryway and floated into the kitchen. Adam perked up, hearing the noise and squirming in Susanna’s arms to look towards the voices.

“Mummy!” Emma squealed as she bounded into the kitchen, still bundled up in her coat, gloves, and scarf. Alex grunted as Emma launched her little body at her, but couldn’t help the laugh that slipped through her lips.

“Well hello, Emma Rose. Did you have a good time?”

“I did! I rode all by myself, without Zara walking beside me and holding on to the horse. Didn’t I Harry?” Emma asked as Harry strode into the kitchen, having divested himself of his coat and scarf.

“You did, and you did amazing,” he grinned. Then, seeing Susanna and Adam his smile pulled even wider. “Ah! Our guests have arrived!”

Emma’s head whipped around from where her focus had been, solely on telling her mother about her day, to Susanna and Adam seated across from them at the table. “Miss Susanna!” Emma squealed brightly, causing Adam’s eyes to widen a little and bringing a small giggle from the happy baby.

“Hello Emma,” Susanna chuckled as Adam wiggled in her lap, the activity waking him up a bit. Susanna turned her head towards Harry and smiled. “And hello, Harry. It’s good to see you again.”

“You too,” Harry grinned as he bent down to kiss her cheeks in greeting. “How was your trip up? Did you get into the hotel alright?”

“Yes, it everything was wonderful. Thank you. I appreciate everything,” Susanna said sincerely.

Harry shook his head and waved a hand. “It’s absolutely nothing. I’m glad you could come down. We will go over the plans for tomorrow in a little bit but right now…” His smile pulled wide as he looked down at the toddler who was getting more and more antsy on his mother’s lap by the second. “I think we should all catch up and that definitely involves me playing with this guy.”

Susanna and Alex both laughed as Harry plucked Adam from Susanna lap and tossed the laughing two year old into the air.

“Again! Again!” Adam squealed. Harry tossed him the air one more time and then with a grin he moved Adam to his hip and then moved over to kiss Alex hello.

“Dinner will be read in thirty minutes,” Alex said as she smiled up at Harry.

“Excellent. Do you need any help?”

“No,” she shook her head. “It’s in the oven. It just needs to cook. Why don’t we all go into the living room though? We can relax and wait and you can play with Adam?”

“Sounds perfect,” he grinned.

“Great,” Alex nodded. She looked down at Emma and giggled. “You still have your coat and things on. Aren’t you burning up?”

“Nooooo,” Emma drawled with a slight roll of her eyes.

Alex shook her head and gave a slight chuckle. “Okay, Sassypants, you know better than to roll your eyes at me. Go take your jacket off, hang it up, and then come join us in the living room.”

“Okay Mummy,” Emma said, moving from her leaning position on Alex’s lap to go back to the entryway.

“Hey Em,” Harry stopped her and gave her a pointed look before she could walk out of the room. “What do you say to your mum for rolling your eyes at her?”

Susanna couldn’t help the way her eyes widened and pulled to Alex before turning back to Harry and Emma. Her lips twitched as she watched the situation unfold, the Prince disciplining his girlfriend’s daughter.

“Sorry?” Emma asked quietly, as if making sure that was the correct answer. When Harry gave her a nod and a small smile Emma turned around and when back to Alex. “Sorry Mummy, I shouldn’t have rolled my eyes.”

Alex leaned down and kissed Emma’s forehead and smiled. “Thank you, I appreciate that, Emma,” she said as Emma gave her a quick hug and went out off to do as she was told. “Thank you,” Alex smiled at Harry as she stood and picked up her wine glass from the table. Susanna stood as well and turned towards Harry who was busy making goofy faces and pretending to make sense out of the half English, half baby babble her son was speaking.

“Do you want me to take him?” she asked.

“Absolutely not,” Harry laughed. “We are bonding here.” Susanna and Alex both laughed as Harry turned around, Adam still on his hip, and lead them from the kitchen.

*****************

“Alex?” Susanna asked as she helped Alex load the dishwasher a bit later while Harry played with Emma and Adam in the living room. Squeals and laughter could be heard throughout the flat and it had put a permanent smile on both Alex and Susanna’s faces.

Alex turned bright eyes towards Susanna. “Hmmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“It’s a bit…personal.”

Alex shut off the water as she handed the last dish to Susanna and then reached for a dry dishcloth to wipe her hands before handing it to Susanna. “You can ask,” Alex said sweetly. “Believe me, if I’m not comfortable answering, I won’t.”

Susanna smiled, grateful for Alex’s honesty. “Okay…earlier when Emma rolled her eyes at you and Harry…”

“Made her tell me she was sorry?” Alex finished for her with a smile.

Susanna nodded. “Yes. He sounded so…” she trailed off and chuckled. “Sorry Alex, I feel like I’m overstepping boundaries here.”

“Hey…” Alex said softly as she turned towards Susanna. She reached over and placed a hand over Susanna’s where it lay on the counter. “I’ve invited you into my home. Harry is in there playing with your son like it’s the only thing he’s ever wanted to do. And don’t forget that Geoff and Harry were really close. Geoff was the only person outside of my family and close friends and Harry’s family who knew about our relationship before it went public. And…he told you about it and you didn’t breathe a word. I like you, I trust you, and I can relate to you in a way that I can’t relate to a lot of people.” Alex stopped to throw a pointed look at her new friend. “So, in other words…spit it out, Susanna.”

“Ha!” Susanna laughed. “You are right. Sorry.”

“No worries,” Alex chuckled with a shake of her head.

Susanna took a deep breath and a sip of wine. “Earlier when Harry asked Emma to apologize to you, he seemed so much like a father.”

Alex’s smile pulled wide. “He’s really great with her,” she said quietly. “And she adores the mess out of him. And on the rare occasions when he does have to chastise her or discipline her, she listens to him.”

“So you don’t mind?” Susanna asked quietly.

Alex took a deep breath, but her smile remained in place. “No, I don’t. It’s not something that feels forced and he never overrides me or disciplines her where I wouldn’t or don’t want to. What you saw earlier was probably as serious as it gets for the most part.”

Susanna nodded and seemed to gather her thoughts for a moment before she spoke. “I know it seems weird that I comment on that, but sometimes the thought hits me that someday…far down the road…somebody might come along and…” Her eyes welled up with tears and Alex’s hand squeezed Susanna’s on the counter.

“You wonder how you could ever let someone who isn’t Geoff play that role?” Alex finished for her.

“It’s so stupid…” Susanna sighed with a laugh as she blinked back the tears. “And he only died what…six months ago. I should not be thinking about that.”

“Listen,” Alex said, her voice soothing. “It’s normal. Believe me. In fact, most of the things you think about that you are sure no one else is thinking are completely normal. And come on, of course you have to wonder about the future. Someone will come along someday...Geoff would have wanted that for you. And when that happens, when it’s the right person, you’ll be okay with it.”

“You know…” Susanna said as she took a deep breath. “I like you, Alex.”

Alex giggled and patted Susanna’s hand before moving away from the counter to grab her glass of wine. “I like you too, Susanna. And hey…tomorrow, if you don’t have to head back home right away after the event with Harry, why don’t you come by my office? We have a few sessions tomorrow afternoon and I’d be more than happy to watch Adam while you sat in on one.”

“Oh goodness, Alex. That would be wonderful. I can certainly do that,” Susanna said gratefully.

“Wonderful!” Alex said brightly. “Now, let’s go make sure Harry isn’t using our children to wreck my living room.”

***************

“Well, that was fun,” Alex sighed as she leaned into Harry’s side on her couch a little while later. They had just said goodnight to Susanna and Adam, and Emma was sleeping soundly in her bed.

“Hmmmm…yes, it was,” Harry responded in low, relaxed voice. He wrapped an arm tightly around Alex and pulled her close, leaning down to drop a kiss on her head.

“I invited her to come to a session at HFTF tomorrow after your event.”

“You did?” Harry smiled as he turned to look down on her. “That’s wonderful.”

“I think so. She’s strong, a lot stronger than I was when John died, but she still needs to know that other people are going through what she’s going through.”

“You are so amazing, Alexandra,” Harry murmured. He turned and pulled her into his arms so she was sitting sideway on his lap, and looking down at him, bringing a small giggle from her as she wound her arms around his neck. “So kind…so compassionate…”

Alex shrugged as she looked down at the man she loved. “I’m just trying to help. I’ve been there, you know.”

“I do know,” Harry nodded. “But still, what you do at HFTF, it’s not something you have to do. You do it because you truly care about people and want to help.”

“Harry, you’re acting like what I do isn’t what any normal…”

“It isn’t what any normal person would do, Alex,” he whispered gruffly. “Your program is something special. I knew that before I even knew you.”

Alex’s face softened and her lips turned up at the corners. “Don’t make me cry, Wales.”

Harry chuckled, a light happy sound that warmed Alex’s heart. His hands smoothed up over her back and pulled her closer. “What would you like me to do then, Alexandra?”

“Hmmmm…” Alex twisted her lips and put a finger to her lips, pretending to think about it. “You want to read some poetry?”

“Ha!” Harry laughed, his eyes crinkling up at the corners. “Not really, no.”

“No? How about a movie?” Alex giggled. “We could watch something terribly romantic, like Notting Hill.”

Harry shook his head as his laughter continued. “I tell you what, you let me pass on that and I’ll take you over to the real Notting Hill this weekend.”

“Pass?” Alex teased. “Well, fine then. You don’t want to read poetry, you don’t want to watch a movie, I guess there is only one option left.”

Harry’s grin was smug. “Oh yeah, what’s that?”

Alex leaned down closer, her eyes growing heavy and her cheeks flushing. “Well, Harry. I think it’s about time…” She dropped a soft kiss to his lips and she felt his hands flex on her back and push her closer to him. “That you helped me re-arrange my kitchen cabinets.”

Harry’s body shook with laughter as his hands moved up into her hair and pulled her mouth to his. “Not bloody likely, Alexandra,” he breathed as her mouth met his, opening up instantly and letting his tongue in to duel with hers.

“Then whatever will we do?” Alex whispered against his lips.

“Well, I thought I might take you to bed and spend a couple hours showing you how amazing I think you are.”

“That sounds so much better than re-arranging kitchen cabinets,” Alex giggled and wagged her eyebrows.

“Oh, I’m glad you think so Alex,” he growled playfully. And then he stood swiftly from the couch, keeping Alex in his arms. She squealed and then quickly clapped a hand over her mouth as he maneuvered them down the hallway towards her room where he definitely made good on his promise to show her how amazing he thought she was.

*************

Alex noticed the increased paparazzi presence outside of her apartment as she left to take Emma to school that next morning. She noticed but she chalked it up to Harry having a very public even that day and the photographers wanting a picture of her to print alongside pictures of him. However much she didn’t like it, she was somewhat used to it by now.

She dropped Emma off at school without incident and then made her way to her office. She frowned when she pulled up to the gate and punched in her code to enter the parking garage for the set of buildings that her office was in. The paps were heavy across the street from her office as well, much heavier than usual, heavier even than at her apartment. They were really all gunning for a shot of her, but she didn’t understand why they would be suddenly so much more interest. However, she was grateful that her office was on private property and that the paps couldn’t get closer than across the street to get the picture they really wanted, but it still didn’t sit well that people coming for sessions had to see them all waiting there. With a heavy sigh she parked and then made her way inside and out of the cold winter air. Mia was waiting in her office already, getting the client files ready for the day.

“Mia, is it me or are the paps really, really heavy today?” She asked as she pulled off her coat and scarf and hung them on the back of her door.

Mia rolled her eyes. “It’s not just you. They are going nuts over you right now.”

“Right,” Alex sighed as she slid into her desk chair. “Because of Harry’s even today. I’m sure they are waiting to see if I’ll go or at least wanting to get a good shot of me. Despite the event having nothing to do with me, they’ll write me up anyway.”

“Alex…I don’t think this is about Harry’s event…” Mia said, her voice holding a little bit of hesitation.

Alex looked up to her, confusion written all over her face. “What? What else would it be about?”

Mia sighed. “Okay Alex, you know I read the blogs and…” She waved a hand, indicating that she knew it was silly, but she did it anyway. “Since you guys got back from Texas a few days ago, and all the pictures came out…people are going nuts.”

Alex blinked. “Nuts?”

“Little bit,” Mia nodded slightly as she came to stand in front of Alex’s desk and pointed at the computer. “Do you want me to show you?”

“No,” Alex shook her head. “I don’t want…ugh...” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a minute.

“Are you okay, Alex?” Mia asked quietly.

“I’m fine,” Alex laughed as her eyes slide back open and she rolled them up towards the ceiling. “I just have a busy day yet all I want to do is get online and see the damn pictures. How can I even blame these people for taking pictures if I want to look at them myself?”

“Oh come on, Alex. Of course you want to look. They are of you. But the good news is that you have a session that starts in ten minutes so I’m going to go ahead and drag you away from you away from your desk because you don’t have enough time to look,” Mia set, her features growing resolute as she talked.

Alex scrunched her nose. “Ten minutes? It takes ten seconds to get…”

“Nope. No time,” Mia said pertly.

“I see what you are doing,” Alex said, a smile forming on her lips.

“My job?”

Alex stood from her desk and walked around to Mia, taking the folders she needed from her assistant. “No, not your job, Mia.”

Mia’s lips turned down. “Actually, I…”

“You’re being my friend, and I thank you for that,” Alex smiled.

Mia’s grin flashed wide for a moment before she pulled herself together and went back to business mode, pushing Alex from the office and keeping her busy with chatter while they made their way upstairs to get ready for the first morning session.

**************

It was during the second morning session, when Alex’s brain had fully moved on from the worries of the press, that the door to the room she was holding her meeting in opened and a flustered Mia popped her head in. Alex immediately felt the unease was over her. Mia would never interrupt unless it was an emergency.

“Mia?” Alex’s voice wavered as she called out to her assistant.

“Alex, can I see you outside for a moment?”

“Can it wait, Mia? I’m right in the middle…”

“No, Alex.” Mia’s voice was firm, her eyes wide. “It can’t.”

Alex felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as she moved from her chair and apologized to her small group of six. She told them to carry on and that she would be back shortly to finish up and then she stepped out of the door, closing it behind her softly. “Mia, what in the world…”

“Emma’s headmaster just called, Alex. The paps are surrounding her school,” Mia rushed out nervously.

“Are you shitting me?” Alex called out before she could stop herself. “Did they say how many?”

“No,” Mia shook her head. “But…it sounds like a lot. I could hear the noise through the phone and…”

But Alex didn’t hear the rest of Mia’s sentence because she went rushing past her, down the stairs and into her office. She grabbed her coat and her purse and she pulled her phone out, frantically trying to call Harry with shaking fingers as she made her way out of the building and to the parking garage.

“Come on, Harry…answer!” she groaned into the phone as it went to voicemail. She hung up and re-dialed immediately, making it to her car just as his voicemail picked up. “Shit!” she cried as she flung her bag inside and slid into her seat. She started the car and dialed him again, waiting as it rang and rang and he still didn’t pick up. “Fuck! Come on Harry…I don’t…I don’t know what to do!”

The tears spilled from her eyes at the thought of her poor child at the school, surrounded by people with cameras yelling and shouting and trying to get a shot of her no matter the cost. She must be so embarrassed and scared and…

“Damn it!” Alex yelled as she hit her steering wheel. “What do I do?” She picked up her phone and dialed Harry again, needing his advice and how to handle this once she got there, and she didn’t want to start driving until she had talked to him or someone who could tell her exactly what the fuck to do.

And then suddenly it occurred to Alex that just because Harry couldn’t answer his phone, didn’t mean that everyone in his life was unavailable and it only made her more upset that she wasn’t thinking straight. She picked up the phone again and dialed the next person she could think of, the person who told her to call any time she needed help.

The phone picked up and the third ring.

“Alex?”

“Charlotte! Thank God. I need your help!”


	48. Chapter Forty Eight

By the time that Alex pulled up at Emma’s school, the police presence that Charlotte had called in for her had gotten the paparazzi crowd somewhat under control, but Alex was still utterly shocked at how many of them there were.

At least fifty photographers were still gathered behind the police barricades, and Alex was absolutely sure that there were probably more than that there before the police had shown up. Tears welled up in her eyes seeing them all there and seeing how the instantly reacted to seeing her pull up, the crowd of them surging forward. She quickly blinked them back and took a deep breath as a police officer rounded her car, coming to open her door for her.

“Miss Morgan?”

“Yes,” Alex said in a shaky voice as she stepped out. “I’m Alexandra Morgan.”

“I’m Officer Scott,” he said as he looked down on her with kind, sympathetic eyes. “I will escort you into the school. Your daughter is waiting inside with the headmaster.”

“Thank you,” Alex nodded with a small smile as the officer motioned for her to move forward. Officer Scott escorted her through the throngs of photographers and Alex was absolutely horrified at the things they were calling out at her, trying to get her attention, trying to get her to look their way.

"Just keep your head down, Miss Morgan," Officer Scott said low next to her.

"Okay, thank you," Alex mumbled as they finally reached the steps into the school. She rushed up the steps and stared straight ahead as Officer Scott opened the door for her. "Oh my God..." she breathed once they wore safetly inside the building. She gulped back the lump in her throat and turned towards the kind police officer. "Thank you very much, Officer Scott."

"You're welcome, ma'am," he said kindly. "I'm told that your daughter is waiting in the headmaster’s office. When you are ready to leave I’ll be waiting out here to escort you out."

"Alright," Alex said with a small smile and a shaky breath. "Thank you again."

At his nod Alex took a deep breath and turned, moving briskly down the hallway towards the headmaster's office, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. She was almost to the door when her cell phone rang out from her bag, Harry's ringtone startling her. She immediately stopped and dug into her purse, pulling out her phone.

"Harry?"

"Alex! Where are you?" His voice was stressed and angry and Alex had to close her eyes and concentrate on not letting the tears come at the thought that his emotions we just as heightened as hers.

“I’m at Emma's school. I'm about to walk into the headmaster's office. Harry there are paps...”

"Oh I fucking know!” he growled through the phone. "Charlotte told me. I was speaking when you called and then..."

"No, no. It's okay," Alex interrupted, not taking his tone to heart. She knew he was just as upset as she was. “Whoever Charlotte called got the police over and they've got the paps pushed back so I can at least get out with Emma without them crushing us.”

"Shit!” Harry snapped through the phone. "This is so incredibly fucked up."

"Harry please. I know…" Alex took a deep breath and fought the lump in her throat. “I know this sucks but please don’t snap. I know it’s not at me but I’m worked up and….listen, I need to go in and get Emma, Harry. I'm sure she's scared and embarrassed and..." Alex's voice broke as the tears threatened again. “I need to go to my daughter Harry.”

"Go baby," Harry said softly. "I'm sorry I yelled. I’m just frustrated. I...do you want me to come down there?"

"No,” she sighed. "It will only make it worse. Can I take Emma to your place though? I know they will be outside of my house and..."

"Of course,” Harry interrupted. "I'll call and let them know that you are coming and I’ll meet you there in a couple of hours."

“Okay…thank you, Harry.”

“Anything you need, Alex…you know that. Now go get Emma. Can you give her a hug and tell her I love her?”

“Yes,” Alex said in a small voice. “I will. See you in a little while.”

She pulled the phone from her ear and disconnected the call. She turned the ringer off; not wanting any further interruptions while she was went to get Emma and talked with her headmaster. She slid the phone back into her bag, took a deep breath, and made the final few steps to the headmaster’s office, knocking on the door once she got there.

It was mere seconds before Mrs. Keating opened the door, a small, polite smile forming on her lips when she saw Alex.

“Mrs. Morgan, please come in.”

“Thank you,” Alex nodded as she stepped inside, immediately searching for Emma and finding her sitting in a chair in front of Mrs. Keating’s desk. “Emma?” Alex’s voice was soft Emma’s head turned towards her and Alex’s heart almost broke. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were stained with tears. “Oh Em…”

“Mummy?” Emma’s voice was low and wavered and Alex’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Come here,” Alex said as she set her bag down in the chair next to Emma and opened her arms. Emma immediately rose from her chair and rushed into Alex’s arms, burying her face in her mother’s neck. Alex’s arms closed in around her and she pulled her tight against her. “It’s okay, baby,” she soothed, rubbing a gentle hand over Emma’s wavy blonde locks. “I’m so sorry, Emma.”

“Ahem.” Alex looked up as Mrs. Keating cleared her throat and she frowned. Alex was sure that the headmaster wasn’t happy, but she almost looked…sad. It immediately put Alex on high alert.

Keeping Emma in her arms she stood and moved to take a seat in the chair that Emma had most recently occupied, letting Emma stay in her lap with her arms and legs wrapped around her. She would let her daughter cling to her for as long as it took for her to feel better.

“I’m so sorry about all of this, Mrs. Keating. I know this is an inconvenience,” Alex said quietly as she stroked Emma’s back.

The tall, thin woman nodded and moved to sit behind her desk. “Mrs. Morgan, these photographers showed up just as we let the children outside for the morning recess. They knew when to come to get pictures of Emma.”

“Oh God,” Alex gasped. “They must have been watching her. I…I don’t know…”

“Listen Mrs. Morgan, I need to be up front with you right now. We cannot have this here. The other children were frightened half to death, I’ve got angry parents calling wondering what I’m going to do about this…”

“I know Harry can do something,” Alex interrupted. “I know they will put out a statement and talk to the police…”

“Right. And it will fix it for a while, but once the outcry dies down, they’ll be back,” Mrs. Keating said meaningfully as she threw a pointed look at Alex.

And Alex got it. She knew what this woman was trying to ask of her. Her eyes went wide and her heart dropped into her stomach. “Oh God. You want me to pull her out,” she breathed in disbelief.

“I can’t tell you to pull her out, because she’s not broken any rules. But…”

“But that’s what you want me to do,” Alex said, her voice growing more forceful. Emma whimpered against her neck and Alex pulled her tighter against her.

“I think, in the interest of the other students, you should consider it,” Mrs. Keating said quietly. “I don’t want to do this, Mrs. Morgan. I like Emma, she’s a wonderful little girl and we will miss her terribly but…”

“No, no. I understand,” Alex interrupted. “You’re…you’re just doing your job as an educator and…I’m so sorry. I thought they would stay away.”

“And they did for a long while. But now that they’ve broken that invisible line…”

Alex nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She loved the school that Emma went to and was devastated at the thought of pulling her out and what it might do to her daughter. She did well at the school, extremely well. She had excellent teachers and good friends and the thought of having to start her all over made Alex’s heart hurt. But she knew that she couldn’t be stubborn and put other children in the way of the cameras and understood where the other parents were coming from. She would feel the same if she were in their place.

“Okay,” Alex said slowly, her eyes meeting Mrs. Keating with a lot more strength than she felt. “What do I need to do to pull her out?”

“Mummy no!” Emma sobbed, pulling her head back and looking at her with wide, sad eyes. “I don’t want to go to another school! I’m sorry…please…I’ll do anything! I’ll be perfect. I’ll never, ever get into trouble. Please Mummy!”

As long as Alex lived, this would forever be one of her sadder moments, watching Emma fall apart, listening to her six year old apologize and beg like any of this was her fault. Emma was so innocent in all of this yet right now she was the one being affected the most.

Alex took a deep breath and worked to keep calm. If she got worked up it would only make Emma feel worse. “Honey, I would love to let you stay if I had a choice, but I don’t. I promise that once we get home I will explain everything to you and we will eat ice cream for dinner and have cookies for dessert and watch Disney movies until you can’t keep your eyes open, but right now can you keep a brave face on for me? I’ll get all of this done as fast as possible and then we can go and put this day behind us. Can you do that for me?”

Emma held her mother’s eyes for a moment and then finally she sniffled, hiccupped, and nodded slowly. She reached up to wipe her eyes with her sleeves and Alex immediately leaned around her to pull a couple tissues from Mrs. Keating’s desk. She wiped Emma’s face and her runny nose and then handed her daughter the clean tissue just in case.

“Thanks Mummy,” Emma said quietly.

“You’re welcome,” Alex smiled, proud of her daughter for being so brave. She turned back to Mrs. Keating then, the older woman looking at her with a small, sad smile. “Okay, what paperwork do I need to do?”

****************

In a little under half an hour later, Emma was un-enrolled from her school. Alex signed all the paperwork while Mrs. Keating got Emma’s things from her classroom and then Alex and Emma were ready to go. Emma had been strong and held it together throughout the whole thing, and Alex was so incredibly proud of her. Now all that was left for them was to get through the paparazzi still waiting outside and into the car, then they could be off to Harry’s. All Alex wanted to do was cuddle up with her daughter in Harry’s big, plush bed, watch movies, and do whatever else Emma wanted to do that would make this day better for her.

“Okay Em, listen to me” Alex said gently as she slipped Emma’s backpack straps over her shoulders. Emma turned wide eyes up to her mother and nodded, indicating she was listening. Alex knelt in front of her, speaking close, low and comforting. “The photographers are still out there.”

“Nooo…” Emma whimpered, her eyes filling up with tears.

“It’s okay, Honey. I’m going to carry you out and I want you to hide your face right here,” Alex placed her hand in the crook of her neck. Don’t look up; just keep your face there. There is a very nice police officer waiting named Officer Scott. He will escort us from the door to the car. When we get to the car he will open your door and I will put you inside. Just keep calm, keep your head down, and don’t look at the cameras. They don’t deserve to get a picture of your beautiful face, Emma. Okay?”

“Okay,” Emma nodded.

“Alright. Just a few more minutes of being brave and then we’re done. We can do it, right?”

“Right,” Emma said with a small smile.

“Okay, let’s go,” Alex said, taking a deep breath and pulling Emma up into her arms.

The scene played out exactly how she expected it to. The paps were still there and as soon as Alex stepped out with Emma, they went nuts. Officer Scott was there and shielded Alex as she rushed Emma down the walk and to the car. He pulled the door open and Alex set Emma inside, buckling her in and then helping her shield her face. Then, with a final, quick thank you to Officer Scott, she moved to the driver’s side, slid in, and pulled away from the school and away from the chaos that had thrown her daughter’s life in upheaval.

To Be Continued...


	49. Chapter Forty Nine

It was late afternoon when Harry arrived home. He shed his jacket as soon as he stepped through the door, laying it across the back of a chair before moving to the stairs and up to his bedroom where he knew Alex and Emma would be. His bedroom door was slightly open and he pushed it, stepping quietly into the room. His gaze hit the bed and despite the stress and the anger at the day, he couldn’t help the small smile that tilted his lips when he saw his girls, both tucked up under the covers in his bed, fast asleep. He had no doubt they were both emotionally exhausted and he was so glad that he had been able to provide his home as a refuge of sorts for them, even if what they were hiding from was a result of who he was.

He moved further into the room, removing his tie and toeing his shoes off as he went. He stepped to the side of the bed that Alex was sleeping on and looked down on her with warm, loving eyes. She was faced towards him, the blanket pulled up around her shoulders, her long hair spread out on the pillow behind her. She looked beautiful and peaceful and he almost didn’t want to wake her, but he knew that she would want him to.

“Alexandra…” he murmured as he placed a warm hand on her shoulder and rubbed gently. “Alex, I’m home.”

Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked a few times before she focused on him. “Hi…” she breathed, her voice low and hoarse from sleep.

“Hi…” he whispered, his voice a bit nervous. His eyes were full of worry and guilt as he looked down on her and Alex couldn’t take that. She knew he would feel that way and she hated it. Before Harry could process what she was doing, she quickly climbed out from under the covers and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly to her, burying her face in his neck.

“Hey…” Harry murmured, surprised by her intensity. His arms went around her and he pulled her tightly to him. “Are you okay love?”

“I love you,” she whispered fiercely into the crook of his neck as she tightened her arms around him.

“Oh Alex…I…”

“I love you,” she whispered again, interrupting him.

“I love you too, Alexandra,” Harry responded softly. He smoothed his hands up over her shoulders and to her neck. He moved to cup her face gently and pulled her back so he could look at her. Her eyes were determined and serious and it gave him pause. “What is it Alex?”

“I love you, Harry.” Her voice was firm and pointed.

His lips turned up a bit at the corners. “Baby, I know you do.”

“Do you?” Alex asked. “Because I know you’re feeling guilty and worried and I…I just want you to remember that no matter what this shitty day threw at us, I love you. None of this changes that. It doesn’t even make a dent in it.”

“I know you love me, Alex,” he said low, his eyes growing soft, some of the anxiety fading from them. “I do know that.”

“Good,” she smiled as she leaned in and pressed her lips softly to his.

“Nice pajamas,” Harry grinned, his gaze falling to her ensemble when she pulled her lips back from his.

Alex glanced down and laughed, remembering that she was wearing one of his soft white undershirts and pair of grey sweatpants that were entirely too big for her. “Sorry, we had no choice. Emma has on one of your long sleeved t-shirts, your blue Sentebale one. I think you might have lost it to her.”

“It’s all hers,” he chuckled. “How long have you two been asleep? Can we wake her? I have something for both of you…I thought it might make you feel better.”

“What time is it?”

“A little after four; it took me longer to get home than I anticipated. Drove me nuts,” Harry answered with a small smile.

“No, it’s fine,” Alex sighed. “We got here, scrounged around your kitchen for some cookies, then changed into these clothes and crawled into bed. We were both just worn out. I haven’t really even talked to her yet. We can wake her, I’m sure she’d be upset if we didn’t.”

“Was she…” He stopped, took a breath, and looked away for a beat before he turned his eyes back to Alex. “Was she scared?”

“Yes,” Alex nodded. “Scared and upset and sad.”

“God damn it…” Harry groaned, moving away from Alex. He ran his fingers through his hair and then turned sad eyes back to her. “I hate this.”

“I know. And we need to talk about it…but please, Harry…can we just wake her and go see or do whatever it is you’ve got for us? Then we can all cuddle up on the couch and watch movies and just let her have a peaceful evening with two people who love her very, very much.”

He sighed, trying to pull his warring emotions together. All day he had done nothing but alternate between being so fucking pissed he couldn’t even see straight and incredibly sad; sad for Emma, sad for Alex, sad that it was his name and his life that did this to them. In truth Harry knew that eventually it was going to happen, but he hadn’t foreseen the absolute crush and disregard for Emma and Alex’s privacy.

And Alex was right. What Emma needed right now was love from him and her mother. Emma was just six and a half years old and she was dealing with the repercussions of suddenly being one of the most famous children in the world.

“Yes, of course love,” he finally said softly. “We can absolutely do that.”

“Great,” Alex smiled as she climbed down from the bed and leaned up to place another quick kiss on Harry’s lips. “Let’s get her up.”

His lips tilted slightly. “Actually, you get her up. I’m going to run downstairs and get everything ready for you two. I had it delivered to the kitchen by the staff; I just need to set it up.”

Alex’s lips twitched. “Set it up?”

“You’ll see,” he winked. “See you two beautiful ladies in a few minutes.”

Alex watched him as he left the room quietly and she shook her head lightly. He was such a mix of emotions, and she knew that it was only going to get worse later, once it was just the two of them and they talked about what was going on and what to do about it. But for right now, she was glad that he could put that aside for a bit for Emma.

Alex moved to Emma’s side of the bed and gently shook her awake, pulling her up and into her arms when her daughter blinked several times and then held out her arms to her. Alex was more than happy to provide Emma any and all of the comfort she needed and frankly, she enjoyed all the cuddling she and Emma had done today. It almost made the stress worth it.

“Harry is home,” Alex said softly. “He’s got a surprise downstairs for us. You want to go see what it is?”

“A surprise?” Emma said, her voice catching some excitement and happiness for the first time all day. “Do you know what it is?”

“Nope, I’m just as in the dark as you, kiddo. Let’s go check it out though.”

“Okay,” Emma nodded, her lips pulling up in a smile. “Let’s go.”

Alex put Emma down and then giggled to herself as she watched her little girl pick up the bottom of Harry’s huge t-shirt like a long dress so that she could walk and not trip over it. They made their way downstairs and Emma led them down the hallway and into Harry’s kitchen.

“Oh goodness!” Alex cried, laughter bubbling up from her lips when she saw Harry’s ‘surprise.’

There were at least four different kinds of ice cream lined up on Harry’s breakfast bar along with bowl after bowl of every single topping that could possibly be thought of to put on ice cream. It put the spread that they had enjoyed when making sundaes at Kate’s months ago to shame.

“Wow…” Emma breathed, her eyes growing wide as she took in the sugary feast laid out for them. “That’s a lot of ice cream stuff.”

“Well, considering this is our dinner tonight, I figured I better make it as filling as possible,” Harry said with a wink in Emma’s direction.

“Ice cream for dinner?” Emma asked in disbelief, her eyes turning to Harry. He nodded and smiled softly at her and she squealed before rushing over to him, almost tripping on the long shirt she was wearing. Harry chuckled and knelt down to meet her as she wrapped her little arms around his neck. “Thank you Harry!” Emma sang out.

“Oh you’re so welcome, Em. I love you,” he said quietly as he squeezed her tight. “Now, go help yourself…whatever you want.”

Emma moved excitedly from his arms and towards the spread of ice cream and toppings and Alex took her chance and moved to Harry, leaning in to wrap her arms around him as Emma went about making her sundae. He smiled down at her and leaned close.

"I know it's not Blue Bell, but it was short notice and..."

"No..." Alex shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "It's perfect. Thank you."

************

The ice cream smorgasbord that Harry surprised them with served its purpose and served it well. Emma’s smile at the special treat was big and bright and helped to bring smiles forth from Harry and Alex too.

They ate until they were full to bursting and then they moved to the living room. Harry got out a bunch of soft, cozy blankets, and they all cuddled up on the couch together to watch The Sword in the Stone, which was of course, Emma’s choice. Emma laughed and commented several times on how much she loved the sassy owl in the movie, and in return Harry commented on how much he loved sassy Emma, which brought a big, delighted smile to her face each time.

When the movie was over, and when Emma had finally come down from her sugar high and her eyes were drooping closed, Alex gently suggested an early bed time for her daughter, and for once, Emma was completely okay with that, although she did have one small request in exchange for getting to bed early.

“Can Harry tuck me in?”

“Of course, baby,” Alex said as she reached over to cup her daughter’s cheek lovingly. “I think Harry would love to tuck you in.”

“He absolutely would,” Harry grinned. “Come on, Em. Let’s go.” He rose from the couch and then plucked Emma into his arms, loving her little squeal of delight.

Alex watched with soft eyes as they left the room and she could hear them both joking and laughing with each other as they moved up the stairs to Harry’s guest bedroom, which had pretty much unofficially become Emma’s room. With a sigh she settled back into the couch and let her eyes drift closed, trying to think about everything that had happened that day and everything she knew she would have to discuss with Harry when he came back down to her.

************

Harry tucked Emma under the big, comfortable comforter, kissed her good night, and gave her hair a playful ruffle before turning around to make his way from the room. But before he even got to the door Emma’s voice called out to him with words that made him stop dead in his tracks.

“Harry…I’m sad…”

His heart slammed in his chest and he whirled around, going right back to her side. “Oh Emma…I don’t want you to be sad.”

“I am though,” she sniffled, the day hitting her again now that things were quiet and her brain wasn’t being occupied.

Harry couldn’t just stand there while she was feeling like she was. With a heavy heart, he climbed up on the bed and moved next to her. He reached for her and pulled her into his side, tucking her under his arm, wanting her to feel loved and protected while she talked to him. “Em, don’t be sad. Please don’t be sad. You’ll make new friends at new school. And you can always still talk to your friends at your old school.”

“No Harry,” she shook her head against him. “I’m not sad about that. I’m sad…Harry I don’t know what I did wrong.”

Harry was stunned. For a moment, what seemed like a very long, heartbreaking moment, he couldn’t find his words or his voice. When he finally could speak again his voice was hoarse. “What you did wrong? Emma honey, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But the picture people were at my school for me.”

Harry closed his eyes against the rush of guilt. He took a deep breath, willing it back. It was absolutely not the right time. Snapping his eyes open, he looked down at Emma and reached and used his thumb to brush away the fat tears that were sliding down her cheeks. “But that’s not your fault sweet girl. That’s my fault. They were there because you know me. No one blames you or is mad at you. And certainly no one expects or wants you to be sad about that.”

“Are you sad?” Emma asked quietly.

“Yes,” Harry nodded slowly. “But not because I think I did anything wrong, but because I can’t fix this for you or your mum.”

Emma fell silent. Her little bottom lip pulled between her teeth and Harry could tell she was deep in thought, trying to process the whole thing, trying to come to terms with it. It was a move that was so much like something her mother would do that Harry couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips. Finally though, her lip pulled from her teeth at she turned her eyes back to him and he almost sighed with relief at the new resolution he saw there, at how much the sadness that was there moments before had faded.

“Harry, if I give you a hug, will that make you feel better?”

A lump immediately formed in his throat. God, her small voice and big heart were absolutely going to take him down tonight. Swallowing back the surging emotions, he let out a breath and gave her a nod and a soft smile. “Absolutely, Emma. How about three hugs though? Can I have three?”

Emma giggled and reached up to throw her arms around his neck. She squeezed and released him three times and then pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek. “I love you, Harry.”

“I love you too, Emma,” he murmured, blinking back the tears that sprung to his eyes. She pulled back from him with a grin and he grinned right back at her. “Ready for bed now?”

“Yep!”

Harry chuckled and slid from the bed. He reached up and adjusted the covers around her again and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. “Goodnight, Emma.”

“Goodnight, Harry.”

Harry flipped on the nightlight, flipped off the overhead light, and then turned gave Emma one last smile and a small wave before stepping from the room, leaving the door partially open like she liked it. He made his way back down the stairs and found Alex curled up on the couch, right where he had left her. Her eyes were focused of in the distance and her bottom lip was pulled in between her teeth, exactly like Emma had done not ten minutes before.

“Emma does that too,” he remarked with a smile as he came around the sofa and into her line of vision.

She blinked, startled, before she looked up and met his eyes as he moved next to her on the couch. “Emma does what?”

“Contemplates things like you do…far off look, lip between your teeth.”

“Yeah?” Alex’s lips tugged up at the corners. “She’s definitely my kid.”

“She absolutely is,” Harry nodded. His eyes drifted over her face and his fingers came up to gently brush a lock of hair back from her face. “She thought the paparazzi presence at her school was her fault. She didn’t know what she did wrong.”

“I thought she might…” Alex breathed, tears welling up in her eyes. “She gave me that impression when she got upset when I said I was pulling her out of the school. I should have talked to her tonight. I should have calmed those fears in her. I can’t believe I just…”

“Hey…” Harry called out gently, bringing her attention back to him. “Listen, you came home, you were both exhausted and mentally drained and you went to sleep. I woke you up, we did ice cream and the movie; there wasn’t really any time in there. Besides, we were both trying to keep her mind off of it. I think once she got quiet and her brain moved from fun back to reality, it hit her again.”

“I still…”

“No, Alex. Please don’t blame yourself or…fuck. Alex, you did everything exactly right today. From calling Charlotte when you couldn’t get in touch with me to pulling her from the school and not letting them get a picture of her face when you left. You did everything right.”

Alex held his eyes for a long moment, willing herself to believe his answer, wanting to believe she had handled everything to the best of her ability. “Okay…” she finally sighed. “So today I did the right thing. But now…moving forward, I have decisions to make about Emma’s future. And…God Harry, this so weird…”

“What’s weird?” he asked gently, his head tilting to the side.

Alex rolled her eyes but took a deep breath and sat up tall, regarding him with a seriousness that snapped him to complete attention. “Emma and I are…well, I’m your girlfriend and she’s my daughter. Technically, in the big picture of the Royal Family, we aren’t important.”

“Now, hold on…”

She held a hand up. “No. Listen. You need to hear where I’m going with this.”

His jaw clenched but he backed down, finally sighing and motioning for her to continue.

“I want to enroll Emma in private school.”

Harry took a deep breath and nodded. “I thought you might. I think it’s an excellent idea.”

“And you can’t pay for it.”

His eyes widened and he leaned forward. “No, Alex. This whole situation is because of me. If she’s going into a private school, then I’m paying.

Alex shook her head firmly. “Absolutely not.”

Harry stood from the couch, walking away and shoving his hands through his hair. All day he had wanted to tell her that if she wanted to put Emma into private school that he would pay for it. He wanted to be able to do this for them. He wanted to help fix this fucking problem that his life had caused.

He turned back and faced her, keeping himself calm, wanting to talk to her rationally and have her accept this from him. “Alex, these schools are expensive.”

“I wasn’t born yesterday,” she responded with a groan and a roll of her eyes. “I’m aware that these schools are expensive. And I can afford to send her.”

His eyebrows lifted. “I don’t want you to have to take out a loan.”

Alex rose to her feet, her face flushing with anger. “Excuse you. I didn’t say a word about a loan. I said I can afford to send her, I don’t know what is so hard for you to understand about that.”

Harry’s eyes went wide. “Shit. Alex, that’s not…that came out all wrong. That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean, Harry?” She stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest, clearly waiting for him to wade out of the mess of shit he had jumped into.

“Okay, all I’m saying is that these schools are really expensive, especially the ones with the security needed to keep the paps away from Emma. I’m not trying to put you down Alex, I swear. I know you’re not hurting for money…”

“Do you?” Her voice was taught with frustration.

He threw his hands in the hair. “Of course I do! Jesus Alex, I’m just trying to offer to cover this expense because you are in this situation because of me! And the types of schools that you’re thinking of…the expense is enormous. We are talking thousands and thousands of dollars per term.”

“And I have thousands and thousands of dollars Harry!” Alex cried, stepping closer to him. She took a deep breath and worked to calm herself. “Look, when John’s dad died he left him a significant amount of money, which in turn got left to me. I’ve kept all of it in savings and it has built interest. I also got benefits from the Army after John died. Some of it I’ve used to supplement my income along the way, but that hasn’t been so necessary in recent years, so it has also been in savings, building interest. I’m good with money, Harry and I can afford this. I won’t let you pay for it. I won’t let the press rip you apart for this. I also don't want anyone to think I depend on you for anything. I'm with you because I love you, not because I want anything from you.”

“I fucking know that, Alex,” he bit out, probably more harshly than he intended.

“Yeah? Well, they don't, Harry.”

“They?”

“The press, the public, everyone outside of the people who actually know us,” Alex said, her voice softening as they came around to point of all of this.

“I don’t care about them,” Harry murmured with a shake of his head. “They don’t matter.”

“Yes,” Alex nodded. She stepped close to him and laid her hands on his chest, her wide eyes turning up to his. “Yes, they do. You know why?”

“Why?” he whispered. It didn’t escape his notice that instead of moving further away from him, or even leaving him as she had done during their previous two fights, she was moving closer and closer to him. And even though they were having an argument, and a pretty serious one, it made his heart swell that she was doing that.

“Because one day Wales, you’re going to marry me. And when that happens…”

“Alexandra…” Harry breathed, his eyes growing wide and his lips curving up at her words.

“Wait,” she interrupted, trying not to smile herself. “Let me finish. When that happens, when you marry me, I don’t want any questions from anyone as to why. I know you don’t care what they think, but I’ve been strong and independent for a very long time and it’s very much a part of who I am and how I present myself. It’s important to me that other people see that. That being said, I will pay for Emma’s school until the day comes along that we are a family and then we will pay for her school.”

“Alex…” Harry murmured as his big hands came up and curled around her biceps. “Are you done now?”

She threw up a pointed look even as he pulled her tighter into him. “Are you going to drop trying to pay for her school?”

“Yes,” Harry nodded, his eyes dancing.

“And why is that?”

“Why am I dropping the issue?” he asked, surprised. When she nodded he chuckled lightly and leaned down close to her. “Because you are right. It would look bad if I paid for her school.”

Alex’s lips pulled into a wide smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He leaned down and pressed a warm, soft kiss to her lips. “I love you, Alexandra,” he whispered against her lips.

“I love you too,” she giggled as he deepened the kiss, pulling her tighter against him, his tongue teasing at her lips. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back, needing what he was offering her badly after the day she’d going through. “Harry?”

His lips moved to her jaw, pressing warm kisses along it. “Hmmm?”

“Ohhhh…” She moaned. She took a breath, trying to remember her words as his mouth hit her neck in a move that always rendered her speechless. “We just had our first successful fight…”

He chuckled against the soft skin of her neck as his hands spread over her back, pushing her even tighter against him. “I guess we did.”

“You know what that means, right?” Her fingers threaded into his hair and she tugged his gaze to hers. He smirked up at her and she couldn’t help the grin that pulled at her lips.

“We are progressing and becoming closer and better as a couple?”

“Ha! Oh god. Okay. Yeah, your answer is way better than mine,” she laughed.

“Why? What was yours?” His grin was smug as his head dipped again and pressed between her collar bones.”

“We fought…” She gasped as his hands moved up under her t-shirt, his fingers hot against the skin of her stomach. “And now we get to make up.”

His tilted his head back to hers, pressing a hot kiss against her mouth, swollen from his earlier kisses. “Make-up sex?”

“Yes...”

A rumbling chuckle left his lips. “Oh no, that's an excellent answer…”

She cocked eyebrow at him. “Then what are you waiting for…Cowboy?”

“Absolutely nothing, Alexandra,” he breathed right before his lips captured hers again, right before he lifted her in his arms, and right before he moved them from the room and up the stairs to his room where they left the worry of the day far, far behind them.


	50. Chapter Fifty

"I get to put the star on top!" Emma squealed as Alex pulled the final ornament for their Christmas tree from its box.

"Yes you do," Alex smiled at her daughter. She turned to Harry and grinned at him. "Can you lift her up there? Normally we wait until Matt and my parents come in town to do this and Matt or Dad helps her up, but since you're here..."

“Absolutely,” Harry grinned. He leaned over to Emma and lifter her quickly into the air. She giggled as he settled her easily on his shoulder and then reached for the beautiful gold star from Alex. “Thank you,” he said brightly and kissed her quick. Then, handing the star to Emma, he lifted her up over his head and she leaned forward and very carefully placed the star right on top of the tree.

"Done!" Emma clapped, as a huge grin spread across her face.

"Well done, Emma," Harry smiled as he lowered her back down to the ground.

"It’s perfect," Alex agreed." Now, are we ready to light it all up?"

'Yes!" Harry and Emma exclaimed at the same time, drawing a peal of happy laughter from Alex.

"Ha! You are two peas in a pod, I swear." She shook her head slightly as she turned towards the light switch on the wall. "Harry, if you will it the switch on the tree lights, I'll turn this one off. Ready?" At Harry's nod she flipped the switch on the wall and the room was cast into momentary darkness. Alex heard the click of the switch for the power strip controlling the lights and the room lit up again, cast in the red, green, and white of the Christmas lights they had all strung on the tree.

"Wow..." Emma breathed, her eyes wide. “It’s beautiful.”

''It sure is," Harry murmured as he looked at the tree and then back to Alex and Emma standing so close together and staring at it them themselves. His heart was heavy with love for them and the fact that they had allowed him in on this tradition of theirs. "Thank you for asking me to help," he said softly.

Alex smiled wide at him, her eyes sweet on him. "Please. We wouldn't have had it any other way. Plus, it's not like you put together that perfectly decorated tree at your place. I know Kate had a hand in that," she winked.

"Ha!” He shook his head with his laughter, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way she loved. “Yes, yes she did."

"Mummy?" Emma called out, turning her eyes to Alex. "Is it time for hot chocolate and Christmas carols yet?"

"Hot chocolate and Christmas carols?" Harry asked, his lips tugging up at the comers.

"Its tradition," Emma announced as she strode to him, took his hand, and immediately turned to drag him towards the kitchen. "We make hot chocolate and put on Christmas carols and sing along."

"Sounds fun," he grinned, winking at Alex as they passed. With a laugh she followed behind them.

"Oh it is, Harry. Sheesh, you should know by now that me and Mum are always fun."

***************

"I cannot believe the crazy lyrics you made up to the Twelve Days of Christmas."

Harry's head tipped back onto the couch behind him in laughter. Emma was tucked in bed and he and Alex were enjoying some alone time wrapped up together in a blanket on the window seat in her living room, watching the heavy snow fall on London. "What Alexandra, you don't want twelve partying princes on the Twelfth Day of Christmas?"

"No so much," she responded with a twist of her lips. "One partying prince is quite enough for me."

"Awww. Now, come on, I'm not so much of a partying prince anymore," he pouted.

Alex nodded and then leaned further into him, her head resting against his chest as she turned her eyes up to him. "Although, you could always take me down to my bedroom and we could have a private party there.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him suggestively and then couldn’t help but giggle at the look on his face.

"Jesus, Alex," he groaned. "You could tempt a saint."

"Hmmm..." She turned her lips up to his, sighing softly as he pressed a soft, warm kiss to them. "Good thing you aren't a saint then, Harry."

"Oh-ho!" he chuckled as his hands moved to her back and pressed her closer. "Your sass knows no bounds it seems." He kissed her again, longer and deeper, their tongues moving slowly against each other in that dance they did so well. "Alex..." he groaned when he pulled back from her detectable mouth.

"Harry…come back," she beckoned with a smile, her hand wrapping around his neck to pull him back to her.

He couldn't help but grin as he reached up and pulled her hand from his neck and placed it back on his chest. “Alex, I will absolutely come back.” He shook his head with a soft chuckle when she pouted, her bottom lip stick out slightly. “I promise. But first I want to talk to you about something.”

“Okay…” she said slowly. “Am I in trouble?”

His lips tugged at the corners. “No. Quite the opposite, actually. I want to talk to you about Christmas, or really the day after Christmas.”

Alex’s forehead knotted. “The day after? You’ll be at Sandringham and Emma and I will be here with Matt and my parents.”

“That’s the original plan…” He took a deep breath. “But I’d like to see if you wouldn’t mind changing it a bit.”

“Changing it? How?”

“I’d like you and Emma to come to Sandringham the day after Christmas. It’s Boxing Day and we do the traditional hunt and…” His eyes went soft and his smile went wide. “And I want you to meet my grandparents.”

Alex blinked several times, trying to wrap her brain around what he said. "Harry, l..."

"Look Alex, l know Christmas is only in a week and a half and that your parents will be here and it’s not fair of me to ask you to take that time away from them..."

"No, no... " Alex interrupted. "It's not that. It’s... Jesus, Harry. You want me to meet the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh?”

"No," Harry chuckled lightly." I want you and Emma to meet my grandparents."

"Don’t you think it’s too soon? I mean, we're been together what? Ten months? Didn't Kate have to wait..."

"Now hold on," Harry broke in, his eyes wide, his face serious. He pulled back so he could look Alex directly in the face. "Don't do that. Don’t compare yourself to Kate or anyone else. Will and Kate’s situation was different. They did this when it was right for them."

“And you think the time is right for us?” She asked quietly, her eyes searching his.

Harry took a deep breath and smiled. His smoothed his hands up over her arms and shoulders and moved to cup her face. "I think that you are the woman that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, and when I told my granny that, she was happy for me and I asked to meet you. I suggested Boxing Day and she gave her permission."

"Oh My God, " Alex breathed, her heart pounding furiously in her chest.

"Listen love, if you really don't want to do this, we don’t have to. We can arrange another time when there is less family around,” he offered gently.

Alex took him in, took in the hopeful, happy look in his eyes, she could see how hurt he would be if she let her fears and nervousness take over and let this chance slip by. And in truth, she wanted to do this. She wanted to meet his grandmother and grandfather. It was just a huge step; much bigger than in most families. But everything was different with him than it would be in most families; the rational part of Alex knew that and in the end the rational part of her won out.

“No, we can’t arrange another time,” she said softly, turning her head to kiss one of the palms that cradled her face. “Emma and I will meet your grandparents on Boxing Day.” She took a deep breath and smiled wide. “At Sandringham.”

**************

“When will Mimi and Poppy and Uncle Matt be here?!” Emma squealed, jumping up and down on Alex’s living room floor as Alex finished tidying up in anticipation of the arrival of her parents and her brother. Christmas was less than a week away and Alex was terribly excited for the arrival of her family, loving that she got to see them so soon after Thanksgiving, but she was almost sure that Emma’s level of excitement outweighed hers.

“Don’t jump on the floor Emma. Remember, people live below us,” Alex said with a pointed look.

“Oops! Sorry,” Emma said sheepishly. “I forgot.”

“Ha! I suppose one day you’ll remember kiddo. Anyway, they will be here in under an hour.”

Emma’s face lit up in excitement and she almost jumped up and down again, remembering at the last second that she wasn’t supposed to. Instead she ran and jumped on the couch on her knees, bouncing up and down there. She did know that she could do that without getting into trouble. “And when will Harry be here?”

The buzzer rang out in the flat as if on cue. Emma clapped her hands together in excitement as Alex grinned and went to buzz Harry in, Emma following just behind her. Just a minute or two later the knock sounded at the door and Alex unlocked and opened it, smiling broadly at Harry as he stood in the doorway while Mark, his protection officer, did his usual walk through. Emma could barely contain herself and was squirming in anticipation of Harry being able to come through the door. Alex couldn’t help but giggle.

“I love when she’s like this,” she said to Harry across the threshold of the door, nodding down at Emma.

Harry chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Me too.”

Luckily for Emma, Mark came walking through back then, giving Harry a nod for the all clear, and Harry stepped in. Emma immediately launched herself at him, not giving him time to even shut to door behind him before she was wrapping her arms around him in a big, giggling hug. Alex laughed as she moved to shut and lock the door behind them.

“Goodness, Emma. Just how much sugar have you eaten today?” Harry quipped as he lifted her up into his arms.

Emma blinked, confused by the question for a moment before she grinned and shook her head. “None. Mum wouldn’t let me.”

“Your mum is very smart. Looks like you absolutely don’t need any,” he grinned at her. He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and then set her down, turning to Alex and smiling softly down at her. “Hi.”

“Hello,” she murmured back as she tilted her lips to his for a soft, sweet kiss.

“How long before your parents and Matt arrive?” he asked when he pulled back from her.

“Matt just called from the airport about ten minutes ago. They have to collect their bags, catch the train, and then get the car that you have for them at the station. It’ll probably be about an hour.”

“Excellent,” Harry grinned, clapping his hands together. He was just about to ask if she needed help with anything when the buzzer rang out into the apartment again, startling Alex and sending Emma into fits of excitement, thinking it was her grandparents and her Uncle Matt.

“Emma, calm down,” Alex chuckled. “That can’t possibly be them.”

“But what if it is?!” Emma drawled dramatically.

Alex shook her head with a laughing sigh and went to hit the buzzer again. “Hello?”

“It’s Charlotte.”

Alex flashed a look at Harry and Harry immediately burst out into laughter. “Oh God. She knows Matt’s going to be here soon.”

Alex’s lips pulled into a wide smile and she immediately buzzed her friend in. Harry moved Emma off into to living room while Alex waited for the door and when the knock sounded out, she opened it; a smug knowing smile firmly in place.

“Nope. Don’t even start with me,” Charlotte said firmly as she moved into Alex’s apartment.

“I didn’t say a word, Charlotte. I’m just wondering why you are at my apartment in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday?”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Can’t I just come see my friend whom I adore?”

“Ha! Sweet talk won’t get you anywhere,” Alex laughed as she moved to take Charlotte’s coat and scarf and hang it by the door. “And you absolutely can come see me anytime. But I’d believe you more if you weren’t sleeping with my brother, who will coincidentally be here within the hour.”

Charlotte raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and her lips twisted. “I’m here to see you. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

“Okay, okay,” Alex smiled. “I won’t push. Although Harry is in the living room, and you know he will.”

“Ugh,” Charlotte groaned. “He’s the worst sometimes.”

At Alex’s shout of laughter Charlotte shook her head and rolled her eyes. But she couldn’t help the smile that was creeping onto her face, a smile that Alex caught; a smile that very much said just how happy Charlotte was to be there, waiting for Matt to arrive.

***********

“Mimi! Poppy!” Emma cried as Alex’s parents came through the door to her flat, Matt trailing close behind. The driver that Harry had hired for them would be continuing on to their hotel and dropping off their luggage and then would come back later to take them back to the hotel.

“Hey Bug!” Michael called out as he hauled Emma into his arms. Donna leaned and smothered her granddaughter’s cheeks with kisses as Michael hugged her tight, much to Emma’s delight.

Matt stepped into the foyer, a big grin on his face as he shook the snow from his blonde hair and unraveled his scarf. “Man, we landed just in time. It’s ridiculous out there,” he laughed as he shook Harry’s hand in greeting. He was just turning towards Alex, who was receiving hugs and kisses from their parents when a very pretty brunette standing to the side caught his attention. He raised his eyebrows, watching as her lips curved upward slightly. He flashed his eyes back to Harry and his lips pulled up into a smirk. “So, how much shit did you give her for being here to wait for me?” he asked low enough that he knew Emma wouldn’t be able to hear, but that Harry and Charlotte both would.

Charlotte rolled her eyes at the same time that Harry laughed loudly. “Not nearly enough, man,” Harry grinned.

“Good,” Matt chuckled and then bypassing Alex and Emma he strode straight to Charlotte, wrapped his arms around her waist and stood straight up, lifting her feet off of the floor.

Harry watched, a smile on his face, as Charlotte’s eyes widened and then softened as Matt pulled her face to his for a kiss. As much as he may tease her, he was actually really happy that Matt seemed to sticking around in her life. He was a great guy and as much as he and Charlotte may bicker and argue, Harry believed that she deserved some like Matt. And then his attention was diverted by Alex, who had finished saying hello to her parents, allowing Harry to move in and greet them both warmly, happy to see them again, and very happy that he was part of this holiday with them.

***************

“When does Emma start her new school?” Donna asked as they all sat in the living room after dinner that night. Matt and Emma were on the floor by the tree, taking turns shaking the presents and trying to guess what was in them. Charlotte was sitting on the window seat near the tree, watching as she sipped the tea Alex had made. Michael and Donna were relaxing on the couch, and Harry was seated in a big, comfortable chair, with Alex on the floor between his legs, resting back against the bottom of the chair.

“At the beginning of January,” Alex answered with a smile. She took a sip of her wine and glanced at Emma, too occupied with presents to really be paying attention. “It didn’t make sense to enroll her in December when she would have only been there for a week. So, my lucky little girl over there has had pretty much the whole month off.”

“And where is the school you are sending her too?” Michael asked.

“Not too far from here. But the most important part is that it’s private and gated. There are quite a few other children of…” Alex wrinkled her nose. “Celebrities and nobility…that go to that school. It came highly recommended from Harry’s Aunt Sophie.”

“And you’re sure you don’t want us to help with her tuition?” Donna asked softly, her head tilting to the side. “You know we don’t mind Alexandra.”

“No, Mom,” Alex shook her head as she smiled back at her mom. “John’s inheritance will more than cover it. I’ve been saving it and there is plenty of it. He would have wanted that for her. Plus, the education she will receive is absolutely top notch.”

“Okay honey,” Donna nodded. “Just know that the offer is on the table.”

“Thanks, Mom. Actually though,” Alex said sitting up straight and leaning forward to set her wine glass on the low coffee table in front of her. “I’ve got a little change of subject. I wanted to ask you guys if it’s okay if we make a change in our usual holiday routine?”

“Yeah? What’s that Boot?” Michael asked, raising his eyebrows.

Alex took a deep breath and then glanced back to Harry, who gave her an encouraging smile. “On the day after Christmas, Harry has asked if Emma and I would join him at Sandringham for the evening. We would come back the next day, Harry with us.”

“Sandringham?” Charlotte called out from the loveseat, bringing Harry’s eyes turning towards her. “Harry but your…ohhhhh…” she trailed off when she realized what was going on, exactly why Alex and Emma would be going up north for that day. She grinned and winked at Harry. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Continue.”

Harry rolled his eyes in her direction and then turned back towards Michael and Donna who were looking at him questioningly. He flashed them a wide smile and leaned forward, resting his hands on Alex’s shoulders. “I would really like Alex and Emma to meet my grandparents. My grandmother specifically requested the meeting and I asked if we could do it on Boxing Day. I realize that this takes them away from you for twenty four hours and believe me, if you have a single problem with that, I will cancel.”

“Wait a second,” Matt piped in from over by the tree, momentarily abandoning his quest to help Emma figure out the presents. “Your Grandmother? You mean the Queen of England?”

“Well, the Queen of Great…” He stopped and chuckled with a small shake of his head. “Sorry, that doesn’t matter. Yes, my grandmother the Queen. And my grandfather as well; actually most of my family will be there, some of whom Alex and Emma haven’t met yet.”

“And it will most likely be quite a while before your family is all together again, no?” Donna asked quietly, her eyes moving from Harry to Alex and then back again. “I mean, they won’t have to chance to be introduced to these family members all together for some time?”

Harry grinned at Alex’s mother’s understanding. “Probably not for another year.”

“Well, I think that Matt and his lovely Charlotte over there can probably entertain us for an evening while you and Emma go meet Harry’s grandparents,” Donna smiled at Alex before turning to her husband. “Don’t you think Mike?”

“I think you shouldn’t tell Matt that he’s entertaining, it will only encourage him,” Mike quipped, bringing a giggle from Alex and a shout of laughter from Charlotte.

“Thanks Dad,” Matt called out dryly right before he shot a look in Charlotte’s direction, which only served to make her laugh harder.

“I only speak the truth son,” Mike returned. “And for heaven’s sake, would you quit encouraging Emma with shaking the presents? If you guess everything that takes the fun out of it.”

“Did I just get in trouble?” Matt grinned.

“I think you did,” Emma chimed in, still holding one of her presents in the air, as if she weren’t a part of the mischief they had been causing.

“Listen you little stinker,” Matt laughed. “You had no problem diving right under that tree when I said we should shake the presents.”

Emma gave Matt a wide eyed, innocent look that fooled absolutely no one in the room and then said, “It was your idea, Uncle Matt.”

Laughter filled the room as Matt snatched Emma into his harms and began to tickle her, her squealing giggles fueling the laughter of everyone else, including Alex who still sat on the floor between Harry’s legs, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes as she watched her brother play with her daughter.

“Hey,” Harry said low into her ear, turning her attention to him. Her eyes swung up to meet his and his lips pulled wide, loving how happy she looked. “Since this is the last night I’m going to see both of you before you come to Sandringham, how about we do Emma’s presents now? It might cool some of the present frenzy Matt is working her into.”

“Sure,” Alex smiled up at him. “Can she give you hers too?”

“She got me a present?”

“Of course she did,” Alex chuckled with a slight roll of her eyes before she turned her attention from him and to Emma. “Hey Em.”

Emma’s gaze swung around to Alex. “Yeah?”

“Harry wants to exchange presents with you right now, what do you think?”

Emma’s eyes went wide and she totally abandoned Matt and bounced over to Harry and Alex. “Ohhhhhh please! Can we?”

“Absolutely,” Harry grinned. “Can you grab the two presents I left for you under the tree? I put them…”

“I know where they are!” Emma squealed before she made a beeline back to the tree, Matt having to lean out of her way to avoid being run over.

“I’m just going to move over there,” Matt chuckled and pointed towards Charlotte as he pulled himself from the floor.

In no time flat Emma was back to them, not only holding the two presents that Harry had brought over a few days before that were already wrapped and ready to go for Emma, but also carrying a beautiful gift bag that was addressed to him. “Here Harry, this one is for you,” she said with a bright smile.

“Thank you,” Harry smiled softly as he took the bag from her, touched that Emma had something for him.

Alex slid from her spot on the floor and when Harry looked toward her she motioned that she was going to move over to the couch and he nodded, understanding that she was giving him and Emma the moment together, even if all of the eyes in the room were on them. Alex settled in on the couch in between her parents and turned to grin once at her mom before turning her attention back to Harry and Emma.

“You first,” Emma said to Harry. “I’m so excited for you to see it.”

“Really?” He lifted his eyebrows. “Are you sure you don’t want to go first?”

“No,” she said with a shake of her blonde head. “I can’t wait for you to open it anymore.”

Harry chuckled and he grinned as he pulled the delicate paper from the bag and then reached his hand inside, finally locating something soft. He pulled it out and set the bag on the floor before pulling the paper from around the soft object. His lips tugged up at the corners and he turned to Emma. “It’s a hat.”

“I made it,” Emma said quietly, her eyes holding his.

“You made this?” Harry asked incredulously.

She nodded slowly, her little fingers fidgeting in front of her nervously. “Granny has been teaching me how to knit. I wanted to make something for you. That’s what Mummy and I do. I get regular presents from Santa, but Mummy and I always make gifts for each other so I wanted to do the same thing for you. Is that okay?”

“Is that okay?” Harry chuckled. “Of course it’s okay. It’s more than okay. It’s amazing. I mean, look at this,” he grinned, admiring the knitted beanie hat that she had made. Of course, it wasn’t the most professionally knitted hat in the world, but all that mattered to Harry was that Emma had taken the time to learn the skill and make this for him. He winked at Emma as he pulled it on his head, pulling it down snuggly. “How does it look?”

“Fantastic!” Emma grinned, elated that he liked it.

“Excellent,” Harry smiled back. “Now your turn, Em.”

“Which one do I open first?” She held up both of the beautifully wrapped rectangular packages.

Harry pointed to the one in her left hand. “That one.”

As Emma was carefully peeling back the paper on the gift, Donna leaned in to Alex’s ear. “What did he get her?”

“I have no idea,” Alex responded with a small shrug. “He wouldn’t tell me. I honestly don’t know if I should be worried or not.”

Donna smothered a chuckle with her hand and Alex bit her lip to keep from bursting out into giggles herself. But both of their attention was diverted back to the center of the room when Matt suddenly called out into the room.

“Dude. You did not actually buy her a castle did you?”

“What?!” Alex squeaked, her eyes wide as she sat straight up on the couch as she watched Matt stare with wide eyes at the eight by ten picture of a beautiful castle that Emma was holding.

“I’m sorry, did you just say a castle?” Mike choked out from beside her.

Harry’s gaze swung wildly between all of them before he finally burst out laughing at the look of utter disbelief focused solely on him. “Okay, no. I did not buy Emma a castle, everyone,” he finally managed to choke out. “Emma,” he turned to her. “I’m sorry, I did not buy you a castle.”

“I know,” she said quietly, looking a bit confused at what had just occurred. “You bought me a picture of a castle. A really pretty castle.”

“It is a pretty castle,” he nodded. “It’s called Neuschwanstein Castle and it’s in Germany. It’s actually the castle that the Cinderella castle was modeled after. And the reason I bought the picture is picture I wanted to show you that I’m going to take you there next month. I figured you might want to see the real life Cinderella castle.”

“Wow…” Emma breathed. “That’s so neat. I can’t wait to go! Thank you, Harry!” She turned to set the picture down carefully on the coffee table before she turned back and wrapped her arms around him for a hug.

“You’re welcome, Emma. Now, open your other one.”

“Okay,” she giggled, pulling back and reaching for the other package. She carefully pulled back the paper, just as she had on the other one until it was all pulled away and she was holding a framed picture of beautiful horse, dark brown in color and on the small side. “It’s a horse,” Emma said with a smile. “Are you taking me to see a horse?”

“No,” Harry grinned as he took a deep breath. “That is your new horse.”

“What?” Emma whispered, her eyes flashing wide. “Mine?”

“Oh my God…” Alex whispered from her spot on the couch. Harry’s eyes flashed to hers for a moment and he gave her a small smile before turning back to Emma.

“It’s yours. I bought him for you for Christmas. He’s still very young and he lives at Zara’s for right now. But after Christmas you’ll start to train with him and help to raise him. Zara said you are a very gifted rider Emma, and I wanted you to be able to have this – to own your own horse – which will only help you get better.”

“Thank you so much Harry!” Emma cried as she launched herself at him, hugging him as tightly as she could. “I love him already,” she said quietly. “This is already the best Christmas ever.”

The thing was, Emma really had no idea just how right she was; it was going to be the best Christmas they had ever had. And it had only just begun.


	51. Chapter Fifty One

“I cannot believe you bought her a horse,” Alex laughed with a shake of her head. She was standing at her sink, washing the last of the dishes from the evening with Harry, her family, and Charlotte. They had all left a bit earlier, and Emma was in bed – clutching the picture of her brand new horse – leaving Harry and Alex alone. This was the last little bit of time they would spend together before he left the next day for the drive to Sandringham.

Harry grinned as he set his wine glass on the counter and moved in behind her. “Are you mad I didn’t tell you first?” he asked softly as he brushed her hair aside and pressed a soft kiss to her neck.

“Mmmm…” She shut off the water and leaned back against him, her eyes drifting closed. “No, I’m not mad. If you wanted to keep the horse in my flat, then I’d be mad.”

“Good,” Harry chuckled, his breath tickling her neck. “And now that I’ve done Emma’s presents, how about we do yours?”

“Wales, I swear to you that if you’re about to say my present is in your pants…”

“Ha! No, no,” he laughed as he moved slightly back from her, allowing her to turn around in his arms. “I mean, of course I always have something in there for you…” He trailed off as she swatted at him laughingly. “No, your Christmas present. Do you want to open it now?”

“Only if you open yours now as well,” Alex smiled as she wound her arms around his neck.

“You didn’t have to…”

“Oh, stop,” she laughed as she clapped a hand over his mouth. “Of course I got you a present. Don’t even bother with the ‘you didn’t have to’ stuff. Of course I did, and of course I wanted to. This is our first Christmas as a couple and I love you.”

Harry smiled softly. “I love you too.”

“Good,” she winked. “Let’s go do our Christmas, then.”

He nodded and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before stepping back from her. He waited for her to pick up her wine glass from the counter and then he took her free hand in his and led them from the kitchen and into her living room. They each went to the tree and found the presents they had bought for the other and then made their way to the couch. Harry sat and Alex moved in next to him, curling her feet up under her and tucking herself under his arm.

“Here, you first,” she grinned as she handed him the small wrapped box.

Harry grinned as the box slipped from her hand and into his. He lifted his eyes to hers for a moment before he untied the ribbon on it and then swiftly pulled the paper from the box. “Alex…” he murmured when he saw the word printed on the box.

Rolex.

“You’ve had the one you wear forever,” Alex, explained with a soft, slightly nervous smile as he pulled the top of the box off and the shiny, brand new watch came into view. “If you don’t want a new one or want something else…”

“Shhh…” He whispered as he reached for her, brushing her hair from her face before he tugged her lips to his. “It’s fantastic, Alexandra,” he smiled against her lips before pulling back and finding her eyes. “I love it.”

“Yeah?” Her eyes were happy and a touch relieved. He laughed.

“You thought I wouldn’t?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t know how attached you are to the watch you already wear.”

“It’s just a watch I bought myself,” he smirked. “Now this one…” His eyes turned towards the watch in cushioned in the black box. “This one I’m already very attached to. Just like the beautiful, wonderful woman who gave it to me.”

“So cheesy,” Alex teased him with a smile. He immediately chuckled and she loved that she could tease him like that; that he knew that she really did love his sweet words to her. “I’m glad you like it, Harry.”

“Me too,” he winked. “Now, you’re turn.” He handed her the present he had so carefully selected for her, wrapped up in a box a touch smaller than the one his watch had come in. She pulled it from his hands with a suddenly shy smile and ran her fingers over the beautiful paper before pulling gently at it, tearing it open at the corner. When the paper was off her lips tugged up at the corners and her gaze slid sideways to Harry for just a moment before she lifted the top off of the small white box.

“Harry…” she breathed as she took in the beautiful earrings nestled in the box. “Wow…” Her eyes moved to his. They were wide and surprised and Harry was quick to move in, knowing her first reaction would be to claim it was too much.

“I had them made for you,” he said softly. “I wanted you to have something that you could wear that no one else had, something that was made with you specifically in mind.”

Alex shook her head slowly as she stared down at the large diamonds. Each one was surrounded by a pave of smaller diamonds and set in rose gold. They were beyond gorgeous and something she knew she would wear often. “I absolutely love them, Harry,” she said softly as her fingers moved out to touch them lightly. Her eyes shifted from the earrings back to him, her head tilted to the side, and her lips tugged up at the corners. “I know you think I’m going to say it was too much, and believe me, part of me wants to, but I love that you did this for me.”

“Yeah?” His grin was happy, but she could see the cockiness lurking there in the way his lips tugged up at the corners.

“Well, it is Christmas, Harry. I suppose there is at least one day out of the year I can be okay with you spending ridiculous amounts of money on me and Emma.”

“Ah well, that’ll do for now,” he smirked as she moved closer to her. He reached into the box and pulled out the earrings. He held them up with raised eyebrows and she rolled her eyes playfully but nodded and took them from his fingers one at a time to place them in her ears. “Beautiful,” he whispered when she was done.

“Hmmm…thank you,” Alex murmured, her lips tugging up at the corners. She leaned forward to place the now empty box on the coffee table and then she turned back to him, moving into his side and tilting her face towards his. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I know, love. I’m going to miss you too,” he smiled before he dropped a soft, sweet kiss to her lips. “It’s only four days though; we’ve been apart for longer than that before.” He turned his body towards hers and wrapped his arms fully around her, pulling her even closer.

“I know,” she sighed. Her hands slid up his arms and over his shoulders before moving to his neck, her fingers playing lightly in the hair there. Her lips tilted into a smile that was playful and happy as they wrapped themselves up in each other. “I’m just being a pouty girlfriend because I don’t get to see my boyfriend on Christmas. I’m sorry, I can’t help it.”

“I like that you want to be with me on the holidays,” Harry said quietly. “I only wish I could do more than just see you the day after.”

“Hey…I understand. You know that right? I don’t mean to complain.” Her eyes were wide, hoping he understood.

He smiled and shook his head. "I know you aren't." His expression grew serious and he pulled her even tighter. "I would give anything for you to be there, Alex. You and Emma."

“I know,” she nodded. And then because they were done talking about it, and they both knew that instinctively, they moved on to things words couldn’t say. Alex's fingers pressed into Harry's neck, bringing his lips down to hers. She sighed into his month and he took the opportunity, his tongue tipping out and sliding in between the lips that moved against his in that way she had, the way that made his blood run hot and sent anything flying from his brain but her.

"Alex..." he groaned against her lips as he shifted, pulling her up against his chest and moving her backwards onto the couch. He moved over her, and she shifted immediately, her legs parting so that he could move between them as he kept his month firmly and hotly attached to hers, his tongue stroking maddeningly against hers.

She gasped when his hand slid down her side and to her thigh, pulling it higher around him and pressing closer to her. She could feel him, hard and ready against her, and her entire body immediately blossomed with an intense and incredible want for him. She arched against him and moaned, signaling that she was just as ready as he was; that she wanted this just as much as he did.

He tore his mouth from hers with a harsh breath and his lips instantly moved to her jaw, blazing a trail down her soft skin to her neck. His lips and tongue moved wildly against her and in return her hands moved wildly over him, running through his hair, stroking over his arms and then down his back where she reached the bottom of his sweater. Her hands pushed up under it just as Harry pulled at the neck of her shirt and pressed a hot, wet kiss to her exposed cleavage. She moaned and arched, trying to press more of her herself in to him. He groaned and pressed his hips into hers, needing the pressure.

And just as Alex’s hands moved from Harry’s back and to the buckle of his belt, just as Harry’s fingers tugged Alex’s shirt and bra down even further, exposing a pert nipple to him, just as his lips were about to close over it, both of them heard the slight creak of a door down the hallway.

“Mummy?” Emma’s small, sleepy voice drifted towards them.

“Shit!” Alex hissed as her eyes snapped open to Harry’s, wide and surprised. Her hands left his belt buckle and she shoved against his chest, pushing him from her. She jumped up and quickly pulled her shirt in as much order as she could before she rushed to catch Emma before she came around the corner. “What is it Emma?” she asked as she disappeared around the corner and into the hallway, allowing Harry to sit back and compose himself, to calm himself down in case Alex came around the corner with Emma.

Luckily for him, Alex returned just a few minutes later, without Emma, but with a slightly horrified, slightly amused expression on her face. “She just needed a drink of water but…oh my God,” she giggled as she walked back over to the couch. She stood before him and clapped her hands over her mouth as the humor really overtook her.

Harry couldn’t help but laugh along with her, his shoulders shaking with it. “You know, the one time we don’t go to the bedroom and lock the door before anything starts…”

“I know,” she snorted, shaking her head.

Harry grinned as he stood and pulled her into his arms. His eyebrows lifted. “Maybe we should start that over...in the bedroom, with the door locked?”

Alex giggled and nodded as she leaned into him. “Absolutely.”

**************

“So when does Charlotte come back from her mother’s?” Alex asked Matt as she sat beside him on her couch on Christmas day. Donna and Molly were in the kitchen, whipping up an amazing dinner. They had kicked Alex out earlier in the morning, insisting that they were cooking dinner and that Alex should go enjoy herself. Michael had taken Emma out for a walk in the park; it was snowing again, Emma desperately wanted to make snowmen, and Michael had only been too happy to volunteer.

“Tonight,” Matt grinned. “Late.”

Alex studied her brother for a moment when he turned back to the TV where A Christmas Story was playing. “Matt, can I ask you a question?”

He swung his eyes back to her. “Sure, Boot.”

“What exactly are you and Charlotte?” She pulled her lip between her teeth, a bit nervous about the question. She wasn’t scared to ask Matt anything, but she had never seen him was as taken with someone as he was with Charlotte. And since Charlotte was a closed book as far as her brother was concerned…

His head tilted a bit to the side. “You’re looking for an official title?”

“No…yes…I don’t know,” she laughed lightly. “I guess I’m more looking for assurance.”

“For her?”

“For you.”

“Ohhh…” Matt nodded. “Because she’s…”

“Yeah,” Alex nodded, knowing what he was saying. “She’s said on more than one occasion that she doesn’t believe in love; not for herself anyway.”

“Whoa,” Matt laughed. “No one said anything about love, Alex.”

“No. No, that’s not what I meant. I…”

“I know, Boot,” he chuckled in that easy way of his. “I know what you meant. You’re looking out for me, hoping I don’t get my heart broken…” He trailed off and met his sister’s eyes. She nodded slowly and he took a deep breath before continuing, his eyes serious. “I’m not scared of getting my heart broken, Alexandra. Not even a little bit. If she breaks my heart in the end I can deal with it. But at least I tried, you know? At least I made every effort I could to hold on to an amazing woman.” He grinned as he saw tears spring to Alex’s eyes at his words. “And you know just as well as I do just how amazing she is, Alex.”

“She’s wonderful,” Alex smiled. “Funny and smart…and completely bitchy most of the time….” Alex giggled and bit her lip with Matt’s shout of laughter. “But I adore her. And Harry adores her.”

“As do I,” Matt grinned. “And to answer your question about what we are...”

“Yeah?”

“We talked the first night we got into London and I told her I haven’t been seeing anyone else and that I don’t want to.”

Alex almost had to stop herself from bouncing up and down and clapping her hands together in glee. “Okay. And what did she say?”

Matt shrugged. “Not much.”

Alex blinked. “What? She didn’t have anything to say?”

“Not really…” Matt drawled with a twinkle in his eye. “Charlotte is more the type to show her feelings about things through actions, not words.”

Alex’s forehead wrinkled. “What are you….ohhhh…” she groaned as realization dawned. Her lips twisted and she landed a smack right on Matt’s chest. “Gross, Matthew. You could have just said she was fine with it. Jesus Christ.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Matt chuckled as he fended off another smack. “Says my little sister who borrowed my truck to go get it on with her boyfriend at Thanksgiving.”

Alex’s eyes immediately went wide and her mouth dropped. “You knew?!”

“Of course I knew, Alex,” he smirked. “People only go down to the creek for one reason at night, plus your smile was so damn smug when you brought my keys back.”

“Ugh,” Alex moaned. “I think I’m going to burst into flames.”

“Oh come on, Alex…” Matt began, but much to Alex’s relief her front door burst open right then and Emma came rushing in, Mike hot on her heels.

Emma didn’t bother to divest of her thick winter jacket, hat, or mittens before running straight into the living room and to her mother. Her cheeks and nose were pink from the cold and her clothes and even the tips of her hair were wet from all of the snow.

“Mummy! We made lots of snowmen and snow angels and Poppy said I make the prettiest snow angels there ever was!”

Alex couldn’t help but smile as she responded to Emma, as they talked excitedly about the snow and how there was hardly anyone at the park and she got to run around and play wherever she wanted. Alex would never say she was surprised at how happy Emma was, but she would admit to being a little surprised at how well her daughter had rebounded back from the craziness that had occurred weeks earlier with the paparazzi. She had been so afraid that Emma wouldn’t want to venture out anymore, that she wouldn’t want to do things like Michael had just taken her to do, out of fear that the photographers would be there. But it hadn’t taken Emma down.

And in truth, that little fact, the fact that Emma had come through it with what seemed like a determination to face her new path in life head on, to not let it get her down, was what made Alex say yes to Harry the night he asked her to meet him at Sandringham on Boxing Day.

Because Alex had never been worried about herself in all of this. She could handle it. She had survived her husband dying and raising a baby by herself; she was strong. And now she knew that Emma was too.

As the evening moved forward, as they went from hanging around casually, laughing and enjoying each other’s company to the wonderful dinner that Donna and Molly prepared, as they moved closer and closer to the next morning they would leave for Sandringham, Alex felt more and more calm about it.

She was ready to take this next step down the road to her life with Harry.

**************

For all the assuredness she felt the night before, the next day Alex was undoubtedly nervous. She dressed both herself and Emma carefully. She was eternally grateful Charlotte’s presence and her final approval that their outfits were appropriate for who they were going to be meeting that day.

Then, at 10 am sharp her buzzer rang out.

It was the driver of the car Harry had set up to pick her and Emma up for the two and a half hour drive out to Sandringham. They gave everyone quick hugs, Michael and Donna both gave Alex warm words of encouragement, and Matt offered a joke meant to ease her nerves, which earned him a swift kick in the ankle from Charlotte. With a final laugh at her crazy family, Alex and Emma waved good-bye and made their way down, out into the cold, and into the warm car.

The drive was smooth and easy, the roads still somewhat deserted due to the holiday. Alex casually went over things with Emma; when to curtsy – they had been practicing for days – and what to call Harry’s grandmother and grandfather.

And then, because she knew that stressing about that stuff wasn’t going to do anyone any good and that Emma could handle those basics, she let those things drop, instead preferring to enjoy the countryside with her daughter before they embarked on what was sure to be an unforgettable afternoon.

It was just after noon when they pulled into the gates at Sandringham. Both Alex and Emma couldn’t help but lean into the windows, taking in the estate around them that was beautiful, even more so in the snow.

“I’ll be taking you back to one of the guest buildings ma’am,” the driver said, bringing Alex’s attention from the window. “You’ll be staying there tonight. I’ll bring your things in for you. I’ve just gotten the call that Prince Harry is already there, awaiting your arrival.”

“Thank you,” Alex said, smiling wide at the knowledge that Harry was there and they would be seeing him within minutes.

“I’m so excited to see Harry,” Emma said softly, echoing Alex’s thoughts.

“Me too, Em,” Alex winked as she reached over to smooth Emma’s hair. “We missed him, huh?”

“We did!” Emma nodded fast.

Alex laughed lightly and then her attention was pulled back to the window of the car as they made a small turn and slowed.

And then she saw him, bundled up in what looked like his hunting gear, waiting for them with the biggest smile on his face. Her heart beat faster in her chest at the sight of him and Emma squealed, already diving for her seatbelt, ready to jump out to Harry, just as her mother was.

The car finally stopped and the driver got out, opening the side closest to Harry first, which happened to be the side Alex was on. Unfortunately for Alex’s toes, this didn’t stop Emma in the slightest and she was climbing over Alex, out of the door, and into Harry’s arms before Alex could blink twice.

“Goodness Emma,” Alex laughed as she stepped from the car herself, smiling a thank you to their driver before turning to Harry who had just pressed a sweet kiss to Emma’s cheek and was setting her back on her feet. “Hi…” she said softly as she walked up to him. He looked as handsome as ever and God, she had missed him the last four days.

She expected him to softly greet her back, to lean into her and press a light kiss to her cheek with the promise of more later on. Instead, much to her surprise, he smiled wide and as soon as she was within arm’s length he reached out and tugged her to him, her body coming right up against his.

“God, I missed you, Alexandra,” he grinned before turning and looked down at her daughter. “Emma. Hands over your eyes. I’m going to kiss your mother now.” Emma’s hand clapped over her eyes and Alex giggled right before Harry lips pressed firmly against hers. She leaned in slightly, sighing into him after four long days at the Holiday’s away from him and she just couldn’t help the way her lips tugged up into a smile against his mouth before he lifted his lips from hers.

“I missed you more,” Alex winked.

“Doubtful,” he laughed before he pressed one more light kiss to her lips. She looked so adorable, wrapped up in her warm coat, her cheeks pink from the cold air. He almost wished he didn’t have to usher them inside and then up to the main house. He almost wished he could spend the afternoon outside with them, showing them everything the estate had to offer.

But he couldn’t, they had places to be...people to meet.

“Okay Emma,” he chuckled. “You can look now. Kissing is over.”

“Thank goodness,” Emma sighed dramatically.

“I really, really hope you always keep that attitude,” Harry joked, earning an eye roll from Alex before he laughed and then stepped back from her, clapping his hands together. “Okay ladies. Let’s get you inside and comfortable. I’m going to shower and change here and then it’s time to head up to the main house for afternoon tea. Granny and Grandpa are expecting us.”

***************

“You ready?” Harry asked quietly, seriously as they walked through the main door at Sandringham House. Alex held Emma’s hand as they stepped inside and she took a deep breath as she looked around before her eyes settled back on Harry’s.

“Yes,” she said simply, clearly. Her smile was happy and bright and no one but Harry would have ever been able to detect the small nerves that were still there, hiding right under the surface.

“Good,” he nodded as he reached for her coat and then for Emma’s. “Remember, she’s just my grandmother and he’s just my grandfather and…”

“Harry?” Alex smirked.

“Yeah?”

“When you do that, it makes it worse.”

He couldn’t help the laughter that burst from his lips at her words. “Right. Sorry,” he chuckled before turning his attention down to Emma. “How about you Em, ready?”

“Can I finally do the curtsy that Mum’s been making me practice?” Emma asked hopefully.

“Absolutely,” Harry grinned. “Let’s go let you show off that thing.”

He turned and motioned for them to follow him through the huge entryway. Alex took Emma’s hand and they followed him down several huge hallways hung with what Alex was sure were completely priceless paintings and antiques. Finally he came to a stop in front of a large set of mahogany double doors, from behind which Alex could hear music playing and shouts of laughter. She smiled instantly, feeling a bit more at ease knowing that the occupants of the room were having a good time.

“Don’t worry about where to go first, I’ll lead you around to make introductions,” Harry said quietly. “Granny and Grandpa are first and then I’ll introduce you those you haven’t met. And whatever you do Alex…” His voice was serious.

Her eyes went wide. “Yes?”

“Believe absolutely nothing my Uncle Andrew says about me.”

Laughter left Alex’s mouth in a rush of air and she shook her head. “You’re the worst.”

“I know. But I do love you…and you,” he winked down at Emma.

“We love you too,” Emma answered for both of them.

“Good, let’s do this,” Harry nodded.

And he pushed the door open.

For the rest of her life, one thing Alex would always remember about this moment was the warmth she felt when that door opened onto the large sitting room. His whole family was in there; laughing and joking, playing games, have deep discussions, and making fun of each other, just as any family would be.

They all looked up and called out greetings when Alex and Emma stepped into the room with Harry. Emma immediately brightened and waved a greeting, bringing a wide smile to Alex’s face. And then Harry caught her eye and nodded for him to follow her. His grin was big and his eyes were dancing with excitement and suddenly Alex felt the nerves fall away. He was so thrilled, so damn excited to be doing this, to be having her meet his family like that Alex knew instantly that he wouldn’t feel so free, so easy about it if she had anything to worry about.

And she was absolutely right, she didn’t.

He led them over towards a comfortable looking sofa near the fireplace, where his grandparents, the Queen of Great Britain and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh were just rising to their feet, soft smiles on both of their faces.

“Granny, Grandpa,” Harry greeted warmly, leaning over and pressing kisses to both of their cheeks. “I would like you to meet two very special ladies.” He came back to stand next to Alex just as Alex’s eyes first met the Queen’s then the Duke of Edinburgh’s. “This is Alexandra Morgan and her lovely daughter Emma Morgan. Alex and Emma, meet my grandparents.”

Both Alex and Emma immediately dipped into curtsies. “Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness,” Alex greeted softly but clearly as she dipped. Then she raised upright, caught Harry’s proud grin, and moved to focus her attention on the lovely elderly couple in front of her.

“Alexandra, Emma, please sit,” the Queen gave them a warm, welcoming, comforting smile and motioned to the couch across from hers. “And please, call me Elizabeth.”


	52. Chapter Fifty Two

Alex really should have not been surprised at how warm, friendly, and funny Elizabeth and Philip were. From the moment she had met Harry and he had pulled her into his world, each family member she met along the way had been exactly the same.

“Harry has told us so much about you both,” Elizabeth said as she sipped her tea. The initial, formal questions had been asked; how was their trip up, how was their Christmas day, those kinds of things. Now it seemed to relax a bit, falling more in line with the lively mood around them in the room.

“He has?” Emma piped up, her eyes wide.

“Of course, dear girl,” Elizabeth smiled. “He has told me all about you. He likes you very, very much."

 “Yes ma’am,” Emma nodded. “Actually, he loves us. He told us right before we came in here and he also told Mummy when he kissed her earlier.”

Alex’s eyes went wide and immediately she felt the flush crawl up her neck. She turned towards Emma, although she wasn’t sure what she could say. Emma wasn’t lying and she wasn’t doing anything that on a normal day would get her in trouble. She was just being herself, saying what she would have said to anyone else in the same situation. Alex blinked down at her daughter, her brain working fast, trying to find some way to cover the embarrassment of what Emma had just said so matter-of-fact when she heard it.

A shout of laughter.

She turned her head back around and saw Harry’s grandfather slap his knee with the mirth that had overtaken him. Not only that, but next to her Harry was chuckling into his teacup and across from her Harry’s grandmother was sipping her tea with a smile on her face.

“Oh, I like you, little one,” Philip grinned at Emma. “Telling it like it is; you’ll fit in well around here.”

************

“How did it go?” Kate asked Alex in a low voice a bit later. Alex was balancing baby Henry on her lap and making faces at him, enjoying his sweet baby giggles.

“It went so well,” Alex smiled as she turned her eyes back to Kate. “She’s so warm and lovely and Philip is so funny.” She glanced over to where Emma was currently holding court with Elizabeth, Philip, Harry, and Harry’s Uncle Andrew, the two older men continuously sending her daughter into fits of laughter.

Kate’s snorted with laughter and her lips twisted in humor. “Oh God, he’s hilarious, Alex. The first time I ever met him was at Peter and Autumn’s wedding. I think he had too much of the champagne and he looked me dead in the eye and goes, ‘Katie, let’s skip the small talk. What I think really needs to be discussed are all of the ridiculous contraptions you ladies are wearing on your heads.’ He didn’t call me Catherine or Kate, just went straight to Katie as if he’d known me forever. And then for thirty minutes he kept me in stitches as he made fun of every single hat and fascinator in the room, including mine.”

Alex couldn’t help but dissolve into laughter herself at the image. “That’s hysterical,” she finally managed to get out once she got control of her laughter. “He didn’t do anything like that, probably he’s drinking tea and not champagne, but he did get a kick out of my sassy pants kid over there telling them how much Harry loves us, including that he told me so earlier when he was kissing me hello.”

Kate shouted her laughter and fell back against the sofa. “She didn’t!”

“Of course she did,” Alex smirked. “If there is one thing that kids will do it’s tell on you. Nothing is sacred.” She shot a meaningful glance down at the happy baby bouncing on her lap. “You’ll learn.”

“Oh no,” Kate shook her head, her lips tugging up at the corners. “Henry wouldn’t do that to his loving mother, would you, my love?” She turned a playful, pointed look down at Henry who, with perfect timing, started giggling uncontrollably. Kate chuckled and reached out to tickle her son. “Of course; already pushing your luck little one.”

Harry was watching Alex and Kate laughing from across the room and he smiled as Bea, Eugenie, and Zara joined them.  Zara snatched Henry from Alex and there was a moment where Harry couldn’t hear what was said and they all burst into laughter. He grinned, knowing Alex had made some smart remark to Zara, which is really what any of his family would have done.

Then, Alex must have felt his eyes on her because she turned around then and their gazes locked. She smiled softly at him and then winked before her gaze shifted over to Emma and then back to him. She nodded her head to the side and Harry got it, she wanted to get Emma’s attention, wanted to get Emma to go visit with the group surrounding Alex.

“Hey Emma,” Harry called softly, getting her attention for Alex. Emma turned around to him and he pointed towards Alex. "I think your mum wants you to go over and see her for a few moments."

Emma turned towards Alex and sure enough, Alex motioned her over. “I have to go see my mummy now,” Emma grinned as she turned back to Philip and Andrew.

"Go dear girl," Philip nodded with a chuckle, patting Emma on the head. Emma giggled prettily and then jumped from the sofa and made her way out to Alex.

"Well, I have to say Harry," Philip said, tummy towards his grandson, they are both lovely. I just have one question though.”

"Thank you, Grandpa," Harry grinned. "I’m not quite sure how I got so lucky. And what is your question?"

"Are you sure she's not yours?"

“Philip!” Elizabeth sighed loudly, turning a stern eye towards her husband who just shrugged.

Harry couldn't help the shout of laughter that had left his lips. "Jesus, Grandfather," he shook his head. "Do you honestly think I could get away with that for six years?"

"I'm just saying," Philip chuckled, holding up his hands. “She’s sassy, smart, and says exactly what’s on her mind. She’s got Windsor written all over her.”

“Good God, Papa,” Andrew groaned, rolling his eyes as he took a sip of his tea.

Harry shoulders shook with laughter and he leaned back into the couch. “No no, I know what you mean, Grandpa,” he said as his eyes moved to the two blondes across the room. “She may not be mine biologically…” He took a deep breath and then his eyes turned back to Philip’s. “But she’s mine in all of the ways that matter.”

“Well Harry,” Elizabeth said softly, leaning over to pat his knee. “I’d say that Emma is a very lucky little girl.”

“No Granny,” Harry smiled. “I’m the lucky one.”

*****************

Alex jolted awake when she heard the click of the door. Her eyes immediately opened wide and she turned to the door, her heart beating fast in her chest at the late night intrusion. But when she saw Harry there, closing the door softly behind him, she immediately relaxed, a smirk replacing the startled look on her face.

“I’m a light sleeper, Wales,” she whispered into the dark room, laughing lightly as he turned sharply to her, surprised that he woke her up.

“Sorry, love,” he murmured back, his features easing from surprise into happiness to be alone in a room with her. He moved over to her, leaning over her on the bed and placing his hands on either side of her torso as he bent down to kiss her softly.

“Mmmm…” Alex sighed against his mouth. “Believe me, Harry, I’m not complaining when I ask this, but what are you doing here?”

He grinned as he pressed another kiss to her lips. “I snuck over.”

“You snuck over?” Alex pulled back from him, her lips twitching. “You ditched security?”

“Well, no...” His smile was playful, boyish. Alex loved it when he was like this, when it looked like he almost felt…free.

She laughed lightly and she reached for him, smoothing her hands up over his arms to those broad shoulders he had that she found so incredibly sexy. “Ohhhhh. So really, anyone who wanted to know could find out where you are?”

He shook his head and chuckled as her hands moved to his neck and pulled his lips to hers. “Listen. I don't get to sneak anywhere, ever. Let me have my moment, would you?”

“Harry?” Her fingers slid up into his hair.

“Hmmm?”

“Are you going to get into this bed or did you just sneak over here to stand by the bed and kiss me?”

He grinned against her lips. “My intentions when sneaking over here were definitely not honorable.”

“Thank God…” she laughed as she fell back into the pillows while he stood with a smug grin and pulled his sweater over his head, tossing it on the chair in the corner. He quickly toed off his shoes and pulled off his jeans, throwing them over his sweater. And then, clad in only his boxers and a t-shirt, he moved around the bed and slid under the covers.

“Oh God, Alex…” he murmured as he reached for her and pulled her warm body to his. She went more than willingly; after four days away from him she was just aching to feel him against her, to feel his arms around her, to have his hands and mouth on her. “I missed you so damn much.”

“I missed you too,” she whispered as she wound her arms around his neck. “Harry?”

He dropped a kiss to her lips as his eyes met hers. “Yes love?”

“Today was wonderful. I know I told you that earlier, but…I just…it was wonderful. Your entire family is so welcoming. It made me feel…”

“Accepted?”

Alex smiled softly. “Like we – Emma and me – like we belong.” Harry’s face broke into a wide grin and then suddenly Alex found herself being rolled on her back, Harry moving above her, pressing her down into the mattress. She giggled softly at the abrupt change in position and then shifted, allowing his hips to move in between her legs as his hands moved up into her hair.

“Alex, you do. You both belong with me…here,” he said, the love and pride evident in the way he spoke, the reverence in his voice. “That’s what this was, you know that right? You meeting my grandparents, being here with my family? It was you being brought in to the final fold.”

Alex blinked. “The final fold?”

“Yes, my love,” Harry breathed as he pulled her closer, moving his arms under her, completely surrounding her with his warmth, his love. “The rest of the family knows you, loves you and Emma. There was just one more step. And now it’s done and now…you’re in.”

“In?”

He chuckled softly and pulled her lips to his. His tongue tipped out to her lips, she parted them instantly, and a breathy sort of moan left her lips and pushed into Harry’s mouth. He deepened the kiss instantly, his tongue finding hers and sliding slowly alongside of it. His blood started to pound in that way it did whenever his mouth met hers and he pulled back slightly, wanting to finish this conversation before they got too far gone and the ability to speak coherently left him completely. “Yes, baby…now you’re in,” he smiled against her lips. His eyes lifted to hers, almost groaning at the look of love and lust he found there. “All that is left to do is let time pass.”

“Harry... are you trying to tell me that your grandmother liked me?" Alex breathed, her eyes searching his.

He laughed softly and his arms tightened around her, pulling her so close that she thought she might melt into him. "I think I'm saying more than that, but yes, my grandmother liked you, both you and Emma."

Alex beamed, her heart full with the knowledge that Harry's family fully welcomed her, that they their trip here went so much better, did so much more for them than she ever considered it would. "Good, we liked her too."

And then she was done talking. Her hands moved into his hair and she brought his lips crashing to hers. Harry groaned against her mouth and as much as he had been ready to talk about what the day they had meant for their future, he knew that this moment wasn't for talking.

This moment was about loving each other, about appreciating each other. This moment was about the happiness, support, and faith they had found in each other. This moment was about Harry thanking Alex for sticking with him through all of the crazy shit he had brought into her life and loving him enough to still be here with him.

But most of all, this was Harry wanting to make love to the woman whom was going to be his life. Of course he had known that before the day they had just had, but now it was different. Now she had been fully brought into his family and his grandmother had told him that as soon as the time was right she would have his full support. And as silly as it might sound to those not in his family, that meant the world to Harry.

*M*

His hands were soft, reverent, and loving as they moved over her. His fingers smoothed down her sides to the hem of her nightshirt that rested on her thighs and he pushed it up slowly over her hips. Then lifting himself slightly he pushed it all they the way up and over her head, her arms lifting so that he could pull it from her. He groaned as his eyes moved back down over her, taking her in. She wasn't wearing a bra and so there she was, in just a pair of small, white, lacy panties, sending whatever blood that was left in his body rushing straight to his already aching length.

And Alex was right there with him. The need to be with him, to connect with him on this primal level was taking over every single part of her. This time it was her hands that tugged at his shirt, pulling it up and over his head in tossing it to the side without a second thought. Her hands returned to him quickly, smoothing up over his taught abdomen and his broad, bare chest.

“I want you so badly,” she whispered. “Please Henry…make love to me…” Her lips curved at the corners as she said her words. She knew what those words would do to him, how it affected him when she was vocal about her desires, when she asked him to please her.

“God, I love you,” he groaned as her hands came up to his face and she tugged his lips down to hers. His entire body moved into hers, hot skin against hot skin. He kissed her fully, deeply before moving his lips from hers and running them slowly down her jaw. “Do you know how much I love you, Alexandra?” He whispered hotly into her ear, sending a shudder running through her heated frame.

“Yes…” she moaned as she wrapped herself around him, arms and legs, pressing him harder against her. He moved his head up for just a moment, catching her hazy eyes with his before his head dipped again, pressing into her neck.

“I love the way everything is better in my life because you are in it,” he went on, needing to tell her even as he moved to show her with his body. She whimpered as his lips and tongue worked down her neck and over her collarbones to her chest. “I love how strong you are…” He pressed a hot, wet, open-mouthed kiss on the swell of her chest and Alex arched into it, wanting to push more of herself into the mouth that was absolutely wrecking her senses.

“Harry…” she groaned. “Please…”

“I love how big your heart is…” he continued moving to press his lips over her pounding heart. “I love that there is enough room in there for me and everything my world is.”

“Harry…” Alex called out shakily. She threaded her fingers into his hair and tugged, bringing his deep, intense gaze up to hers. “Stop…you’re going to make me cry,” she breathed. “I don’t want to cry, Harry. I just want…oh!” She moaned as he leaned forward and pulled a hard nipple into his mouth. He watched her as he worried it with his lips, tongue, and teeth until she was writhing beneath him before he switched to the other nipple. He worked at her slowly, thoroughly, until Alex was pulled much closer to the edge than she ever thought possible with just a mouth at her breast.

“I love that you are such a wonderful mother…” he whispered as he lifted his mouth from her breasts and moved to her stomach, his breath bringing goosebumps to her skin. He knew her emotions were going to run high with his words and he knew that she wasn’t sure she could deal with that and making love to him at the same time. But fuck, his emotions were so close to the surface with everything that had happened that day and more than anything he needed her to be right where he was; he needed her with him.

His lips moved to the tops of her panties and he looked up and caught her eyes, searching them and trying to communicate everything he was trying to say and everything he knew he could never begin to say. He held her gaze as he reached for her hips, his fingers tucking into the band of her panties and he pulled, tugging them down over her thighs and off of her long, lean legs, tossing them to the side. “I love how you calm me, how you bring me back to center,” he said as he moved back up to her, pressing light kisses on her flushed skin as he went, until he was back at her lips and kissing her with every single bit of passion he had in him.

“Henry…I…” she tried, not knowing if she wanted to shush him or try to reciprocate his words. He was completely taking her down. His words and the deep, intense look in his eyes were filling up everything, all of her senses. Everything around here was just…him.

And suddenly she couldn’t take it anymore. She needed him. She ached for him in every cell of her body. Her hands were frantic as they moved to his hips and pushed at his boxers, wanting them off, needing him naked and pressing inside of her in that way that only he could. She wasn’t sure if she could handle the pure, raw emotion that he was invoking within her if they weren’t joined together.

“Please Henry,” she begged, her eyes wide and wild as his boxers slid down over his hips and were tossed to the side. “I need you inside of me right now.”

There was no way he could have refused her right then, not with everything he was feeling. With a groan he found her hands with his and pulled them up over her head, his fingers twining with hers as he pressed her into the bed with his body. He pressed his forehead to hers and their breathing was heavy, their chests moving up and down together as the moment wrapped around them.

“Look at me, Alexandra,” he pleaded as her eyes slid closed. He adjusted himself between her legs, ready to enter her. “Look at me, my love.”

Alex’s eyes fluttered open and Harry immediately pressed forward, his eyes holding hers as he filled her slowly, fully. “Oh God…” she cried out, arching against him, her fingers tightening around his.

He stayed there for a moment, catching himself, catching his breath. He had never in his life felt the kind of intensity that he was feeling right now with Alex. And it was all because now he knew; he knew that the only thing that stood in in between him and future with Alex and Emma was time. Time he had. Time he could deal with because time was constant and it meant one day she would be his.

When he finally moved it pulled moans from deep inside of both of them. He pulled out and pressed in, strong and steady above her as he held her eyes, never letting go, keeping her with him.

“I love your compassion,” he whispered, kissing her swollen lips softly. She whimpered, knowing there was no way she could hold back anything with him in this moment. “I love the way my family loves you…how you and Emma fit with us…”

“Harry…” she groaned. He was moving so deep and strong within her and he was just surrounding her and it was threating to overwhelm her. She didn’t know what to do, how to focus, how to deal with any of it. “I can’t…” Her voice cracked and the tears she had been trying to hold back came, filling her eyes and quickly sliding down her cheeks.

Harry didn’t hesitate, didn’t pause. “Yes you can, Alexandra. My beautiful, sweet, Alexandra,” he soothed, leaning in to kiss the tears from her cheeks, which only served to make more appear. “What you’re feeling is what I feel, baby…” he murmured, watching as the realization washed over her, as she understood what he was doing.

And that knowledge, the knowledge that the intensity within her body that was making her heart pound and her chest ache, that was making her brain feel completely scattered and was causing the tears that we clouding her vision was what he felt, it was more erotic than anything she had ever felt in her entire life.

The burn began instantly and it was a swift, sharp build. “Oh God…Harry…” she cried out as he caught what was happening and immediately began to adjust to get her there. He moved faster above her and released her hands, moving his arms under and around her, pulling her closer, so close that he wasn’t sure where he ended and she began.

“Yes Alexandra… _fuck_ …” he groaned as she wrapped her arms and legs around him and he sank deeper within her. “I love you so much…please…” He leaned forward and captured her lips with his and when her mouth opened under his with a whimper and a shiver he knew that he wasn’t going to last. They were wrapped so completely up in each other that he had no hope of holding back and he needed her to join him there. “Come on baby…I want to come with you…”

“Yes Harry…I…I…” And that was all that Alex could say before her entire world exploded.

Everything around her went hazy with her release and she had no choice but to close her eyes against it. Harry’s mouth covered hers and caught her cries as the waves of her release slammed into her and it was completely over for him in that moment. His fingers dug into the skin on her back and he tensed even as her body still clamped in a vice around his.

“Alex…” he groaned in that animalistic way that can only be attained in moments of pure, raw pleasure and then with one final stroke he buried his face in her neck and let himself go, giving her everything he could possibly give her in that moment. His groan was strangled and his breathing was erratic and it was quite possibly the most electrifying release he’d had in his entire life.

*EM*

Any other time Harry would have stayed wrapped up in her as long as possible. But in that moment his first thought after his brain cleared was of her, was to make sure she was okay, to make she he hadn’t frightened the mess out of her with the emotional freight train he had just laid on her. He pulled from her neck with a soft groan and looked up, finding her already looking down at him, her eyes already on him.

And she was smiling.

It wasn’t just some soft, hazy, sex afterglow smile either. It was a smile that spoke of true happiness, of having a full, warm, heart. It was a smile that said in that moment that what he had unconsciously set out to do when he had crawled into her bed, to communicate just how deep his love was for her, had worked. She knew, she understood, and it meant everything to her.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, knowing the answer but still needing to ask, needing the vocal assurance.

“Am I okay?” she laughed softly. “Am I okay? Oh my God…Harry...” Her hands left his back and she cupped his handsome face in her fingers. “I just…I don’t even know if these are the right words to respond to what just happened but…I love you too, Harry.”

He grinned and a light chuckle left his lips. “Those are the right words,” he murmured as he leaned forward to press a light kiss on her lips. “Those are the perfect words.”

*****************

The following morning Harry was gone when Alex woke up, but the note he left brought an instant smile to her face.

_Alex,_

_I wish I could have stayed in bed with you all morning, but I had to “sneak” back to the main house before everyone else woke up. I’ll see you at breakfast._

_I love you,_

_H_

She smiled as she read the note several times, loving that even a simple sentence was full of the love and humor that was so much a part of Harry. And then, prying herself from the warm bed she pulled on her discarded pajamas from the night before and moved from the room to go wake up Emma and start getting them both ready to meet Harry and his family at breakfast.

 


	53. Chapter Fifty Three

The days after Christmas and New Year’s passed quickly. Donna and Michael left three days after Christmas, but Matt was staying until after the New Year’s celebrations as he was going to be Charlotte’s date to the party they would be attending that was being thrown by Harry’s cousins Beatrice and Eugenie.

At least, that had been the plan until Harry came over one night after work. Alex knew something was up as soon as he stepped through the door. He was almost giddy, anticipation dancing in his eyes. She kissed him hello and then he followed her into the living room where Matt and Charlotte were, arguing over what to watch on TV. Molly was also there, sitting with Emma on the couch where she was helping her granddaughter to knit another hat.

“Alright, what’s up with you?” Alex grinned at Harry. He was almost bouncing on his feet.

He took a big breath. “I just got a phone call from Eugenie, there has been a bit of a change for New Year’s Eve.”

“A change?” Alex’s eyebrows rose.

“Yes. Dave rented a yacht. It is set to sail from Australia and head east over the International Date Line…so we get to have the clock strike midnight twice.” His face pulled into a wide grin and he looked around the room. “Do you think you all can still go?”

“I’m in,” Charlotte called out immediately.

“I’m not supposed to go back to the states until the third. So as long as we are back before then, I’m good,” Matt shrugged.

Harry’s eyes swung back to Alex, wide and excited. “So?”

“Harry…” Alex said softly. “I can’t…”

“You can’t?” Harry blinked, a bit startled.

Alex sighed as she looked around the room. Everyone was looking at her and Harry and she decided that this wasn’t something she wanted to discuss in front of everyone. “Let’s go talk on the kitchen.” She nodded her head in the direction of the kitchen.

“Okay,” Harry agreed. He motioned for her to pass him and then followed behind her when she did. When they got to the kitchen she turned to him with a small smile.

“I’m sorry, Harry. I know you’re excited and you still go if you want to, but I…”

“Wait, wait, wait,” he laughed, holding up a hand to stop her. “First, if you aren’t going, I’m not. It’s as simple as that. I’m spending New Year’s with you, okay?”

“Okay…” she nodded with a small smile.

“And second,” he held up two fingers. “Don’t be sorry. But I’d still like to know the reason you can’t go, Alex.”

She sighed and crossed her arms in front of her. “I can’t just leave Emma here. Molly had agreed to watch her on New Year’s Eve, but that was just for the night. I can’t ask her to do that for two or three nights while I jet off to Australia.”

“Yes you can.”

Both Harry and Alex turned towards the voice, finding Molly standing in the doorway of the kitchen, her hands on her hips, an amused look on her face.

“Molly,” Alex started, but Molly put a hand up, stopping her.

“Listen Alexandra, you should go. I’ll take Emma. Harry,” she turned towards him. “How long will you be gone?”

“Three days,” he responded instantly.

“Excellent,” Molly nodded. “I can watch her for three days, Alex. In fact, I’d be delighted to.”

“But…” Alex tried again.

“No buts, Alex. Emma and I will have a blast as we always do. Parents do this all the time. They leave their kids with the grandparents while they go on vacation and guess what, Alex?”

“What?” Alex smiled, grateful that she had such a wonderful, supportive mother-in-law in Molly.

“We love having our grandkids to ourselves. We can spoil them and let them eat whatever they want for dinner and do all the things you pretend you would get mad if we did.”

Harry’s lips twisted as he watched Molly and Alex’s discussion, as he watched Alex struggle between her need to keep her daughter as close to her as possible and the realization that Molly was right. He adored them both in that moment; Alex wanting to take care of Emma and Molly wanting to take care of both of them.

Finally Alex sighed and with a laugh and a smile she moved over to Molly and wrapped her arms around her. “Thank you,” she whispered as she hugged her tight.

“You’re welcome,” Molly grinned. “Just promise me you’ll have fun.”

Harry smiled as he moved in to hug Molly for himself. “Oh I think I can assure you that I will make sure she does.”

***************

After spending an afternoon shopping with Charlotte for some essentials for the trip – a new swimsuit, some casual wear, and a short, very sexy dress for New Year’s Eve that Alex was sure would make Harry’s eyes bug out of his head – Alex was ready to bring in the New Year in what she knew was going to be an amazing way. She packed a suitcase and then early in the morning on the day before New Year’s Eve, she boarded a private plane with Harry, Matt, and Charlotte. Will and Kate joined shortly after, having left Henry in Bucklebury with her parents for the weekend. Kate’s sister Pippa and her boyfriend Niko also joined the group. Alex hadn’t met Pippa before but instantly liked her. She was friendly, bubbly, and vivacious and was a great addition to the trip. The rest of the group had left the day before to do some sightseeing in Australia and would meet them when they boarded the boat on New Year’s Eve.

“Hey Harry?” Alex whispered as he slid into one of the plush leather seats next to her and handed her a glass of champagne.

He took a sip from his glass and his eyes met hers, soft and happy. “Hmmm?”

“This is the same plane we took to Balmoral, isn’t it?”

His lips twisted and he leaned over to drop a kiss to her shoulder, the memory warming his blood. “It is one and the same.”

Alex giggled and glanced towards the back of the plane, towards the small bedroom that he had made love to her in all those months ago. “It seems like so long ago, yet like it was yesterday,” she murmured, taking a sip of her champagne and holding his gaze. Her eyes were wide and full of love and Harry felt his blood surge even further, tempting him to pull her from her seat and down to the bedroom for a repeat performance.

“Do you two ever stop making eyes at each other?” Charlotte teased from across the plane at them, breaking the moment between them and bringing laughter from the group.

“Sure…” Alex shrugged, eyes shifting down to her champagne. “When he does this thing with his tongue…it makes my eyes roll plum back into my head. It stops then.”

The group on the plane erupted into a mix of different reactions at once. Next to her, Harry snorted into his champagne glass and then his cheeks flushed, his lips pulling into a smirk as he nodded his head slowly in amusement at his girlfriend. William, who happened to be taking a sip of champagne at the time, nearly spit it everywhere, holding the back of his hand to his mouth to keep it in. Both Kate and Pippa’s hands flew to their mouths, covering the giggles that were threatening to escape. Pippa’s boyfriend sat back and chuckled, liking the dynamic in the group already. Charlotte groaned, rolled her eyes, and fell back against her seat, draining the rest of her champagne in one gulp.

“My little sister everyone,” Matt groaned as he shook his head, although he was amused. “Bringing it right into the gutter.”

“Cheers to that,” Harry grinned, as he held out his glass, laughing as Alex was the first one to hold her glass out to toast with him.

And the party had just begun.

************

The flight to Australia was long and tiring but everyone had managed to rest a bit, and by the time they arrived to the port the next afternoon, they were all so amped up on the excitement of what was to come that being tired or letting jet lag get to them never entered any of their minds.

“Holy shit…” Alex breathed as they stepped from the SUV that had taken them all from the airport to the marina where the yacht was docked and waiting for them. “That thing is…”

“Huge,” Matt finished for her, laughter on his lips as they both took in the enormous luxury boat anchored in the clear blue water. The sun was bright and hot and glinting off of it, making it look like something right out of a movie scene.

Alex had to take a second, to step back and take a deep breath. Until now she had been able to keep up with Harry, to take the extravagance of his life as it came, to remain completely true to who she was and who she had always been. But seeing the amazing boat she was about to step on, to know that she had no idea of the money that was being put into this, and knowing that it was nothing to Harry and his family and friends startled her for a moment. Then, letting out her deep breath she let her sensible side take over. These were people she knew, people she loved. They had all been kind and compassionate and had brought her into the fold without hesitation, simply because Harry loved her. They were all here to have fun and to celebrate the New Year and she was part of that. She simply had to take this in stride just as she had taken everything else that came with Harry in stride so far.

“You alright?” Harry asked softly as he slipped his aviators on against the bright sunlight.

“I’m fantastic,” Alex smiled wide at him, shaking off her moment. Harry grinned in return and then turned to give instructions to the yacht staff that had come out to retrieve their bags and deliver them to their individual rooms.

“I cannot believe you brought your guitar,” Charlotte smirked at Matt as the staff loaded his guitar case up with the other bags. “Such a show off.”

“Oh hush, Charlotte,” Kate said with a wink in Matt’s direction. “We all know you love it.”

“Ha!” Matt laughed as he moved to put an arm around Charlotte and tugged her into his side. “She’s right, darlin’, we do all know you love it, especially me.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and then chuckled as she made to playfully slap at his chest.

The mood was light and happy as the group made their way down the dock and onto the yacht. They were all smiles and joking laughter when they stepped onto the main deck, where the rest of their group was already settled with swimsuits on and drinks in hand. Beatrice was the first to spot them and came running over, moving to hug everyone quickly.

“Alex!” she squealed when she moved to her friend, pulling her into a big hug. “I haven’t seen you in so long!” Clearly she was already tipsy.

Alex giggled. “Bea, I saw you five days ago on Boxing Day.”

“Ohhh! Right,” Bea giggled back, moving to hug Harry.

“Beatrice York, are you sure you are going to make it to midnight?” Harry joked as his cousin threw her arms around him.

“Shut your mouth, Henry Wales,” she grinned, ruffling his hair.

“Ah well, you know that’s impossible, Bea,” he teased. “Now what you all have going on here? Who’s the drunkest?”

His comment earned him a pinch on the chest from Bea, but she was quickly onto the next thing; in her element as she brought them out on the deck with everyone else. Everyone that was already there had already met Matt when he had come to visit Alex during the summer and he fell right back into his normal easiness with everyone. Alex truly loved that her brother seemed to be able to get along with anyone.

They all gave hugs and kisses and then once the staff came out to let them know that their bags were in their rooms and unpacked, the most recent arrivals stepped away to their rooms to freshen up and change.

*****************

“Well, what do you think?” Harry asked Alex as he thanked their cabin steward and then shut their cabin door softly behind him.

“Harry,” Alex chuckled as she took in the elegant, well-appointed room that they were in before she moved to the dresser to pull out her swimsuit. “This room is as big as my entire apartment.”

“Hardly,” he smirked, glancing around the room himself before he walked towards her. He moved in behind her, sweeping the hair from the back of her neck and leaning in to press a soft kiss there. She sighed, leaning back into him. His arms moved around her, holding her tight to him. “Thank you for coming,” he murmured in her ear. “I love you.”

“Mmmm…I love you too, Harry,” she smiled, tilting her head back and to the side so he could find her lips with his. Harry groaned when his lips covered hers and her mouth immediately opened under his, allowing him to deepen this kiss. His tongue slid in against hers and when she let out a soft moan into his mouth Harry’s blood immediately surged. His hands began to roam, taking in her curves, amazed as always at the effect she had on him. He wanted her. He wanted her instantly and intensely and it had always been that way for him; he hoped it would always be that way. And just when he was ready to spin her around and push her towards the big bed in the middle of the room she pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss.

“Come back, Alex,” he breathed, his eyes heavy for her.

“I really, really want to, Harry,” she smiled, her eyes dancing. “But our friends are out on the deck and there will be plenty of time for this later.”

“You do know that I’m spoiled right?” he whispered huskily, pulling her back harder against him, pressing the evidence of his arousal against her backside. “That I’m used to getting what I want and I’ve been known to pout if I don’t get it.”

Alex couldn’t help the light laugh that left her lips. She brought a hand up to his cheek and patted it lightly. “Well, I guess it’s about time to break you of that Wales.” Then she stepped away from him, moving off towards the en-suite bathroom with a wink to change into her swimsuit; leaving him standing there, turned on, and definitely pouting.

He loved it.

*************

They stepped back onto the main deck just as the boat was pushing from the dock and as lunch was being served in the outdoor dining area. Alex joined Kate, Eugenie, and Pippa at the large table where an amazing spread of food was set out buffet style and grabbed a plate, sliding some fruit and some delicious looking mini sandwiches on it while Harry acquired some drinks for them both. They moved over to settle at the large outdoor dining table and Alex gladly accepted both a mimosa and kiss from Harry as he moved in next to her. He was relaxed and happy, settling into his seat and leaning back, his arm moving to the back of Alex’s seat while he picked food from her plate, refusing to get his own.

“I told you I was spoiled,” he winked at her as he bit into a fresh strawberry.

Alex laughed and enjoyed the food and the company, laughing as the men got into a spirited debate about UK football teams. They all enjoyed getting a few ribs in at Matt for calling it soccer, much to Matt’s amusement.

After they had all eaten, the party moved out onto the deck and Matt pulled out his guitar, doing a fantastic job of getting everyone into a further party spirit with his choice of songs. Even Charlotte, who never turned down the opportunity to dig on Matt sat back and enjoyed it, even breaking down and singing along with him at one point, earning her several catcalls from the group.

And in true Charlotte fashion, she pursed her lips and flicked every single one of them off.

Alex was leaning back on a chaise lounge, soaking up the afternoon sun while Harry was over talking to Will, arguing something that they had no doubt argued a million times when Pippa leaned over from the chaise lounge next to her and called out Alex’s name in low voice.

“Hmmm?” Alex turned with a smile, pushing her sunglasses from her eyes.

“I have a confession,” Pippa whispered, glancing toward where Matt, Charlotte, Eugenie, and Jack sat, cracking up laughing at some song Matt was making up.

“A confession?” Alex chuckled, raising her eyebrow in Pippa’s direction as she reached for her drink, taking a sip.

“I’m crushing on your brother a little bit,” Pippa winked, her smile pulling wide.

“Ha!” Alex laughed. “You aren’t the first, I promise. I suppose you shouldn’t let Charlotte or Niko in on that little tidbit.”

“Nah, but I think I am going to make Niko take up the guitar,” Pippa chuckled as she slid her sunglasses back on her face, sending Alex into a fit of giggles.

The rest of the afternoon passed the same way, the air of fun and easiness all around them. There were jokes made, bets placed on ridiculous things, and many, many crazy stories told that had Alex laughing so hard her stomach hurt.

But the real excitement began to build when the sun started to sink low in the sky, when the party began to ease for the moment and everyone started to break off, heading back to their rooms to get ready for the night and Alex just knew that with how great the day had been so far, the night ahead of them would be even more amazing.

Her mood was one of excitement and exuberance as she stepped back into the room she was sharing with Harry to get ready for the night, a tipsy Harry right on her heels.

She couldn’t wait to see what this night would hold for them.

To be continued…


	54. Chapter Fifty Four

“Harry?” Alex called as she stepped from the bathroom, fully dressed and ready for the evening to begin.

“Here, love,” he grinned as he stepped around the corner, a glass of champagne in each hand. However, his grin quickly fell away when she came into view and his mouth dropped. “Fuck…” he breathed as he took her in. Her dress was sparkly and very short and it seemed like there were miles of leg extending from the bottom down into tall, strappy heels. Her makeup was smoky and heavier than normal, but appropriate for the occasion and her hair was pulled into a simple up do, highlighting her heart shaped face to perfection.

A slow smile spread across Alex’s face and since he seemed to be frozen in his spot, she went to him, slinking across the room while he watched her. His eyes grew dark as she approached and his lips curved at the corners. “Cat got your tongue?” she smirked as she moved into him, sliding a glass of champagne from his fingers and bringing it to her lips while she held his eyes.

“Jesus Christ,” he chuckled with a shake of his head. He tipped his own glass to his mouth, drained it quickly, and then set it down on the table next to him before he stepped into her space, his hands finding home at her waist. “It seems to me, Alexandra Morgan,” he drawled, his voice low and husky. “That you are on a mission to drive me mad today.”

“You think so, Captain?” Her lips twisted in a smug smile she drained her own glass, set it to the side, then leaned into him, running her hands up the lapels of his linen coat. “If I were doing such a thing, would it happen to be working?” Her eyes flashed to his, a mixture of allure and innocence in their light blue depths that sent a flash of heat through Harry’s entire body.

*M*

With a groan he pulled her tighter again him and dipped his head, capturing her mouth with his. And even though he knew better, even though he knew they were expected on deck for dinner and that if he got wrapped up in her they were likely to never leave this room, he couldn’t help himself. He spun her around and backed her up against the table, rattling it and knocking the two empty champagne glasses over and sending them rolling them off of the table. He was incredibly turned on and quick and before Alex knew it, he had her lifted onto the table and was moving in between the gate of her hips, pressing against her. The feel of him there, already hard and ready pulled a gasp and low moan from her mouth and into his. Her hands slid from his chest to his shoulders and up around his neck, pulling him closer, wanting as much of him in that moment as she could.

“Alex…” Harry groaned into her mouth. “I want you…” His hands on her hips pulled her tighter to him. “So fucking bad right now.”

“Oh God…Harry,” she gasped, taking a deep breath, feeling like she needed to come up for air. “We…ohhh…” Her already weak protest died on her lips when his hot fingers slid down to her thighs and under the hem of her short dress, and not wasting any time, swiped over her sex.

“Fuck,” he growled. She was wet and hot through the thin lace of her panties and the fact that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her right now was driving him further and further to the point of no return. His fingers pressed further, slipping under her panties and into the wetness there and he moved into her further, one hand moving to the table behind her as he tilted her back.

“Harry…” she groaned, tearing her mouth from his as his thumb moved to run a devastating circle around her clit. “We…we can’t…” Her hands moved into his hair and she tugged, pulling his attention to her. “I want to. Don’t think I don’t want you to pull off my panties and fuck me on this table because GOD, I want that. But if we do that…”

“We won’t leave this room,” he groaned. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers as he took a deep breath. She was right. He wanted her in the way that he would take her to bed and not let her leave for hours; anything less than that wouldn’t be enough.

It was all or nothing.

It was a strange situation to find himself in. One that begged him to forgo his friends and his family and everything else in the world but her; but he couldn’t. She was right. They needed to go join the party, that was why they were there.

His fingers slipped from her and she moaned at the sensation and the loss. Harry shook his head and chuckled as he stepped back from her, adjusting himself and allowing her to slide from the table and do the same. When she had righted her dress and smoothed her hair he stepped forward again, but this time it was just to lay a soft hand to her cheek.

*EM*

“You look beautiful tonight, Alex,” he said softly, his thumb rubbing the soft skin of her cheek.

“Thank you,” she murmured, turning her face in his hand to kiss the pad of his thumb. “You look mighty dashing yourself, Wales.”

“It’s the suit,” he grinned, moving back and adjusting his jacket over his shoulders.

“Ha!” Alex laughed. “So cocky.”

“I am,” he nodded in return. He stood straight then and offered her his arm. “Shall we?”

“We shall,” Alex grinned, slipping her arm into his and leaning up to kiss him once more before they left the room to join the party on deck.

***************

The dinner that was served on deck was absolutely unbelievably. Some of the freshest, most succulent shellfish Alex had ever eaten in her life was on the menu, as well as many other savory, cooked to perfection items. The food was paired perfectly with a selection of wines and of course, Harry had made sure in advance that they had prepared a selection of white wines with each course for Alex, since red wine gave her migraines.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Kate called out when Alex was explaining to Eugenie why she couldn’t drink red wine. “Remember the first night I met you, when Harry brought you and Emma over for dinner?”

“Yes,” Alex nodded, her lips curving up at the sides with the memory.

“And Harry made me get up and get white wine when I brought out red because  _he_  was in the mood for white?” Kate lifted her eye brows and looked at both Harry and Alex in turn.

Alex immediately started laughing and Harry leaned back in his chair, an air of swagger about him that was topped with a smug smile. Alex winked at Harry and then turned back to Kate. “That was for me,” she confirmed. “He knew I didn’t want to be rude by not drinking what you served or by asking for something different.”

“Awww,” Kate sighed. “Harry, that’s so sweet.”

“What can I say,” Harry shrugged, bringing groans from the table. “What?” he asked, his eyes moving around the group.

“Such a regular romantic,” Will groaned, rolling his eyes.

“He is,” Alex nodded, choosing to ignore the sarcastic tone in Will’s voice. “And you know what, Will?”

“I can only imagine,” he responded with a dry chuckle.

“It gets him  _so_  laid.”

And this time it was Harry who almost spit out his wine while everyone else at the table burst into laughter.

“Jesus, Alex,” he laughed as he recovered, coughing a bit from taking some of his drink down the wrong pipe. “You’re quickly becoming the owner of the dirtiest mouth in the group.”

Alex snorted. “Okay Wales, like I could  _ever_  take that title from Charlotte.”

“True,” Eugenie nodded from next to Alex. “I don’t know how you deal with it all the time Matt.”

Matt grinned. “I rather like her dirty mouth.”

“Oh God,” Charlotte groaned, catching his double meaning with the rest of the table. “Of course you fucking do.”

**************

Dinner lasted several hours and by the time they were finished everyone’s cheeks hurt from laughing and they were all more than a little bit tipsy. Their first countdown to midnight wasn’t far away and at Dave’s urging they all moved to the top deck of the yacht where they would ring in the New Year…twice.

No expense had been spared for their intimate little party. Dave had hired a DJ, who was set up and waiting for them, starting the music as soon as they arrived. There was a bar set up with two bartenders and the champagne was flowing freely. There were lights strung up everywhere and somehow, whoever had decorated had ingeniously managed to string a disco ball so it hung directly above the makeshift dance floor.

“This is so incredible,” Alex giggled as Harry brought her another glass of champagne. He grinned and was opening his mouth the respond when Bea came bounding over, butting right in between Alex and Harry.

“Alexandra!”

“Beatrice!” Alex mimicked, giggling at her friend’s enthusiasm.

“Come with me,” Bea ordered cheerfully, grabbing Alex’s free hand and dragging her off.

“Bea…what in the world…” Alex laughed as she shuffled to keep up.

“Beatrice, where are you taking my girlfriend?” Harry called out with a chuckle as he trailed behind them.

Bea didn’t answer but she did halt to a stop in the middle of the dance floor, facing the rest of the group who had gathered around, seemingly waiting for something.

“Henry,” Bea called as she pointed to their friends. “Go stand over there.” Harry raised his eyebrows in question and Bea groaned and rolled her eyes. “Just go!”

“Okay, Okay,” Harry laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. “Alex,” he addressed her as he moved by. “Whatever is about to happen, I swear to you that I have no part in it.”

“Ooooookay,” Alex said, looking around the group somewhat nervously until her eyes fell on her brother, who couldn’t help the small smile that was twitching at his lips. She immediately crossed her arms over her chest. “Matthew Scott Emerson. What the hell did you do?”

“Ha!” Charlotte laughed, reaching over to slap Matt on the chest. “She full named you! You totally deserve it too.”

Alex’s eyes went wide. “Wait. What in the hell is going on?”

“Well,” Bea grinned, taking back the conversation. “We were asking Matt about how long he had been singing and playing the guitar…”

“Yeah?” Alex’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“And then Dave asked if you sang too…”

Alex felt the blood drain from her face. “Nooooooo…”

“And Matt said that you don’t sing, but that you have been known…”

“MATT!” Alex groaned. “Fuck.”

“Rap…” Beatrice finished off with a grin.

“What?!” Harry called out, completely thrown, his smile pulling wide. “How in the fuck did I not know about this?”

“Oh God,” Alex sighed. “Because Matt  _swore_  that it wasn’t something that he would bring up in public,  _ever_.”

“I’m sorry, Alex,” Matt tried to plead his case. “Truly. I’m drunk and it slipped and…”

“I hate you so much right now,” Alex interrupted, although he knew she didn’t mean it. He could tell by the small smile she was fighting off.

“You have to do it, Alex!” Pippa called out and everyone joined in with their agreement and encouragement.

“I agree, Alex,” Charlotte called to her. “I really, really need to see this.”

“I haven’t done it in years,” Alex protested, already knowing that it was useless. They weren’t going to let her off.

“Come on...” Harry joined in, his smile sheepish as Alex’s head whipped to him, incredulous. “Sorry love, but I gotta see this.”

Alex kept Harry’s gaze for a long minute, hating that she loved that he was excited about this. And then finally, because she knew it was useless to fight it, she gave in.

“Okay, fine,” she sighed, changing into laughter when everyone cheered. “BUT…” she called out, her gaze falling to Matt. She pointed to her brother. “You’re doing it with me.”

Matt’s lips pulled into a wide smile, clearly not daunted at all and a little excited to be joining Alex in this. It had been forever since they had done this. “Done.”

“I cannot believe this,” Alex shook her head as Matt removed his suit coat and stepped over to her. “What song should we do?”

“You pick,” Matt grinned.

Alex thought for a few seconds and then she smirked. “Rapper’s Delight.”

“Perfect,” Matt nodded his approval. He turned and moved off to the DJ to grab two microphones and to give the DJ the song and then he was back, handing a mic off to Alex.

“You know I’m only doing this to show them how much better I am than you at this,” Alex teased Matt.

“Ah well, I guess you can have this  _one_  thing,” Matt smirked.

Alex laughed and shook her head and took a deep breath as the beat began to play out of over the speakers. She found Harry and met his eyes; saw his grin, his excitement.

And then Alex and Matt made everyone’s night by rapping out the entire fifteen minute version of Rapper’s Delight.

And even Alex had to admit, she had a blast doing so.

****************

“Here,” Harry grinned, handing Alex a feathery tiara to put on her head for the countdown that they were to start any moment as the New Year approached.

Alex giggled and took the plastic and feather creation, placing it carefully on her head and then taking the glass of champagne that Harry offered her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome…and I still can’t believe you,” he shook his head, leaning further into her. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Well, you just saw me rap for fifteen minutes, so you better tell me a secret.”

Harry chuckled and leaned in, his lips close to her ear. “That turned me on…big time.”

Just then, the DJ came over the speakers and announced the countdown was beginning. The excitement in the group grew and Alex leaned into Harry, pressing her body against his.

“It did? Good thing you get to kiss me in about…eight seconds.”

“What if I want to kiss you now?”

“That would be completely against the rules, Wales. Don’t break the rules,” she grinned, loving the tease.

“ _Five!”_

“Come on, Alexandra. Kiss me…”

“ _Four!”_

“Not yet, baby…”

“ _Three!”_

“You’re killing me…”

_“Two!”_

She tilted her head to his, their lips so close. “You’ll survive.”

“ _One!”_

“Fucking Finally!” Harry grinned.

“ _Happy New Year!”_

Auld Lang Syne burst through the speakers just as Harry’s lips captured Alex’s and he pulled her tight against him, putting everything he had into that kiss, welcoming in the New Year in this amazing way, with his lips and tongue attached to hers like there was nothing else he needed in the world. But before he could really deepen the kiss, before he could make her groan into his mouth in that way she had, they heard gasps and squeals coming from around them and they both broke the kiss, looking around to see what was going on.

“Oh my God!” Alex cried out when she spotted the reason for everyone’s reaction. Her hand flew to her mouth and she felt Harry suck in a deep breath beside her.

There was Dave, in the middle of the dance floor with Bea, down on one knew with a ring in his hand.

He was proposing.

And before Alex could fully take in the situation Bea was nodding frantically and crying and saying “yes” over and over again. Dave rose and pulled her into his arms, kissing her over and over again and the group closed in on them, not even thinking about letting these two have their moment. And Alex was one of them, moving in with the others to see the ring, to hug and kiss Bea and Dave and to offer their congratulations.

It was a magical start to the New Year.

************

Hours later, after both of the countdowns had been completed and the celebrations had reached a peak, they were now fading out. Everyone was drunk, couples were moving off to their rooms, and the loud, thumping sounds that had rocked the boat for quite a while had quieted down.

“Okay. Alex,” Charlotte grinned from her spot on Matt’s lap. “I have a question.”

Alex giggled as she stretched her legs out on the bench in front of her, leaning back against Harry. “Ask away.”

“So tonight, we all found out you could rap, which was fucking fantastic by the way.”

“Thank you,” Alex lifted her champagne glass in a toast.

“Hey!” Matt interjected. “I was up there too!”

Charlotte clamped her hand over Matt’s mouth and shook her head. “Shhhh…”

Harry snorted with laughter and tossed back the last of his champagne.

“Anyway,” Charlotte continued. “What is your weird special talent?”

Alex’s nose scrunched up. “My what?”

Charlotte sighed, as if Alex should have understood her perfectly. “Weird special talent. Everyone has that weirdo thing they can do. What’s yours?”

Alex shouted her laughter as she understood the question. “Ha. I actually think that’s a question for Harry.”

Matt and Charlotte both groaned and Harry cracked up laughing behind her. “You really want an answer to that?” he asked with a smug smile.

“No. No,” Alex shook her head. “Okay. Seriously. You wanna know?”

Charlotte lifted an eyebrow. “Do I?”

“I do!” Harry tossed in.

“Oh God,” Matt groaned. “I already know. Jesus Alex.”

Alex grinned and then she held up her hand, balling it into a fist. “I can shove my whole fist in my mouth, wanna see?”

Matt immediately hung his head and shook it slowly. Charlotte fell into uncontrollable laughter, almost tilting herself off of Matt’s lap.

And Harry surprised her the most by getting up behind her and off the bench, standing up and moving in front of her.

“What?” she giggled.

“You’re done. We’re going to bed.”

“Are you serious…whoa!” Alex squealed as Harry leaned in and picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder. “Harry! Do not turn me around! My dress is short and I do not want to flash my brother!”

“Here,” Matt laughed, reaching for one of the cloth napkins that had been wrapped around a champagne bottle and handing it off to Harry.

“Thanks,” Harry grinned as he reached back to cover Alex’s ass with it. “Goodnight friends. And Happy New Year.”

 “Such a fucking caveman,” Charlotte groaned as Harry spun them around and made the way off of the deck. “She says she can shove her entire fist in her mouth and Harry drags her off to bed.” 

****************

Alex was still giggling as Harry carried her through the door to their room. He made no move to put her down as he shut the door behind them with a soft click and threw the lock.

“Charlotte called you a caveman,” she teased as he walked them further into the room. She fully expected him to take her to the bed, to tip her backwards onto it and then move in on her, she was surprised and confused when they stopped, when she could see the bed from her position over his shoulder. “What are you…”

Her words halted as he moved to set her down, the front of her body sliding along his, bringing a warm, flirty grin to her face as her feet hit the floor. “I thought your first stop would be the bed, Caveman,” she teased.

Harry’s hands were firm at her hips as his head dipped, his lips moving in next to her ear, his breath hot against her skin. “Oh, we will get there…eventually.” He pulled back, pressed an almost too soft kiss to her lips and then he spun her around so that she found herself facing the dresser, a large mirror sitting above it. “But first, you’re going to watch me undress you.”

And the giggles and teased died on Alex’s lips and faded straight from her brain and she knew; he was about to take her down.

“Oh…” It was the only thing she could think of to say, no other words would come to her. The only thing in her brain was him, thoughts of what was to come, and the realization that whatever she thought might happen probably didn’t compare in the slightest to how the reality would play out.

“Oh?” he chucked as he took a step forward, forcing her to do the same and pressing her front to the wood dresser. “I’ve wanted you all fucking day.” His hands were smooth and light and sent sparks of electricity through her as they ran over her shoulders and down her arms before moving to rest on her hips. “And I’ve had to wait…” His eyes met hers in the mirror; they were dark and deep and intense and Alex felt her knees weaken, felt the warmth begin to pool at her center. “I don’t like to wait, Alexandra.”

*M*

“You don’t have to wait anymore Harry.” Her voice was low, throaty, and made his cock surge in his pants. With a  smirk he pressed closer, letting her feel him, and she gasped, her mouth falling open a little at just how hard he already was.

“Oh, I don’t intend to,” he continued, his smile smug. His eyes held her for a moment, warm and firm, before he broke their gaze to trail his own gaze down her body. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as he took her in. “And you look so fucking sexy in this dress. Your body is just…” He leaned in and pressed a warm kiss to her shoulder and then nipped at her gently with his teeth. She jumped and his eyes immediately flashed to hers as his tongue moved out to soothe over her skin, bringing a low moan from her. He grinned against her skin and then moved lower, pressing kisses slowly down her back while his hands crept achingly down over her hips and thighs until his fingers reached the hem of her dress. His fingertips grazed the soft skin of her thighs as he gathered the material in his hands.

Alex groaned at the brush of his skin against hers, sending a jolt of electricity running through her. Her eyes slid closed and her head tilted back as lust washed over her in waves.

“No, Alexandra,” Harry called out, his fingers stalling. His voice was rough, commanding. “Open your eyes.” Alex moaned but complied, lifting her head up and somehow managing to pull her eyes open, meeting his in the mirror. “Keep them open, Alex,” he ordered, although his voice was softer this time, his eyes dancing as he stared into hers. She couldn’t help the smile that tilted her lips; a smile of love, of want, and of anticipation as she nodded her understanding of the rule he was handing to her.

Harry’s fingers resumed their actions, pulling the gathered material up higher over her thighs, his eyes holding hers, hot and heavy, in the mirror. “I want you to see what I see when I look at you,” he murmured as the material swished up over her hips, revealing her black lace panties. “I want you to understand what it does to me to undress you, to watch you as we make love, when I fuck you. I want you to see what happens when you come apart because of me.”

“Oh God…” Alex whimpered, his words doing as much to her as his hands, his mouth, or his amazing body was capable of. His hands continued their slow journey upward, baring her stomach and coming to stop right under her breasts.

“Lift your arms, baby,” he breathed and she immediately complied, following his directions as she watched him in the mirror. He pulled the dress from her and tossed it to the side without ceremony. “God…” Harry groaned as he took her in. She hadn’t been wearing a bra as her dress hadn’t allowed for one and so there she stood, his sweet, smart, beautiful girlfriend, in just tiny lace black panties and her high heels.

If Harry was honest with himself, he wasn’t sure how he didn’t rip those panties from her right that second and push himself into her, he wanted her so badly. But he held it together, he gathered the strength from somewhere deep down and pushed himself up against her, one hand sliding up her arm, over her neck, and to her face, cupping her cheek and turning her face to his. He had to kiss her right then, he had to feel her lips and her tongue against his and so he did, covering her mouth with his. He skipped passed the tease, pushing his tongue into her warm, wet mouth and finding her tongue instantly he ran hot, firm strokes against it.

“Harry…” Alex gasped into his mouth, completely overwhelmed by him, but wanting more, wanting everything. Her hands clenched at him, one at the arm at her waist and the other sliding into his red mess of hair, windblown and slightly sticky from the saltwater in the air and pulled him tighter.

“Your mouth…is…” Harry breathed as he lifted his lips from hers. “I could spend hours and hours at your mouth.”

Alex weakened, slumping back against him slightly. The look in his eyes, the fire, the absolute need she saw there was making her heart pound her muscles weak. She honestly wasn’t sure she was going to be able to hold up against the assault he was laying on her, but she  _knew_  that she was going to love trying.

“Look,” Harry whispered, his eyes searching hers before he took her chin between her fingers and turned her face back towards the mirror. “Look how swollen and pink your lips are; how flushed your cheeks are…from  _me_.” He ran his fingers over them and dipped his thumb in between her lips. “I did that to you…”

“Yes,” Alex nodded as she kissed the pad of his thumb and then bit it lightly, bringing a groan from Harry. He moved into her further, pressing her between him and the dresser, not being able to help himself, needing the pressure; needing her against him.

His hands moved again, one sliding from her stomach and the other moving from her face, meeting in the middle over her breasts. He ran light touches over them, not fully holding them, just brushing his palms over her already pert, hard nipples.

“Oh please…” Alex cried out, arching and trying to get closer. He  _knew_  what this did to her, how much she loved when he paid attention to her breasts, how he could pull her into a bundle of want with his fingers or his mouth on her sensitive peaks. And she couldn’t help it, the light caresses were not enough and too much at the same time and every nerve in her body stood on end…and before she could stop herself, her eyes slid closed as she leaned back into him.

His hands fell away instantly.

“No!” her voice was louder than she intended, louder than she thought it would be. Her eyes snapped back open and she found his in the mirror, narrowing slightly. Her bottom lip pushed out just slightly and even though Harry thought it was the most fucking adorable thing in the world, he shook his head slightly, sticking to the rules he had laid out.

“You have to look Alex,” he said firmly, although his lip tugged up on one side. “I promise you that you  _want_  to watch. Do you trust me?”

“Damn it, Harry…” she panted, wanting nothing more than his hands back on her. His eyebrows lifted in question. “Yes,” she finally sighed, her moment of resistance to the rules fading. “I trust you.”

“Good.” The word was simple, accepting, and so fucking smug that Alex simultaneously wanted to rip his clothes off and slap the smirk off his face at the same time. But those thoughts faded quickly because then Harry’s hands were back, and this time they offered Alex a little bit of relief. He cupped her breasts in his hands and his thumbs moved back and forth, slow and steady, over her puckered nipples.

“Yes,” Alex hissed as she watched him touch her in the mirror. And fuck if he wasn’t right, if watching what he did to her didn’t turn her on even more.

“Give me your hands, Alex,” Harry said quietly and her eyes flashed to his.

“My hands?”

He almost chuckled. He was wrecking her and he knew it. He nodded slowly and his right hand left her breast and slid up her arm to the hand that was still firmly implanted in his hair. He pulled it from him and then back down to her breast, placing her hand where his had so recently been. He groaned loud in her ear when her fingers immediately picked up where his had left off, cupping her own breast and thumbing her nipple in the same rhythm that he had done. He hadn’t expected that, he had expected to have to ask her to do so.

“God I love you,” he murmured as he reached for her other hand and brought it up to her left breast and she took up the action there too. “Does that feel good, baby?”

“Yes,” she nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “But not as good as when you do it…”

He chuckled and shook his head, his cheeks growing even more flushed at her words. “Nice try, but I’m leaving this part to you…for now.”

“Harry…” she groaned, drawing his name out. Heat flashed in her eyes and she pinched at her nipples in what he knew was a move deliberately designed to affect him in the most maddening way possible.

“You’re…” He stopped, taking a breath, trying to reign himself in. His voice was soft as his hands smoothed up over her shoulders and to her neck, his thumbs rubbing the soft skin right under her hairline. “I hope you know how sexy I find you right now; how much it turns me on to touch you and to watch you touch yourself.” His fingers moved up into her hair and very slowly, he began to remove the pins, pulling them out and leaning over to drop them on the dresser in front of her. “I’ve never in my life wanted someone like I want you, Alexandra.”

His words made her heart thump and her breathing became even more shallow, her chest rising and falling rapidly; and she didn’t even realize that his words were also making her stroke herself faster, making her pull the sensitive nubs under her fingers harder.

“There we go,” he breathed as the last of the pins came out, her hair tumbling down her back. He looked up at her, catching the image in the mirror and he downright almost lost it. There she was, his Alex, her hair down and wild about her shoulders, her face flushed, her eyes narrowed and dark with passion, her lips swollen, and she was touching herself for him, giving herself pleasure. “Fuck!” he growled deep as he wrapped a strong arm about her waist. His hips jutted forward, jostling her with the move. “God damn it, Alexandra…” He reached up and wrapped her hair in his fist and tugged, bringing her eyes to his in the mirror and a gasping sort of moan from her lips. “I’m so  _fucking_  hard right now.”

“I want it,” Alex breathed, her eyes going wide as she ground her ass back against him. She felt the intensity pick up, she felt him getting that much closer to losing it, and she couldn’t help but try to push him further along.

With a groan he pulled at one of her hands, bringing it quickly back around her and sliding it in between them and down over his strained erection in his pants, wrapping her fingers around it. Then, so quickly she barely had time to process it, his hand was moving back around her, pressing firm and hot on her stomach and then sliding lower and right under the thin lace of her panties.

“Oh…fuck…” Alex cried out as his fingers moved over her, as they dipped down into her wetness and she had to fight against every instinct she had, against every single nerve in her body not to close her eyes when he groaned in her ear at just how wet she was, when he offered a firm stroke at her core.

“Jesus Christ, Alex…” he croaked out. He pressed a hot open-mouthed kiss on her shoulder and then licked his way up the side of her neck to her ear, pulling the lobe between his teeth as his fingers began to move in slow circles at her center. Her hand squeezed at his cock in time with his strokes on her sensitive flesh and the entire time they maintained eye contact, never looking away, communicating with only looks and touches and small, pleasure induced sounds.

Alex could feel herself sinking lower and lower into the sexual abyss that he was pulling her into. His hand was slowly stroking her into madness and her own hand at her breasts was shooting the most delicious sparks through her. But she still wanted more. She wanted him. All of him. Every single, solitary, rock hard inch of him.

“Harry…” she called out, her voice hoarse from holding back, from fighting to stay sane with everything he had been doing to her. His eyes pulled to hers and he stroked faster and for a moment, a brief moment, she completely lost her entire thought process. Then, pulling it together she called to him again, “Harry…I want…” She took a deep breath and handed him the one thing she knew that would push him into faster action. “I want you fuck me.”

His eyes flashed and his breath caught and she was right; she knew him well and she was completely right. He didn’t say a single word in response to her but instead moved into action. He released the fist of hair in his hand and reached for her hand still teasing at her breast. Her eyes widened slightly in question as he took her hand and slid it down her stomach and inside her panties.

“Touch yourself,” he whispered, his eyes dark and intense as he replaced his hand with hers, sliding it down into her wetness. “I’m going to take these fucking panties off of you and then I’m going to watch you while I undress. And then…if you do that for me, I’ll fuck you, Alex.”

“Harry, I…” she gasped, surprised she didn’t burst into flames at his words. But before she could gather her wits enough to beg him to keep touching her his hands were gone and he was taking a step back from her. “Wait…” she called out, her eyes wild.

“Shhhh…” He pulled her hand from his erection and pulled it up to his lips, offering a kiss to her palm, bringing a bit of softness into the moment, letting her know that he was there with her, letting her know that he was still him even though this was new territory for them. And then, giving her the reassurance that he wasn’t going anywhere he leaned forward, placing her hand on the dresser in front of her as his sights settled on the hand in her panties and his hands settled at her hips.

And then he was moving lower, his fingers finding the band of her panties and pushing them down, lowering himself with them. He pulled them down over her thighs and down to her ankles. He pressed a firm kiss to her backside as she stepped from the panties and he pulled them from her, tossing them to the side.

He thought he had prepared himself for the sight of her, but when he trailed his hands back up her legs and stood, catching her in the mirror, she nearly took him down.

“Oh God…” he groaned. She was leaning forward, resting her one hand against the dresser and the other was still between her thighs, stroking slowly. His eyes snapped to hers and he saw her parted lips and her flushed cheeks and he  _knew_ …

She wasn’t just giving him a show.

She was pleasuring herself.

“Alex…you look…”

“I want to see you too,” she interrupted, an urgency in her voice. It was small, but Harry caught it. He blinked once and then realized that she was worked up and hot and…

“Are you close, Alex?” he asked as he stepped back and slipped his coat off, dropping it on the floor. His eyes held hers and he watched her and he knew without her telling him what the answer was. Knowing the answer didn’t stop his heart from slamming into his chest when she responded, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Yes…”

“Fuck,” Harry breathed as he watched her, as he watched her hand move at her center. He pulled his shirt from his pants and, his hands flew over the buttons, and when he was done he yanked it off and tossed it away.

“Harry…please…” she panted, a small moan slipping out between words. Her fingers were working faster and faster and she was so  _fucking_  close. She knew she could get herself there, even with Harry’s eyes boring into her as he pulled his pants and boxers off, his cock springing free from its confines, so incredibly hard. But she wanted him; she at least wanted him inside of her when she came apart. She needed him to fill her, to touch all of those spots inside that only he could reach.

“How close, Alex?” he murmured as he moved in behind her. He brushed her hair from her neck and leaned in, pressing his lips there as his hands found her hips, pulling her back slightly, adjusting her for him.

She shuddered, a harsh breath leaving her lips. “I can…I can go whenever you want me to…”

And Harry lost all control. Every single fucking bit of whatever he had held onto all night was gone and he knew what he had to do, what he was about to do to her was unfair, was going to look like he was being mean, but if he had any hope at all of lasting more than thirty seconds, he had to.

Reaching around her he pulled her hand from her core and pushed it to the dresser, pressing his hand on top of it.

“No no no no…” Alex shook her head, her hair moving back and forth. “Please Harry…”

And then his hand tightened on her hip and without warning he thrust, slamming himself into her, burying himself in her incredibly hot wetness in one long, hard stroke.

“Ohhhhhh,” Alex moaned, low and long and shuddering. Her eyes slid closed and her head hung forward and she didn’t care one bit that she was supposed to be watching, that she was supposed to keep her eyes open.

“Alex, I… _fuck._  I can’t…” Harry groaned, knowing his limits were well beyond pushed, that he wasn’t going to make it very far.

“God damn it, Harry…” she cried, her eyes pulling open and finding his in the mirror. They were both breathing heavy and looked beyond wild. “You said you were going to fuck me…”

“Oh God, Alexandra…come here…” He reached for her, pulling her up so her back was against her front. He took her hand and slid it back down to her center and then his fingers moved to her face, turning her head and looking in her eyes directly, without a mirror in between them. He searched her eyes and he saw the want, the need, the passion…and he saw the woman he loved.

His mouth crashed down on hers, his tongue pushing past her lips and into her mouth to duel with hers. With a groan he pulled back and pushed in, rough and deep. Alex gasped and moaned into his mouth as he held her there, not letting her go for anything as he pounded into her from behind. She stroked herself with her fingers, firm and steady and soon she was there again, teetering over the edge, the added sensation of him hitting so deep within her over and over again guaranteeing that when she went, it was likely going to take her down completely.

“Harry…GOD. Please…”

“Do you want to come, Alex?” He pulled back from her lips just slightly, just enough to meet her eyes.

“Ohhhh…yes. Fuck!”

Harry’s entire body readied for it, he was there; he had been there since the moment he had pressed into her. He could feel it coming in every single cell of his body. “Go baby…” he whispered, his teeth nipping at her lower lip.

And as if his words were everything she needed, she exploded around him, her body clenching and grinding and shaking against his. She screamed out his name, not caring if anyone could hear, not caring about anything except the pleasure that was slamming into her in waves. With a shout of relief and of intense pleasure Harry was right behind her, letting her ride her release out as long as possible before he pushed all the way into her, pushed her forward into the dresser, dropped his forehead to her shoulder and lost everything he had inside of her.

*EM*

Alex’s chest rose up and down rapidly as she tried to catch her breath, as she tried to come back down to earth. Harry was stirring behind her, coming back to life as well. His hands moved softly over her sensitive skin and his lips brushed softly against her shoulder and her neck, causing goosebumps to rise on her damp skin.

She smiled softly when she opened her eyes, finding his right away in the mirror, already watching her. “Wow. That was…”

“Mmmm…” Harry nodded, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her. “Are you alright? I didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?” Alex laughed softly, raising an eyebrow. “Hurt me? Frighten me? Fuck me senseless?” She grinned. “You did one of those things Harry; I’ll let you figure out which one.”

“Ohhh…” Harry let out a laughing sort of groan and shook his head back and forth in the crook of her neck. “Come on,” he said, his smile wide as he pulled his face from her skin. “Let’s get you to bed.”

He pulled back from her and they both gasped as he slipped from her. Then, leaning forward he pressed one more kiss to her shoulder and then to her surprise he bent and lifted her in his arms, one arm wrapped around her back and one under her knees. He tossed a smug wink in her direction and she giggled. She was happy, sated, and possibly still a touch drunk from their New Year’s celebration.

He walked her over to the bed and set her down onto the soft mattress. Leaning forward, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and turned her face up to his, his eyes roaming her features for a moment before he leaned down and kissed her sweetly, his lips brushing back and forth over hers tenderly.

“Mmmm…” Her eyes kept contact with his while he kissed her and then when he pulled back she couldn’t help the sigh that drifted from her lips. “You know that I love you, right?”

“I do,” he nodded, his smile widening. “But I’ll never, ever get tired of hearing you tell me.”

“Good,” Alex nodded. “Because I never, ever will.”

He grinned wide and pressed one more kiss to her lips. Then his hands slid down to her feet where he quickly undid the straps on her shoes, sliding them off for her and tossing them to the side.

She sighed gratefully, stretching her toes out. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m going to clean up and grab a bottle of water. Do you want one?”

“Yes,” she nodded as she scooted back on the bed and moved under the covers.

He was quick to clean up and then he was back to her, moving to shut the lights off in the room before he climbed into bed with her, handing off an ice cold bottle of water. She took a few large gulps from the bottle, quenching her thirst, and then she set it off to the side, yawning as she did so. She was suddenly exhausted; the time change, the partying, the drinking, and of course the amazing sex she just had with Harry catching up with her. Harry caught her yawn and because he was right there with her he set his own bottle to the side and then reached for her, pulling her close and then snuggling down under the covers.

“Harry?” she called out softly, just as his eyes were sliding closed.

“Hmmm?”

“Do you know that it’s almost been a year since we met?”

His eyes opened and turned down to hers, blinking slowly against the sleep threatening to overtake him. “It has, hasn’t it? Middle of January, right?”

“Yeah,” she grinned, kissing his chest, letting the moment settle between them. “Harry?”

“Yes, Alex?” he chuckled, loving how adorable she was.

“It’s been the most amazing year of my life.”

He couldn’t help the lump that formed at her words. He swallowed it back and took a deep breath, his eyes turning sweet on her. “Mine too. Happy New Year, my love.”

She smiled wide and then settled against him. “Happy New Year, Harry.”


	55. Chapter Fifty Five

With the exception of the paparazzi incident involving Emma’s school, Alex and Emma had navigated Harry’s life with an extraordinary ease in the year that Harry and Alex had been together. Alex had held up well under the media onslaught, against the rumors, and against the stories that tried to trash her. She had kept it at bay, heeding Harry’s advice to not look at it as much as possible. Whenever she saw something that brought her down, Harry was always right there, giving her the reasons why it didn’t matter and the reasons why no one that mattered would think anything of it.

In truth, what shocked Alex more than the stories, more than the ridiculous things the reporters would come up with, was the fact that somewhere along the last twelve months, she had acquired  _fans_. Fans that ran blogs on her, supported her, and went to great lengths to debunk rumors and false stories. But as much as Alex knew that just like she could never defend herself against those her put her down, she could never thank those who defended her, but sometimes she really, really wanted to.

It was towards the end of January when the biggest scandal to rock Harry and Alex’s relationship so far hit the media. This one wasn’t the same as the cheating accusations that were tossed around so easily online. It wasn’t like the constant claims that Harry and Alex’s relationship was just a sham set up but the Palace to make him look like he had matured and put his “Party Prince” days behind him. This wasn’t one of the many snarky, mean-spirited stories and blog posts made daily that accused Alex of being a gold digger who somehow snagged Harry through some elaborate plan that included her creating her organization simply with the intention that he would one day visit.

This story was different. It didn’t hit the media through rumor or anonymous source.

This story came straight from the horse’s mouth.

****************

When Alex’s phone rang out one afternoon as she was finishing up at work she picked it up and seeing it was Charlotte, answered it immediately with a smile.

“Charlotte,” she greeted as she relaxed back into her chair. “I hear congratulations are in order. I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner.”

“Congratulations? What?”

Alex laughed. “Your promotion? You know, the one where Harry made you his private secretary. That’s huge deal.”

“Oh,” Charlotte said, and Alex could just imagine her waving her hand in the air. “He only did it because he hates me and wants to torture me.”

“You love it,” Alex chuckled.

“I really do…usually,” Charlotte said; her voice laced with something that put Alex on instant alert.

“Usually?” Alex asked quietly, her forehead scrunched together. She could hear Charlotte take a deep breath on the other end of the line.

“I’ve just gotten a call from a contact at the Daily Mail. Within the hour a story is going to run on their website. I need you to get Emma and get home. The paparazzi are going to descend on you.”

“What?” I mean…Charlotte…” Alex blinked several times. “I don’t…Emma is at Molly’s; she got her from school. What is the story?”

“Good,” Charlotte said, matter-of-fact and ignoring Alex’s question. “Actually that’s better. Go to Molly’s. I’ll meet you there. Harry is being pulled from training on base right now and will be driven into London. I’ll send the driver to Molly’s.”

“Charlotte!” Alex barked into the phone, her frustration starting to well up. “What in the  _hell_  is going on?! Why is Harry being pulled from training? What is the  _fucking_ story?”

“Alex, maybe it’s better to wait for…”

“No,” Alex said firmly, her voice rising steadily. “I am  _not_  waiting for Harry…oh God,” she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Is he being deployed again?”

“No no,” Charlotte was quick to assure. “Look, it’s probably nothing but…”

“Charlotte, I swear to God if you don’t…”

“It’s Caroline Fletcher-Jones,” Charlotte sighed, giving in.

“Caroline Fletcher-Jones?” Alex’s brain worked fast and then her eyes went wide when she realized who Charlotte was talking about. “Caroline? As in Harry’s ex-girlfriend?” What can she possibly…”

“She went to the media and says she has a sex tape.”

Alex’s nose scrunched up. What did that have to do with her? “A sex tape?”

“She says she has a sex tape of her and Harry, Alex.”

Alex immediately felt like she was going to be sick.

*****************

No sooner than Alex was in her car and on her way to Molly’s her phone was ringing out, the ringtone indicating that it was Harry. Though her head was reeling from the news there was never a question as to whether or not she would answer his call. She leaned forward and punched the hands-free button on her dash, her stomach fluttering with her nerves.

“Hello?”

His voice was tense as it came across the line. She could almost feel the stress. “Alexandra.”

“Hi…” she said softly. “I’m on my way to Molly’s. Emma is there already. Charlotte says she’s calling your driver to meet us there.”

“I know,” Harry sighed. “I hate this shit. We just got over the whole thing with Emma’s old school and…”

“Harry,” Alex interrupted. “I don’t want to do this over the phone. I want to talk to you and understand what the hell is going on; but not on the phone.”

“It’s not true, Alex,” Harry said low but clear. “We don’t have to talk until I get there, but I couldn’t…It’s not true. I…”

“I know,” Alex answered, tears welling in her eyes. “I just…I know that.”

He was quiet for a beat, surprise taking him over. He was used to having to explain himself to people, to have to ease their doubts about him. “You do?”

“Of course. You aren’t that stupid. Stupid for dating her, yes. But filming…” she stopped, swallowing the bad taste in her mouth. “Look. Just get here okay?”

“Okay,” he said quietly. “I’ll see you in a little over an hour. And…I love you.”

“I love you too,” Alex answered immediately. “See you in a little while.”

She took a deep breath as she punched the button to end the call. A month and a half after the incident at Emma’s old school and they were about to be under siege again. Her eyes welled up again and she choked back a sob as she blinked them back quickly. She was driving and was about to be at Molly’s and she just could  _not_  lose it right then. She needed to hold it together and find out exactly what was going on, why this was happening, and why this woman was so insistent on inserting herself back into their lives.

She had pulled herself together by the time she reached Molly’s townhouse and parked her car. She walked up to the door and knocked once before letting herself in. Just as she expected, Molly was waiting for her, moving into the foyer just as Alex entered.

Alex offered Molly a small smile as she put her bag down and pulled off her coat, hanging it on the hook next to the door. “Hi Molly.”

Molly leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. “Charlotte called me.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Bossy little thing, isn’t she?”

Alex couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled through her lips. “I figured she would call. And yes, she is, but she gets stuff done. She’s Harry’s right hand.”

“Well, he certainly picked the right person for the job. Charlotte said she was coming here and that Harry would meet you here as well?”

“Yes,” Alex sighed and then her eyes widened and pulled to Molly’s. “Oh God! We just took over your home. I didn’t even ask. I was just going wherever Emma was and…”

“Stop,” Molly broke in, holding up a hand. “Why are you always so damn worried about me? Alex, you’re my daughter. I could go on and on about why that is, but the end result is that you are. This has always been your home as well. If you need to be here then be  _here_.”

“Okay,” Alex whispered, biting her lip. “I knew that, Molly. I know that. I just…I feel like this stuff that follows me around, that will continue to follow me around…I just hate the thought that it makes your life harder.”

“It’s just a couple of extra people in my house,” Molly laughed and shook her head. “Believe me, Alex, I’ve dealt with worse.”

“Okay, okay,” Alex smiled, holding up her hands in surrender, knowing that Molly had in fact, dealt with a lot worse in life than this and was more than capable of holding up against it. “I get it. Where is Emma?”

“Doing homework in the kitchen. She loves her new school.”

“She does,” Alex nodded. She was opening her mouth to continue on when a knock at the door sounded. “Ah, that would be Charlotte.” She turned and, after checking and confirming that it was Charlotte, she opened the door and the pretty brunette came bustling in.

“Alex,” Charlotte said, turning to friend and pulling her into a hug. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Alex nodded and pulled back to look at her friend with a small smile before she moved to take her bag and coat. “I kind of want to punch Caroline in the face, but I suppose that wouldn’t help.”

Charlotte tossed back her head in laughter and Alex could hear Molly snicker from behind her.

“Well, that would certainly help release some anger. Believe me, I’ve wanted to punch her in the face for some time.” She winked at Alex and then turned to Molly, greeting her with kisses on her cheeks. “Thank you for letting us come here, Mrs. Morgan.”

“Of course. And call me Molly, please,” she smiled with a wave of her hand. “Now come on girls, let’s get out of this entryway. Would you like some tea?”

************

Harry arrived within the hour, and after his PO made a sweep of the house, Harry stepped in. His face was drawn and he was upset and Alex immediately hurt for him. Even Emma, though Harry grinned wide when she ran to hug him, could tell something was wrong and asked Harry if he needed a nap.

“No Emma,” he chuckled as he kissed the top of her blonde hear. “But thank you for the concern.”

“Harry, I’ve consulted…” Charlotte started as Harry moved to Alex, his eyes holding hers, unspoken communication flying between them.

“Charlotte, that can wait,” he said firmly as he turned to her, having picked up Alex’s hand and pulled it to his chest, needing at least some part of her close. “I need to talk to Alex first.”

Charlotte blinked. Her mind was focused on work, focused on the task at hand, and switching that off wasn’t so easy on her. “But…”

“Look Charlotte,” Harry sighed, his eyes pleading. “I know we need to discuss options and game plans and legalities and all of that. But right now I need to shower; they pulled me right from physical training. And I need to talk to Alex. Everything else will keep for an hour or two, right?”

“Of course,” Charlotte nodded, finally pulling back into friend mode. She took a breath and looked around Molly’s living room. She spied a shelf stacked with board gamed and she pulled a wide smile. “I’ll hang here with Emma and Molly while you talk, maybe take them to town in Monopoly.”

“I always win at Monopoly!” Emma piped up, a smug look on her cute face, bringing a light moment into the room.

“I’ll bet you do,” Charlotte laughed. “Come on,” she reached out for Emma’s hand. “Help me set it up and then you can teach me all you know.”

Emma grinned and took Charlotte’s hand as they went for the shelf to get the game down. Molly turned to Harry and Alex and gave them a soft, sympathetic smile.

“Alex, take him up to the guest suite, the one with the attached bathroom. Let him shower and you guys can talk up there.”

“Okay,” Alex nodded with a grateful smile. “That’s perfect.”

“Thank you, Molly,” Harry sighed, leaning in to hug her. She pulled back and patted him lightly on the cheek before she turned and moved off to join Charlotte and Emma.

“Shall we?” Alex asked, her voice a bit shaky, her nerves rising to the surface.

He pulled her hand to his lips and nodded his head before turning to reach for his bag, hoisting it over his shoulder. Keeping ahold of his hand she led him from the room and to the stairs, leading him up to the third floor of the townhouse and pushing open the door. She moved in and Harry moved in behind her, dropping his bag on the guest bed and turning to her.

“Come here,” he said gruffly as he tugged her into his arms and held her there, her head against his chest and her arms wrapped around her waist. “I’m sorry…”

“For what?” Alex asked softly, letting him hold her, knowing he was struggling.

“For fucking upheaving your life again.”

Alex couldn’t help the giggle that slipped from her lips. She shook her head into his chest as her shoulders shook with laughter.

“Are you laughing?” Harry asked incredulously, pulling her back to look down at her face. “Why are you laughing?”

“Because you are so damn dramatic, Wales. Jesus.” She turned wide eyes up to him. “My  _life_  is not in upheaval. Yes, this sucks. And yes, I want to understand how the hell she can say this if it isn’t true. I want to know what you’re going to do about it. But the only thing that you could do to throw my life into upheaval would be for you not to be in my life. And you’re not suggesting that this… _claim_ …will send you from my life, right?”

Harry’s face registered shock at her words. “What?! No. Absolutely not. I could never…”

“Okay,” Alex cut him off. “Then don’t act like your life is ruining me.”

“I…I don’t…”

She sighed and pulled back from his arms. “Every time some bullshit happens are you going to worry that you are somehow damaging me? Are you going to worry that at some point I can’t take this anymore?”

“Alex,” Harry’s voice grew tight. “It’s different. You have a choice.”

“No I don’t!” Alex cried out, her voice louder than she intended it to be. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and took a moment to gather herself, her thoughts. “I don’t have a choice. Do you think I could just up and walk away from this?”

Harry’s eyes were sad as they looked into hers. “You could if you wanted to.”

Alex lifted an eyebrow, her entire body radiating tension and her voice tight. “Do you think I want to?”

“They are going to assume it’s true, Alex. No matter what. I can’t prove that I wasn’t this fucking idiot that has such a big ego that I would tape myself having sex with someone. People will come out of nowhere; women who I’ve never said more than two words to but where photographed at a party near will say that I tried to get them to tape it too, just to make money from the papers. And Alex, when Caroline says she’s not going to make the ‘sex tape’ public but gives absolutely no reason for it, most everyone will assume it’s because I fucking paid her off. It will hardly occur to people, and certainly not to the media, that she doesn’t fucking have one.”

Alex blinked as she looked at him, as she let his words sink in. “Harry,” her voice was quiet, serious. “I’m going to ask you again. Do you  _think_  I want to walk away?”

He shook his head slowly. “No.” He was certain she didn’t want to.

A tear slipped from the corner of her eye and down her cheek. “Then why are you trying to give me the reasons why I should?”

“I’m not, Alexandra,” he immediately tried to soothe, taking a step toward her. “I’m just telling you that…”

“I’m not stupid, Harry.”

His mouth dropped. “I know that.”

“Really? Because it sounds like you are trying to explain to me why I shouldn’t want to stand next to you.” She swiped at the tears on her face and held up a hand as he opened his mouth. He shut it right away, his eyes wide. “It’s like you think that the fact that people can make bullshit claims and people believe them or the fact that people will think you made a sex tape with an ex-girlfriend are reasons why I would decide to say ‘fuck it.’ Those aren’t reasons. In the last year of my life I stuck with you through deployment and your PTSD where you stood in front of me in your bedroom and told me to my  _face_  that you didn’t want to marry me or have babies with me. I stuck with you through  _that_. I went to counseling with you. I wasn’t walking away.” She stepped closer and before she could help herself she had laid her hand against his chest and she was pushing him backward, as if it would somehow get her point across faster. “Don’t you get it? Yes, it fucking sucks that Caroline is doing this, but it’s the personal stuff, the stuff between you and me that matters. And when you constantly worry that I’m going to run when the media prints some fucked up story, you are taking the stuff that isn’t about us, stuff that doesn’t matter and you are giving it so much more credit than you should.”

“Alex…” Harry’s voice was hoarse, his eyes glossed over with tears as he tried to break in. His hand covered hers on his chest and he tried to step forward.

“No! I’m not finished Harry.” She shook her head and he stopped his advance on her. “And you know, when those papers rip me down, when they say I trapped you or that I’m a gold digger, or whatever crazy shit they come up with, you are  _always_  there, telling me it doesn’t matter. You always tell me that you  _know_  who I am and so does everyone who matters. How come you won’t let me be that person for you? Why can’t you hear those things when they come from  _my_  mouth?”

And Harry couldn’t take it anymore. He reached for her and, wrapping his hands around her arms he pulled her against him, wrapping himself around her. “Alex, I don’t want you to walk away. I am not trying to tell you why you should. I could never…Alexandra…” His hands slid up her arms and to her face, cupping her cheeks and tipping her face up to him. Her blue eyes were wide and swimming with tears and his heart hurt. “All of my life I’ve had to explain myself. When stories would hit the press, I would have to explain myself, convince people...girlfriends and sometimes even my Dad, that these stories weren’t true or that they were embellished. And you…” He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. “You never expect that. Today when I called and told you it wasn’t true you said you knew that; immediately.”

“I know you, Harry. I know…”

“I know,” he nodded, his eyes growing softer. “Listen, I have insecurities. I  _expect_  people to run from this bullshit. When you don’t, when you never question that I’m not the bad guy they make me out to be sometimes, I worry…”

“That I’m naive?” Alex bit at her bottom lip.

“No,” Harry shook his head slowly. “I worry you ignore it. I worry that you’ll keep ignoring it until one day, some story just hits you and you can’t ignore it anymore.”

“But I’m not…”

“You aren’t everyone else,” he continued on, knowing what she was going to say. Her lips tipped up at the corners at that, at how well he knew her. His eyes shifted around and settled on the bed. He moved there and sat, pulling her to him and on his lap, settling her legs around him. “Remember when I told you I was being deployed and you left me? Why did you leave?”

And Alex knew. The insecurities Harry had; she had them too. She sighed and leaned into him, moving to rest her arms on his shoulders. “Because John died in Afghanistan doing what you do.”

“I realize that it’s different because your husband died and I’m just talking about stupid tabloid articles, but do you see what I mean?”

“Yes,” Alex nodded. “I do. I get the insecurities. But listen, Harry. I will always believe you first, unless you give me a reason not to. And you’ve never given me a reason not to.”

“And I never will.” His eyes held hers, strong and firm. “I’m sorry I made you think I wanted you to leave. That is the last thing I want. I want you to stay forever.”

Alex grinned, her eyes welling with tears. “Will you promise not to assume I think my life is falling apart when these stupid scandals hit and not get so worked up about it?”

He nodded, his lips tugging up at the corners. “I promise. But if I happen to break that promise will you slap some sense into me?”

She laughed then, his heart warming as she tossed her head back with it. “Yes, I promise.”

“Good. I love you, Alex,” he said softly, his hands moving to cup her cheeks.

“I love you too, Harry.”

And then he leaned forward and captured her lips with his, both of them smiling as they moved back into each other, putting the fight and the stress of the scandal Caroline created behind them, at least for that moment.

“Mmmm,” he groaned as she moved closer into him, wrapping her arms fully around his neck. “Alex…” he chuckled as he pulled regretfully back from her lips. “We cannot start this right now. I have to shower and then we have to go talk to Charlotte or she’ll kill me.”

Alex pouted prettily, her eyes growing wide and innocent and her lower lip jutting out slightly. “Don’t tell me you are afraid of Charlotte…”

“Ha!” he laughed. “Alright then, you get to be the one to explain why we kept her waiting.” He laughed harder as Alex immediately climbed out of his lap, abandoning any thoughts of lovemaking that were in her head.

**************

The scandal caused a media firestorm when it broke and there was no doubt that Caroline Fletcher-Smith was the star of the show. She did her rounds on the TV news networks, both in England and in foreign markets.

There was one tiny statement put out by the Palace on the day the scandal broke, simply denying the existence of a tape. It was short, sweet, and to the point. Nothing else would be said.

But for a week it continued, Caroline carrying on very publicly, baiting the Palace in every way she could think of.  She would tell anyone who would listen that although she knew people would think she was wrong to release this “tape” she had, but she sold a sob story along with it, claiming Harry had been a mean-spirited and unfaithful partner when they were together and this allowed her conscience to be clear.

But her continued media blitz was met with silence. Dead silence.

Finally, on day seven, Caroline’s lawyers contacted Harry’s office to inform them that miss Miss Fletcher-Smith would be willing to cease talking to the media and to not release the “tape” in exchange for a monetary sum.

They were shut down instantly and their rebuttal was simple. There was no tape and therefore it could not be released.

The next day Caroline released a statement that she had decided not to release the tape and stopped her media campaign.

And Harry was right; the overwhelming consensus was that the palace had paid her off. The doubts existed that there was ever a tape, but most believe that Caroline has successfully gotten hush money from Harry.

Alex learned a lot from that week in which she was hounded and chased by the paps and took refuge most nights with Emma at Harry’s house. It was a fine line that Harry walked with the press. He couldn’t fight back on things that what had happened with Caroline. He couldn’t come straight out and say she was lying and trying to extort him. It was simple denial and then silence. It was against every instinct that they had as humans to try and defend themselves.

But eventually the firestorm died down; eventually the papers and the public stopped talking about it and moved onto the next thing.

It wasn’t the last storm that Alex and Harry would weather together, but they did weather it well. At the end of everything they were stronger, more connected, and more in love than ever.


	56. Chapter Fifty Six

For the first time in Alex and Harry’s relationship, life seemed to fall into a comfortable groove. The sex tape scandal had faded without seriously tarnishing Harry’s reputation, and as a result the press seemed to back off of them a little bit, allowing them to find a normal balance in life.

And they flourished.

Alex had made some big changes at HFTF and after realizing that her program had gotten bigger than she could handle by herself, she made the decision to hire an assistant director and she knew exactly who to call.

Susanna Griffith, Geoff’s widow who had come to visit the center several times since her initial visit to London, seemed to have a knack for the program, and had even successfully led a few group meetings. Alex met with her, gauged her interest, and upon approval from the rest of her staff, had hired her to work at HFTF. Alex kept the process a secret from Harry, not wanting him to influence Susanna in any way; but once it was final she broke the news to him one night as they crawled into bed and he didn’t even try to hide the fact that it made him cry. He didn’t care if he was sappy or too sentimental; Susanna held a special place in Harry’s heart and he knew that Geoff would have been proud of the work she was going to do with Alex.

Getting help at work also freed up some of Alex’s time for her University classes, which she had been struggling to keep up with. With the help of the University, she had managed to be situated with all online courses for the time being. Her presence caused disruptions in class, and since Alex wasn’t attached to the going to class part of school, just the learning, she was more than fine with that. The online schedule worked out much better for her and she got back on track right away.

Emma was safe and happy in her new school. She loved her teachers and had made quite a few new friends. Every weekend she would have a riding lesson with Zara and Zara had recently approached Alex with the idea of Emma entering a riding competition in the next few months. Alex thought it was a wonderful idea and was amazingly touched when she told Harry the date and he cleared his calendar for that day, making sure everyone in his office knew that nothing was to be scheduled then. He had been insanely busy between increased engagements and Army training, but he wouldn’t miss Emma’s first competition for the world.

They settled into it all, seeing each other when they could, and making the most of their time together. But when the beginning of March was upon them and Alex and Emma both had a week off for Spring vacation coming up, Harry decided that he needed to make good on a promise he made to Emma months before.

So, after he cleared his idea with Alex, had his office do some meticulous arranging of his schedule, their trip was set into place.

They were going to go to Africa.

*******************

Alex’s phone buzzed the instant she turned it on once their flight landed in Botswana. She and Emma had flown in separately from Harry, who had been in Lesotho for a couple days and would be meeting them at the resort later that evening.

“Hello?”

“Landed safely then?” Harry’s smooth, deep voice teased through the line.

“Yes,” Alex chuckled as she leaned over to help Emma re-pack everything in her carryon bag. “How many times did you hit re-dial in an attempt to catch me right as we landed?”

“About…five,” he laughed, loving that she was calling him out.

“Ha!” Alex laughed. “Or?”

“Okay…ten,” he sighed, but she could picture his smile on the other end of the line.

“Oh-kay,” she grinned. “I still don’t believe you, but we will stick with ten. Anyway, when are you due in? Are you about to leave Lesotho?”

“I’m actually here.”

“Here? You’re at the resort already?”

“No,” he chuckled. “I’m at the airport. I’m picking up my girlfriend and her beautiful daughter. Can you make sure they know if you see them on the plane?”

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said softly, her stomach already fluttering at the thought of seeing him. It had been a week and she missed him. Suddenly the seatbelt light over her head went off and Emma jumped from her seat, almost climbing over Alex to try and get off the plane. “Emma, relax for a second,” Alex said quietly before she turned her attention back to Harry. “Anyway, you can tell them for yourself in just a few moments, they are letting us de-plane.”

“Yeah? Fantastic. I’ll be waiting at baggage claim. I can’t wait to see you and Em.”

She couldn’t help but smiled wide at the excitement in his voice. “We can’t wait either.”

The quickly made their way off of the plane, and once Alex told Emma that Harry was waiting for them at baggage claim, Emma let out a squeal of epic proportions and practically dragged Alex through the small airport terminal.

And sure enough, when they reached baggage claim, there he was, with his trust protection officer in tow. He was dressed down in shorts, a t-shirt, and a baseball cap. He was tanned already from his days in Lesotho and Alex couldn’t help but thing how sexy he looked, so casual and relaxed.

“Harry!” Emma cried as she spotted him by the baggage carousel. She broke from Alex and took off running, covering the twenty yards between them quickly before flying into his arms. Alex laughed happily as she hurried to catch up, wanting to get her hands on Harry herself.

“Oh I missed you, Em,” Harry grinned as he pulled her up into his arms. He hugged her tight and then shifted her to his hip.

“I missed you more,” Emma giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I doubt it,” he chuckled. Then his eyes fell on Alex and if possible, his gaze softened even more. He had missed her terribly.

“Hey you,” she winked as she got to them, a bright and happy smile on her face.

He had been ready to set Emma down in order to greet Alex but Alex didn’t wait. She just moved into his side, hugging around his waist happily while he held Emma to his other side. He smiled down at her as he wrapped a strong arm around her.

“You know the drill, Emma,” he said with a pointed, playful look in Emma’s direction. Alex laughed when her daughter clapped a hand over her eyes and Harry took his opportunity and leaned down to kiss his girlfriend properly.

And even though it was a small airport and no one at all really expected them to be there, one lucky traveler recognized the trio and snapped a picture of the scene unfolding; Harry laughingly pressing a warm kiss to Alex while he held her daughter in his arms, the little girl’s hand hilariously clapped over her eyes to block out the scene before her. It went viral before Harry could even get Alex and Emma’s luggage loaded into the car.

And none of them cared a single bit.

************

Emma spent the entire hour long ride from the airport to the resort they would be staying at with her eyes glued to the window, desperately looking for any sign of the numerous species of wild life that Harry had promised her that she would see in Africa. It didn’t matter that Harry explained to her that they probably wouldn’t see the wild animals until they went on the first safari the next day; nothing was going to deter Emma from looking. She didn’t want to look away if there was a chance that she might miss something.

When they finally arrived at the resort the car drove them right past the main building, where Alex assumed that most people that weren’t Harry had to actually check in, to the back of the grounds where their private accommodations were. Alex wasn’t entirely sure why she was surprised that the “bungalow” Harry had told her about wasn’t exactly a bungalow, but was really a decent sized house. She could tell however, that it was built with the intention that it was to blend in with the beautiful surroundings, with the trees, the rolling hills, and the mountains in the distance. It was close to the ground, its colors were very natural, and it really was gorgeous and completely unobtrusive.

As they were pulling to a stop in front of the house a man stepped out of the front door. He was tall and thin, had sun-streaked light brown hair, was very tan, and was dressed casually in khaki pants and a tucked in khaki shirt.

“That is the owner of the resort and the conservancy it sits on, Oscar Du Plessis” Harry informed Alex.

She raised a teasing eyebrow at him. “And I suppose he greets all guests personally?”

“Only ones he’s known since they were tiny little children,” Harry laughed.

The driver opened the door just then and Harry threw a playful wink at Alex before sliding out of the car. He helped both Emma and Alex from the SUV and then he turned, a grin on his handsome face as his old friend moved toward him. “Oscar!”

“Harry!” Oscar grinned in return, clearly delighted to see him. The two men shook hands and then hugged, clapping each other firmly on the back. “How are you?”

“I’m great.” Harry’s smile pulled even wider as he pulled Alex and Emma closer. “Oscar, allow me to introduce two very special ladies in my life. This is Alexandra Morgan and her daughter Emma Morgan.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Oscar said, turning to them. His smile was wide and genuine as he reached for Alex’s hand. “Alexandra, I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Nice to meet you, and please call me Alex,” she returned, automatically feeling at ease with Harry’s old friend.

“Alex,” he nodded. His eyes shifted down to Emma and he crouched, getting on her level. “I’ve heard a lot about you as well, Emma. I’ve also heard you love animals.”

“I do,” Emma smiled, firmly shaking the hand that Oscar offered. “Harry said I’ll get to see a lot of them this week.”

“You will,” Oscar confirmed. “And actually…” He whistled loudly then, startling Emma just a bit. But her surprise turned to elation when a small monkey appeared from the roof of the house, jumping across to a tree and then climbing quickly down and making its way to Oscar.

“Oh wow…” Emma breathed, her eyes going wide.

“This is Dyshiki,” Oscar said. “Do you want to say hi?”

Emma nodded frantically and Oscar motioned to Dyshiki, who came close, looking at Emma expectantly. Oscar told Emma to hold out her hand and when she did Dyshiki immediately grabbed on and swung his little body up and onto Emma’s shoulder.

“Mummy look!” Emma called, turning towards Alex with wide, happy eyes. “It’s a monkey! His name is Dyshiki.”

Alex grinned and leaned into Harry, just so incredibly thrilled with this moment, with what Emma was being given the chance to experience. “That’s so awesome, Emma,” she called back.

Emma nodded quickly and then turned back to Oscar, giggling as Dyshiki made noise and bounced on her shoulder. “What does Dyshiki mean?” she asked him.

“Well, I’m glad you asked that,” Oscar said. He reached into his pocket and Dyshiki immediately started clapping excitedly. “It means ‘one who likes candy.’” He pulled out a peppermint and the monkey quickly snatched it and popped it right in his mouth, much to Emma’s delight.

Oscar grinned and then pulled several more candies from his pocket and put them in Emma’s pocket, ensuring that she would be able to keep the monkey occupied for a few minutes, and then he stood, grinning at Harry and Alex.

“Let me show you the bungalow quickly and then I’ll let all of you settle in,” he said, nodding towards the house.

“Fantastic,” Harry nodded. He slid an arm around Alex’s shoulders and motioned for Emma to move in front of them as they followed Oscar inside. Emma grinned, ecstatic that she was able to carry her new friend on her shoulder inside the bungalow.

Oscar gave them a quick tour of the house and it really was amazing. There were three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom attached. There was a living area with a huge flat screen TV, a dining area, a kitchen with everything anyone could ever need, and even a private swimming pool out back. The sun was just starting to set and the view was so startlingly beautiful that Alex gasped and had to take a moment to take it all in.

After a few moments spent chatting, Oscar gathered his monkey from Emma, thanked her heartily for entertaining him, and then he bid them all good-bye, leaving them to enjoy the rest of their evening.

“Mummy! Harry! I want to go swimming!” Emma pleaded the instant Oscar was out of sight. “Please please please…”

“Ha!” Alex laughed. “I think I would have been worried if that wasn’t the first thing out of your mouth, Emma.”

Emma slapped her hands right on her hips and gave Alex a look that clearly said that wasn’t the answer she was looking for, bringing a shout of laughter from Harry and pulling Alex’s smile even wider.

“Of course you can swim,” Alex finally said. “Actually…” She turned towards Harry. “I think we all should go swimming.”

“I’m in,” Harry agreed instantly. “In fact…” He threw them both a wink and a smirk and surprised Emma and Alex by running straight to the edge of the pool and jumping, doing a fully clothed cannon ball right into the pool.

Emma turned wide eyes towards her mother and Alex couldn’t help the giggle that slipped from her lips as Harry came to the surface, laughing and shaking excess water from his red head of hair. “What are you waiting for Em? Get in!”

Emma’s mouth dropped. “Really?”

“Yep,” Alex nodded with a grin. She watched as Emma squealed and then took off toward the edge, jumping in fully clothed as well and swimming right over to Harry.

And Alex took one more moment to take in her surroundings; the beautiful house, the stunning view, the warm, sultry air. She felt light and airy and so incredibly happy and her she let it sink in just where she was and who she was with. Her eyes finally fell on Harry and Emma laughing and motioning for her to join, and so she did, running and jumping in to the warm water with her loves.


	57. Chapter Fifty Seven

Harry was up with the dawn the next morning, pulling Alex out of bed with him to go watch the sunrise with him.

“Come on, love. I’ve had breakfast and coffee delivered. Let’s go,” he laughed as he dragged her, groaning and mumbling under her breath at the early hour.

“I’m on vacation, Wales,” she grumbled as he dragged her out of their room and into the kitchen. But the slight tilt on her lips told him she was giving him a hard time for the sake of it; Harry was excited, she could see that clearly, and in turn she was excited for anything he wanted to show her.

“Coffee,” he grinned as he poured and passed a mug to her.

“Mmmm. Thank you.” She held the warm mug in her hands and followed Harry as he led them out onto the back deck. He settled back onto the outdoor loveseat and she moved in next to him, curling up into his side. “Oh my god,” she groaned as she took her first sip of coffee. “I think this is best coffee I’ve ever had.”

Harry chuckled and tucked her closer to his side. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Love, Harry. I love this coffee. As a matter of fact, right now I think I love this coffee almost as much as I love you,” she teased, turning a side glance at him as she pulled the mug to her lips again.

He laughed, his eyes crinkling up at the corners. “It’s a special blend, native to the area.”

“Mmmm…” She smiled as she took another sip and then settled in next to him to watch the sunrise. It really was stunning as it rose above the hills in the distance, casting light on the gorgeous vista before them. “So, tell me about Lesotho,” she said softly. “We didn’t get a chance to talk about it last night.”

“That’s because you couldn’t keep your hands off of me long enough to have a conversation,” he grinned.

Alex shook her head and laughed. “I don’t seem to remember a single complaint from you, Wales.”

“No, you didn’t.” His smile was light and happy at the memory. He pulled her tighter against him and she could see the change in him as soon as it happened, as soon as his mind shifted from their passionate reunion the night before to the days he had spent in Lesotho. Something about his entire demeanor changed, moving from light and teasing to soft and thoughtful. “I’ve always loved going to Lesotho, you know that.”

“I do,” Alex nodded.

“I hadn’t seen Seeiso in so long, over a year. I felt bad for letting life get in the way. But when I got there, when I got to spend time with the kids….” A slow smile spread across his face and he turned to her, finding her eyes. “Alex, these kids, these tiny little innocent children have next to nothing. They live in a way that is incredibly foreign to everything you or I know but they are happy, in part because of what Sentebale has done and wants to keep doing for them.” He looked away from her for a moment and took a deep breath before turning back with a wide smile. “I had so much fun just having them teach me how to spell things in sign language. I even had a blast when Seeiso made me put on that terrible pink apron to make donuts.”

“Yes,” Alex giggled. “I saw the pictures.”

“Of course you did,” he nodded, his lips tipping up into a smirk. Her habit of looking up pictures of him at his engagements never failed to amuse him.

“I can’t help myself,” she shrugged, not embarrassed in the least.

“But you get to see the real thing,” he gestured to himself, a cocky smile on his face.

She lifted a brow to him. “How do you do that so early in the morning?”

“What?”

“Turn on the…smarmy-ness.”

“Ha!” He laughed as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I love you, you know that?”

She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I do. I really, really do.”

******************

 Soon after the sun had raised their easy, quiet morning faded and, after waking Emma, they were on the move. Breakfast was delivered to the bungalow and after they all filled up on delicious pastries and fruit, they dressed and were off for their Safari.

Over the course of their relationship Alex had always been aware of the scope of the things Harry could do, the things he could make happen. He had given both Alex and Emma some amazing experiences, but Alex was sure that for a long time this trip, the amazing things they saw and did, would be at the top of the list. 

It wasn’t just that she loved everything about the land, that she felt so at ease, so free here. It was that when she looked at Harry she could see that he felt the same; that he felt a pull to this place, something that called to him on the inside. And even more than that, she could see that Emma did too.

The first day they went out on the land, part of a convoy of open Jeeps on a private tour. Emma had wanted to see the wildlife and they did. They saw more forms of wildlife than either Alex or Emma would have imagined. And the animals seemed to move around them without paying any attention, just going about their business. It was amazing and the best way to observe, as if they weren’t even really there.

Their first day ended late in the afternoon. They were all happy but tired and ready to relax. They ate a delicious dinner on the back deck and then let Emma have her obligatory swim. Then, seeing her daughter’s drooping eyelids, Alex pulled Emma from the water, wrapped her up snug in a towel, let Harry take her and tuck her into bed, and made her way into the bedroom she was sharing with Harry. She changed into her pajamas, slid into the soft cotton sheets, and was fast asleep before Harry even returned from tucking Emma in. She was just plain exhausted from their day.

Harry smiled when he stepped into the room, seeing her tucked up in the blankets, her breathing even, her hair spread out on the pillow behind her.

God, he loved her.

Bringing her here with Emma, to Africa, had long been something he had wanted to do and after watching them that day, he knew it was the right thing to do.

It was amazing to be in on this land he loved so much with them, he thought to himself as he dressed down to just his boxers and undershirt and moved into bed beside her. It was a place he had always felt at home in and from the moment he had met Alex and Emma, he had felt at home with them too. And as sappy as silly as he knew it sounded, having them there felt like completing some kind of circle in his life.

He smiled softly to himself as he pulled the blankets up around himself and then reached for her, tucking an arm around her and pulling her gently into his side. She shifted, her eyes fluttering open.

“Shhh. Go back to sleep. I love you,” he whispered, reaching over to brush a piece of hair from her face.

A sleepy, happy smile tilted her lips. “I love you too.”

She snuggled down into him and they both closed their eyes, letting sleep take over.

*************

The next day was reserved for something very special for Emma, and Harry’s excitement for their outing made Alex smile wide, knowing just how happy Emma would be with the surprise Harry had for her.

“C’mon Harry! Please tell me,” Emma begged from where she sat in between Harry and Alex in the SUV taking them to their destination.

He chuckled. “Well, that would ruin the surprise now, wouldn’t it?”

Emma sighed dramatically. “Yes…”

“Don’t worry, kiddo,” he grinned. He reached over to ruffle her hair. “Your agony is almost over.”

“What’s agony?” Emma asked, tilting her head to the side, her focus on their destination derailed momentarily.

Harry blinked, not knowing quite what to say. Of course he knew what the word meant, but he wasn’t sure that he could explain it to an almost seven year old without raising more questions.

Alex caught his hesitation and she understood. She chuckled and stepped in to help. “Emma,” she called, drawing her daughter’s attention to her. “You know when you’re really excited about something and you feel like you’re going to burst if you don’t get to find out what that thing is or get to do whatever that thing is soon?”

“Oh yes,” Emma said, her eyes wide and serious. “That’s how I feel right now.”

Alex smiled. “Exactly. That’s what Harry meant when he said agony.”

“Ohhh…” Emma nodded, clearly turning over the new word in her head.

“And the good news, Emma,” Harry broke in. “Is that your agony is over. We’re here.”

Emma sat straight up in the seat and then leaned over Harry to peer out of the window, trying to figure it out. Her eyes scanned the compound they were pulling up to and the moment she realized what was there, her breath caught and her eyes flew to Harry.

“Elephants!” she cried. “Harry! There are elephants here.”

Alex couldn’t help the happy giggle that left her lips at Emma’s reaction, at her pure joy. She grinned and moved to smooth Emma’s hair as Harry looked at her with a wide smile before looking back down at Emma.

“I promised you at Thanksgiving, after we went to the zoo, that I would take you to Africa and you could…”

“Touch the elephants!” Emma finished, clapping her hands together with glee. “Are we really here to touch elephants?”

The car pulled to a stop and Harry’s PO moved from the front to open the door for them.

“Yes, we are,” Harry grinned as he stepped from the SUV and then turned to reach in, pulling Emma out and then offering Alex a helping hand out as well. “We are not only going to touch them, we are going to feed them and play with them some as well.”

Emma squinted up at him in the sunshine and she was just completely overcome. Her big blue eyes welled up with tears; tears born out of pure joy that had nowhere else to go, no other way to leave her body but through happy tears.

“Oh hey, Emma…” Harry said softly, startled at her tears. He very rarely saw her cry. He knelt down to her level and before he could say anything she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Harry’s eyes flew to Alex’s and she smiled softly, her fingers at her lips.

“She’s so happy,” Alex mouthed, moving to press her hand over her heart.

Harry nodded, pulling his eyes from Alex before he got emotional and he patted Emma on the back softly before pulling back from her. “You going to be okay?” he asked quietly. He reached up and brushed the few stray tears that had slipped from her eyes and she nodded quickly.

“Yes,” she smiled, her moment of being overwhelmed quickly fading. Her hands moved to her shoulders and she bounced on her feet. “I’m so excited. Can we go in? I’m in  _agony_!”

Harry and Alex both laughed loudly and Harry moved to his feet, completely reassured that Emma was okay.

“Well, we don’t want that,” he chuckled. “Let’s go in.”

Harry reached for Emma’s hand and then he reached for Alex as well. She took his free hand with a wide smile and together they walked into the front doors of the main building of the complex.

As it turned out, the complex was a veterinary hospital of sorts, except that the animals there didn’t belong to anyone – although some of them did come from the conservancy that Harry, Alex, and Emma were staying on. They were all animals that had been found sick, hurt, or even in some cases had been found in possession of people who had captured them illegally.

Harry had a long standing relationship with the center and its owner, a lovely American woman named Jo, who enveloped Harry into a huge hug the moment she saw him.

“Well, well. If it isn’t His Royal Highness. It’s been too long since you’ve come to see me, Wales,” she grinned, pushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead.

“Oh come on, Jo,” he grinned right back. “You know I’d come visit if I could.”

“Yeah, Yeah,” Jo laughed. “Now introduce me to your lovely ladies here, one of whom I hear can’t wait to meet the elephants.”

“That’s me,” Emma piped up, raising her hand up in the air excitedly.

“That’s you?” Jo pointed at the little blonde haired girl playfully. “Then you must be Emma, right?” Emma nodded and Jo grinned and then turned to Alex. “You must be Alexandra then.”

Alex smiled wide in greeting. “Yes, but please call me Alex. And thank you for letting us come in.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble,” Jo waved a hand in the air. “I’m happy to have you. She smiled warmly and then clapped her hands together, turning to Emma. “Are you ready then, Emma?”

“Oh yes, yes, yes,” Emma bounced up and down, unable to contain herself.

“Alright, follow me guys,” Jo said with a wide smile as she moved, taking them through the main building. They exited from the building and out into the hot sun again, Jo leading the way until they came to the huge area that the two elephants lived.

“Okay,” Jo addressed the group, her hand resting on the gate before she moved to open it. “The two elephants we have are a mother and her baby, although the baby is mostly grown now. They were captured illegally, but were brought here when they were rescued. Betsy is the mother and she would never be able to be re-introduced to the wild with Bruno and believe me, there is no way she would ever part with her baby. So we’ve worked with them both and they are amazing. Follow my instructions, be calm, be friendly, and most of all, have fun…they love fun.”

Emma giggled at that and Alex and Harry both smiled wide. Then Jo opened the gate and they all stepped in. The bigger of the two elephants, Betsy looked up from her spot about twenty yards away, and recognizing Jo she immediately began to amble over, wanting to say hi. Jo patted Betsy on her trunk when she came up next to her and said a few low words.

“That’s amazing,” Alex whispered to Harry. “That elephant understands everything she says.”

“Jo is incredible,” Harry agreed quietly.

Then Jo turned around and motioned for Emma to come forward. Emma stepped forward, her hands twisting in front of her, just the tiniest bit of nerves rising to the surface.

“Emma, meet Betsy,” Jo said. “You can come touch her trunk just like this.”

Emma stepped forward, and with what Alex would swear was the biggest smile she had ever seen on Emma’s face, her daughter reached forward and laid her hand on Betsy, stroking her rough skin softly, reverently.

*************

“Mummy, remember when Betsy picked me up with her trunk?” Emma asked excitedly as they ate dinner that night in their bungalow.

“I do,” Alex smiled at Emma’s happiness, at her complete and utter delight at the afternoon they had spent at the complex. They had seen other animals; Emma had played with tiger cubs, she had petted a zebra, and she had squealed with delight at feeding a giraffe. But none of that had compared to the time they had spent with Betsy and Bruno.

“I still can’t believe I got to ride Bruno,” Emma sighed, her eyes getting a faraway look for a moment as the memory, still so fresh and new, washed over her. “I can’t wait to tell Simon.”

Alex bit her lip and glanced towards Harry, catching the furrow in his brow as he moved to focus all of his attention on Emma. Alex knew exactly who Simon was and was already fighting a giggle at Harry finding out.

Emma took a bite of food, chewed for a moment, and swallowed before turning to Harry and in a completely matter-of-fact tone of voice said, “He’s my boyfriend.”

Harry’s eyes went wide, he slowly lowered his fork to his plate, and Alex fought the urge to laugh even harder.

“You’re seven,” Harry said pointedly to Emma.

“No, I’m  _almost_  seven,” she corrected as Alex lost the battle with her giggles.

Harry’s eyes slid to hers. “Why are you laughing?”

Alex grinned. “Because you are freaking out, just like I knew you would.”

Harry blinked at her. “What? Why aren’t YOU freaking out? Your daughter has a…” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “ _Boyfriend._ ”

"Simon," Emma corrected as she reached for her glass of water.

"Yes, Simon...no wait," Harry shook his head. "NOT Simon. No boyfriends allowed."

"Mummy said it was fine. She said he's cute."

Harry’s eyes shifted to Alex and he lifted a brow. “You knew about this? You’ve met this…Simon?”

“Of course,” Alex laughed. “He is in Emma’s class. He’s a cute little brown haired boy with impeccable manners and…he’s about four inches shorter than Emma.”

Harry blinked and Alex saw it hit him; she saw the realization wash over him that he was being absolutely ridiculous. He grinned and shook his head, laughing at himself while Alex watched him with dancing eyes.

“He’s shorter than you, Em?” Harry asked, his tone noticeably softer.

Emma wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “Yeah, but a lot of the boys are. My teacher says that’s normal and they will catch up someday.” And then, dismissing the topic of Simon from her mind, she swung her gaze to her mother. “Mummy, can I go download the pictures from the camera so that we can send them to Granny and Mimi and Poppy and Uncle Matt?”

“You, you may,” Alex nodded. “Take your plate to the sink first.”

“Okay,” Emma said as she hopped down from the table and grabbed her plate. She moved to the kitchen and Alex watched her go before turning to Harry with a smirk of a smile on her lips.

“So, Harry. How exactly did you picture Simon? About six foot two, two hundred pounds?”

He couldn’t help the shout of laughter that left his lips. “Something like that.”

Alex chuckled and moved from her chair and over to Harry, sliding into his lap. “You know, it’s not like Emma saying she has a boyfriend means she wants to go on dates and make out in the backseat of a car.”

“Oh God, just hearing that makes me nervous,” Harry grimaced, bringing a giggle from Alex.

“It means that Simon is probably her best friend that is a boy,” Alex continued. She moved her arms around his neck and leaned into him. “He’s a sweet little thing that Emma bosses around and he lets her and so she calls him her boyfriend. That’s all there is to it.”

Harry sighed and moved his arms around her, pulling her close. “I let you boss me around,” he teased.

“And you like it,” she smirked.

“I do. You can boss me around later if you like,” he teased with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Oh Captain, you’ve got a deal.”

“Ha!” he laughed before leaning forward and pressing a warm kiss to her lips. “I can’t wait.”

“Me either,” she winked at him with a wide, playful smile. “But first we need to go help Emma download the pictures so we can send them over.”

“We can do that,” he nodded. “Can we send some to my dad and Camilla and Will and Kate? I got an email earlier and they asked for some.”

A slow smile tilted Alex’s lips. “They want to see pictures?”

“Of course,” Harry shrugged. “Why wouldn’t they?”

“I don’t know…” Alex said slowly. “I just wouldn’t think that…”

“Well, you should you know,” Harry said softly. “You should.”

Alex sighed, her eyes soft as she looked into his. “Are you ever going to stop trying to make me cry?”

He grinned. “Never.”

***********

Their days in Africa had flown by and before any of them knew it, it was their final evening and none of them were quite ready to let it go.

They had a private dinner booked in the restaurant of the resort for the three of them to celebrate their successful trip, and Harry was really looking forward to treating his girls to a wonderful meal after the amazing week they had spent with him.

But when he stepped from the shower and into the bedroom he was sharing with Alex, he could tell instantly that something wasn’t quite right with her. She stood at the closet, pulling a dress from a hangar, but her movements were slow; tired.

“Alex?”

She turned around towards him, pulling a smile into place. “Hmmm?”

“Hey…” He moved towards her, running a hand down her back when he reached her. “Are you okay baby?”

She sighed and leaned into him, into his warmth. “Harry, I don’t feel so great. I don’t know if I’m coming down with something or…I’m just achy and tired and…”

“Oh love,” he murmured. “I’m so sorry. Listen, I’ll cancel dinner. I can order something to be delivered and…”

“No no,” she interrupted with a slight wave of her hand. “I’ll pull it together.”

“No.”

Her lips turned down slightly and she pulled her eyes to his. “No?”

Harry smiled softly. “I’m not going to drag you to dinner if you aren’t feeling well, Alexandra. I want you to rest. We will stay here and just relax tonight.”

“But Emma is really looking forward to this dinner,” Alex attempted again, not wanting to ruin the plans Harry had set in place.

“I’m sure she’ll be okay if…”

“Wait,” Alex interrupted with a smile. “What if you just took Emma?”

A small smile tipped at Harry’s lips. “Really? You’d be okay with that?”

Alex laughed. “Of course. I think Emma would love it as well.”

“I would love to take Emma, but really Alex…I don’t want to leave you here if you’re sick and…”

Alex rolled her eyes and clapped her hand over his mouth. “Stop. I’m a big girl. I’ll be fine. I’ll order up some soup and make some tea and sleep. Hopefully I’ll feel better in the morning.”

Harry peered at her one more time, wanting to make sure she was okay with staying at the house by herself. She shot him a look in return and he gave in with a laugh, raising his hands in defeat. “Okay, I’ll take Emma. Now get into your pajamas,” he ordered in a warm voice. “I’m going to go let Emma know it’s just us, order you up some light food, and then we’ll go.”

**************

Harry and Emma’s dinner “date” was wonderful. It really was something, having Emma to himself sometimes, listening to her talk and asking her questions and generally just getting to spoil her rotten, which spoiled him rotten as well.

He adored her.

He ate up her sass with and laughed at her silly jokes and giggled when he told her stories from his childhood, about all of the hijinks he got up to with William. And when dinner was over, as much as he wanted to get back to Alex, Harry wasn’t quite ready to give up his time with Emma yet so he suggested to her that they walk back to the bungalow instead of being driven and Emma agreed with a wide smile.

They stepped from restaurant and into the warm African night and Emma immediately reached for Harry’s hand, wrapping her tiny hand inside of his big one. Harry’s heart swelled and he swallowed the lump in his throat at the action, that she did it without any thought; it was natural to her at this point.

“Harry?” she called his name out a few minutes into their walk.

“Yes Em?”

“Mummy said you were in Africa before you met us here, but in another part of Africa. What part were you in?”

Harry smiled and turned sweet eyes down to Emma. “I was in a country called Lesotho. A very good friend of mine is a Prince there and we run a charity organization that benefits children in his country.”

“Really?” She was immediately fascinated. “Did you see your friend and the kids while you were there?”

“I did,” he nodded. “I visited a lot with the kids. Some of them taught me a little bit of sign language, some of them taught me how to make these special donuts, and then they even got me to do a dance with them.”

“A dance?” Emma giggled. “I wish I would have seen that.”

“Yeah?” Harry chuckled. “I think there is video of it online. We can look it up when we get back to the bungalow.”

“Oh I can’t wait!” she squealed and Harry laughed loudly. Emma seemed to get the urge to make fun of his ridiculous moments straight from her mother, but he didn’t mind one little bit.

“Okay, we will do that then.”

They were silent for a few moments as they moved over the terrain, their joined hands swinging between them, and then Emma spoke up again. “When are you going to go back to Les…” she trailed off, not quite remembering how to say the name.

“Lesotho,” Harry provided gently and Emma nodded. “I don’t know. Hopefully not too long, why?”

“Cause I think I’d like to go someday,” she said firmly and he was a little taken aback at the conviction in her voice. “I’d like to meet your friend and have the kids teach me things and help them too.”

Harry couldn’t help the tears that welled in his eyes and he was glad it was dark, that Emma couldn’t see them and wonder if anything was wrong. “You would, Emma?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I like to learn new things. And I love Africa.”

“Me too,” Harry said quietly, not sure he could convey any other words in that moment.

“Mummy loves it here too,” Emma continued on, oblivious to the emotions hitting Harry from all angles. “And I think she’d like to go to…Lesotho too.”

He swallowed at the lump in his throat, blinked at the tears, and focused on her words, on giving her an answer.

“Yeah?” he finally said, his voice hoarse.

“Yeah,” Emma said with a firm nod. “She would.”

And as they continued their walk, Harry’s mind drifted and he knew Emma was right.

And he couldn’t wait until the day that he could bring both Emma and Alex to Lesotho with him, when he could bring them into that part of his life.

He was closer than he'd ever been in his life to all of his dreams coming true.


	58. Chapter Fifty Eight

Alex was pretty sure she had never been so sick in her entire life.

They had barely made it back from Africa before the illness hit fully, taking her completely down. After initially worrying that she had picked up something in Africa, Harry rushed her to the doctor right away, but after determining it was just a nasty flu virus that was going around, they put her on antibiotics and cleared her to go home.

Unfortunately, the next morning was Emma’s first day back at school after spring vacation and there was just no way that Alex would be able get Emma ready as she normally did. She was almost too weak to move, and having to get Emma dressed, fed, and to school would require energy she didn’t have. 

“Harry, you have to get her ready,” Alex groaned as she blew her nose for the hundredth time that morning as Harry stood in the doorway to the bedroom. He had stayed the night before to help take care of Emma, and had handled that just fine, but getting an almost seven year old ready for school was something that was well beyond his comfort zone. “And you have to get her to school. Molly won’t be back in town until this afternoon and she’ll pick her up, but you have to get her there.”

“Okay…” Harry nodded, shifting on his feet. “But what do I do?”

“Emma knows what to do,” she moaned as she fell back among the pillows, her eyes sliding closed out of the sheer effort it took just took to hold a small conversation. Harry instantly took a step towards her, hating the fact that she was feeling so incredibly bad. “Don’t!” she called out hoarsely, hearing him coming near her. “Don’t come over here. I don’t want you to get sick. It’s bad enough you have to see me like this.”

“Alex, I don’t give a shit what you look like. You’re sick,” he chuckled as he listened to her wishes and stepped back to the doorway.

“Ugggggggh,” came the groaned reply from the mess of blankets and pillows on the bed.

“Okay, okay,” Harry gave in, holding his hands up in defeat, even though she wasn’t looking at him at all. “I’ll get Emma ready, take her to school, and then I’ll come back here before I head into work to do some things. Do you need me to bring you anything?”

“Yes, a new immune system please,” she whimpered.

“Okay, love. I’ll work on it,” he said, trying to be sweet and light as he knew she felt beyond terrible. When she didn’t reply he knew she had slid back into sleep and he stepped from the room and closed her door quietly.

He moved down the hall to Emma’s room and pushed her door open. He couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips at the sight of her; her arm thrown above her head, her legs sticking out under her pink princess blanket. He moved over to her and then he realized he had never woken her up before. He had tucked her into bed countless times, but the times that Emma didn’t get up first, Alex had always been the one to pull her out of bed. He was moving into a weird sort of territory, getting her up and getting her ready for school. It made him inexplicably nervous. This was part of a routine that Emma and Alex had done many, many times and had perfected over the years and here he was, being thrown into it.

And then, with a shake of his head he had to laugh at himself. He was a Captain in the British Army. He had flown his Apache in a war zone. He had been all over the world and met all kinds of people and been in situations that normal people would never be in. But yet, something that normal people did all the time, getting a child ready for school, was making him nervous, was making his palms sweat just a little bit more than he would ever admit to anyone.

He grinned at just how sappy he was being, something that had become quite prevalent in his life since Alex and Emma had walked in, and then moved to the bed and sat down quietly. He reached out and smoothed a hand gently over her forehead, moving her blonde hair from her face.

“Emma,” he called gently. “It’s time to get up.”

She stirred and he smiled as her eyes blinked open, sleepy and confused. “Harry?”

Her voice was small and hoarse from sleep and Harry thought it was probably the cutest thing he’d ever heard. “Your mum is still really sick, so I have to get you ready for school kiddo,” he said as she began to wake up a bit more, rubbing her eyes and blinking at him several times, taking in his words.

“Okay,” Emma mumbled and then she moved out from under her covers and, almost taking Harry down, she crawled onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling her face down into him.

“Aw, Em,” he grinned as he reached up to rub her back.

“Will you carry me into the kitchen, Harry?” she mumbled as she snuggled down deeper into the crook of his neck.

His heart thumped so loud in his chest he was amazed Emma didn’t hear it.

“Sure, Em,” he murmured. “Is it breakfast first then?” When she nodded against him he gathered her in his arms and stood. As she wrapped herself around him he reached down and pulled her blanket from her bed and wrapped it around her, keeping her warm and snuggled against his chest as he left her room and moved them into the kitchen.

He flipped on the light when they moved into the kitchen and moved to set Emma down in one of the kitchen chairs. He pulled her blanket snug around her and kissed the top of her head as he stepped away. “What’s for breakfast usually?” he asked with a sheepish smile.

Emma shrugged. “Mummy usually makes eggs or pancakes but…” A sneaky grin appeared on her face. “But sometimes she lets me have cookies.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed with a shake of her head. “I find that very hard to believe, Emma.”

Emma bit her lip but she couldn’t help the giggle that slipped out. “Come on Harry! I looooooove cookies.”

“Emma,” he chuckled. “When are you ever going to learn to call them biscuits like a proper little English girl?”

“But Mummy calls them cookies,” she said with a wrinkle of her cute little nose.

“Fine, fine,” he gave in with a shake of his head. “How about some eggs and toast this morning? I can definitely do eggs and toast.”

“Ooooookay,” Emma sighed, bringing another laugh from Harry as he set about attempting to make eggs and toast for breakfast.

***********

Forty five minutes later Emma had eaten, she was in her room dressing in her school uniform, and Harry had relaxed, feeling much more comfortable with getting her ready. It had been much easier than he thought and Alex had been right, Emma knew exactly what to do.

That was until it was time to do Emma’s hair.

She opened the door to her room to where Harry waited in the hallway. She was fully dressed, shoes on and everything, and she walked right up to him and held something out to him, looking up at him expectantly. When he glanced down and saw the hair brush in her hand he blinked.

“Do you need me to brush your hair for you?”

“Noooooo,” Emma rolled her eyes. “I need you to put it in pigtails for me.”

“You can’t put your own hair in pigtails?”

“Harry,” she whined, thrusting the brush at him again. “I don’t know how and I can’t see back there. They will be crooked and I can’t have crooked pigtails. You  _have_  to do it.”

“Emma,” he started, taking the brush reluctantly from her hand. “I’ve never put anyone’s hair in pigtails before.”

“Well you have to,” she insisted. She reached up and pushed on his hip, turning him towards the bathroom and when he turned around she pushed on his lower back, clearly intent that he was going to do this, no matter what he said.

“Where did you learn to be so bossy?” he chuckled as he moved in the direction she was pushing him. He flipped on the light in the bathroom and moved in so she could come in as well. She threw him a look as she pulled a small step stool out from under the cabinet and then moved to stand on it so she was fully in the mirror over the sink.

“You don’t get mad when Mummy bosses you around.”

A shout of laughter left his lips and he pointed the hairbrush at her in the mirror. “You have too much sass for your own good sometimes.”

Emma threw her hands on her hips and looked at him with wide eyes. “Are you going to put my hair in pigtails or not, Harry? You’re going to make me late for school!”

“Okay, Okay.” He held up his hands in surrender and then stepped in behind her, looking cautiously at the mop of long blonde hair before him. There was a rather large tangle of hair right near her neck, so he figured that would be the best place to start.

He was so incredibly wrong.

He reached up and tried to tug the brush through her hair and Emma’s head yanked bank and a yelp left her lips.

“OW! HARRY!”

“Oh shit…I mean. Crap! Emma, I’m so sorry,” he rushed to sooth her, reaching up to run a soft hand over her hair. “Emma listen, look at my hair, I’ve never had to brush it. I pretty much run a comb or my fingers through and I’m done. Can you at least tell me how your mum does this?”

“You said a bad word.”

He resisted the urge to groan. “I know. I know. I’m sorry.”

Emma sighed. “Start at the bottom, Harry,” she said. “And don’t tug so hard.”

“Okay,” he nodded, taking a deep breath. And then he went to work.

Starting at the bottom of her long blonde hair he worked the brush upward slowly, pulling the tangles from her hair with only a few more shrieks of pain and annoyance from Emma. Eventually he could pull the brush through without meeting resistance and then he stepped back, a proud smile on his face.

“Done!”

“Now you have to put it up,” she said matter-of-fact. She opened the drawer beside her and pulled out two hair ties.

“You can’t wear it down?”

“I don’t want to. It gets in my way.”

“But you are allowed to?”

“Harry!” Emma stomped her foot on the stool in frustration. “Please! I don’t like to wear my hair down at school.”

“Emma, you are being just a teeny bit difficult,” he groaned, not wanting to frustrate her any more but a little perturbed at her attitude. “I know this is what your mum usually does but she’s sick and you have to work with me here kiddo.”

“But I want pigtails,” she tried again, though her voice was smaller, less pushy and Harry could see instantly that she was testing a limit, seeing how far she could push him.

He cocked an eye brow. “Want me to go wake your sick mother up?”

Emma’s mouth opened and then closed right back up, obviously deciding that whatever she was going to say wasn’t worth it at all. She shook her head slowly. “No way.”

“Okay then,” Harry nodded. “I’ll make you a deal. We will do a ponytail. If we try to do pigtails I can assure you that you will walk out of here with them crooked and you will not be happy.”

Emma waited a beat and then she nodded. “Okay, I like ponytails too.”

Harry shook his head and laughed. “You are too much sometimes, Em.”

Then, taking another deep breath, he went to work on pulling Emma’s thick hair into a ponytail. It wasn’t the world’s best ponytail. In fact, it was a little messier than Emma would usually wear, and just a teensy bit crooked, but it still served its purpose and by the time it was finished Emma was tired of the process and they were running short on time so she just hopped off the stool with a huff and left the bathroom to go get her books together. Harry rolled his eyes and moved out after her to help her gather her stuff.

By the time they made their way down to the car her attitude had faded and Harry had relaxed, having made it through the morning without any breakdowns…from either of them. They slid back into their easy-ness; the silly back and forth they always had with each other.

When the car pulled up through the gate to the school, he lifted her backpack and handed it to her after she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Do you need me to walk you up?” he asked, a soft smile on his face as he remembered being walked up to school by his own mother on more than one occasion.

“No,” she shook her head. “I just go right in that door.” She pointed to a set of big double doors about ten feet away that a kind looking woman was standing at, ushering children inside.

“Okay,” he nodded, unexpectedly emotional. He had gotten her ready for school and he was dropping her off. It was so very parental that suddenly he didn’t want to let her go. “I hope you have a good day, Emma. Your Granny will pick you up and I will see you later back at your house.”

“Okay!” she smiled wide and then, leaning over she hugged him quick and gave a quick knock on the window, knowing the drill by now. Harry’s PO that had been standing there pulled the door open and she slid out, turning to offer Harry one last tiny wave before she ran off to join her classmates.

Harry grinned as he watched her enter the school before he gave the okay for the driver to pull away.

************

Harry finally made it back to Alex’s later that evening, a couple of things he had brought for her tucked under his arms as he unlocked her door and called out for her. He knew Emma would still be at Molly’s for another hour or so, but fully expected Alex to still be in bed. So when she answered him from the kitchen, hoarsely but with a little bit more spirit than she’d had that morning, he was a bit surprised.

He rounded the corner and found her there, still in her PJs, her hair askew, searching through her pantry. “What are you doing up, baby? You should be resting.”

She gave him a small smile, and although he could tell she was still weak, she looked about one hundred times better than she did when he had left her that morning. “I’m starving,” she said. “I finally feel like I can get something down but my throat is so raw…” She shut her pantry door with a sigh. “But I don’t really have anything other than soup that I think I can take.”

“Ah…” Harry grinned, moving forward into the kitchen. “I think I can help you with that.”

“You can?” She eyed the packages under his arms. “Did you bring me something Wales?”

“I did. But before I give it to you I need you to sit in that chair right there…” He pointed to the very same kitchen chair he had deposited Emma into that morning. “I’m going to get you snuggled up in a blanket, and then I’ll solve your hunger problem.”

“Okay,” she agreed with a sigh of relief that she could sit, that she didn’t have to continue her search and use what little energy she had.

She moved to the chair and sat, watching as Harry set the packages down on the counter and then moved from the room and then came back with a warm, fuzzy blanket from the living room. With a loving smile he wrapped it around her, making sure she was tucked completely inside of it, and then he dropped a kiss on top of her head.

“Look at you, taking care of me, even when I’m sick and utterly gross,” Alex joked as she pulled a tissue from the box she had set on the table when she had come into the kitchen and blew her nose.

He laughed as he moved to the counter, pulling something out of the smaller of the two bags that sat there. “I’ll always take care of you, you know that.”

“I do,” she nodded and then, her attention diverted to what he was doing, her forehead wrinkled and she pointed to what he was holding. “Is that your shirt?”

“It is,” he grinned, holding up his blue and white plaid shirt that was lined with flannel. “You love this shirt and you threaten to steal it from me all the time, so I figured, with you being sick, it would be the perfect thing for you to snuggle up in.”

“Awww. Harry…” she smiled softly. “I love that shirt.”

“I know you do love.”

He walked over to her and she shrugged the blanket off as he held the shirt out. She slipped her arms inside and pulled it around her. It was big and warm and smelled like him.

“Thank you,” she sniffed as she pulled her blanket back up around her. “I promise I’ll wash it free of germs once I’m over this.”

“It’s not a loaner shirt, Alexandra,” he smirked. “I’m giving it to you.”

Her eyes turned soft even as she blew into a tissue again. “But you wear this all the time.”

“I have other shirts,” he shrugged. “And don’t lie, you really want the shirt.”

She gave him a small smile. “I really want the shirt.”

He chuckled and then moved over to the second package from which he pulled out a small portable cooler. Alex could hear ice moving around in it and she looked at Harry curiously.

“What in the world is that?”

“This…” He lifted the lid from the cooler with an over-exaggerated flourish and then pulled out a tub of ice cream, holding it up with a cheeky grin.

Alex’s eyes widened a bit. “Is that…Blue Bell?”

He nodded. “It is.”

“Chocolate chip cookie dough?”

“Would it be anything else?”

“Harry!” She squeaked, her sore throat causing her voice to break. “You have Blue Bell and you've been holding out on me?”

“No,” he laughed, moving to her cabinets to pull out two bowls and then pulling two spoons from a drawer, he scooped a bit into each bowl. “I called this morning and had some sent over. I thought it would help with the sore throat a bit.”

“Wait. Sent over? From where? Is there a store here that sells it?”

He smirked as he set a bowl down in front of her and then moved to sit across from her at the table. “No.”  He spooned some of the sweet dessert into his mouth and shrugged. “I had it sent over from the States.”

Alex paused with her spoon in mid-air, halfway to her lips. “...You had ice cream flown over from the states? Like, this morning this was in the US and now it's in my flat in the UK?”

His smile was as smug as could be. “Yes.”

Alex shook her head as she spooned a bite into her mouth. She almost moaned with how good it felt against her throat, sore and raw from coughing. “Jesus Wales,” she murmured. “I wish I wasn't so fucking sick so I could kiss the lips off your face right now.”

*************

By the time the weekend rolled around, Alex had pretty much recovered, and it looked like Harry and Emma might have escaped the sickness themselves.

“Are you sure you feel well enough to go?” Harry asked Alex as they were getting ready to take Emma to her weekly riding lesson with Zara.

“I’m fine, Wales,” she laughed. “Quit mothering me.”

“Mothering you?” he scoffed. “I’m doing no such thing.”

She grinned and stepped up to him. Her hands moved to his chest and she leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “You are, my love. And don’t get me wrong, I adore that want to take care of me, but I’m all better. Today is my last day of antibiotics and you are officially off of caretaker duty.”

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his again, lingering there, happy to be up against him after a week of avoiding contact so that he wouldn’t get sick. Her fingers tightened in his shirt and he groaned, his desires for her flaring instantly.

“Alex…” he moaned as she tipped her tongue out to his lips, asking for entry to his mouth, wanting to feel the sweet slide of his tongue against hers. He knew Emma would be running from her room to find them any second. He knew that they had to leave in less than five minutes. And he knew that if he kissed her like he wanted to kiss her right now, all that would happen would be that he would want her all day and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it for hours and hours.

But in the end, he couldn’t resist her; he never could. With a groan his arms moved around her and his opened his mouth over hers, sliding his tongue in to tangle with hers. “God, I love kissing you,” he whispered against her lips before moving in again, tightening his hold on her, kissing her deeper; harder.

She moaned and pressed herself harder against him, wishing more than anything that she could rip the shirt she had fisted in her hands from his body and take him straight to her bed.

But the reason she couldn’t do that very thing opened her bedroom door down the hallway right then and Alex and Harry moved apart instantly, both of them with flushed cheeks, swollen lips, and a look passing between them the clearly said, “We will finish this later.”

“I’m ready!” Emma called out as she sailed around the corner and into the kitchen where Harry and Alex waited, looking entirely too cute in her riding gear.

“Well, don’t you look adorable,” Harry exclaimed, moving to Emma and hoisting her into his arms, needing to move his mind from Alex for the moment.

“I’m  _always_  adorable,” Emma said, as if Harry should know better.

“Ha!” He tickled her quickly, bringing a giggle from her lips before he set her back down and turned to Alex. “Your daughter has quite the ego.”

“Don’t look at me,” Alex chuckled as she moved from the kitchen into the foyer, Emma and Harry following behind her. “You encourage her.” She pulled Emma’s light jacket from the hook by the door and held it out, Emma immediately moving into it, sliding her arms in while Alex reach for her own jacket. She turned and found Harry watching her with amusement. “What?”

“Nothing,” he shook his head. “You two just…” He waved his hand between them. “…Have such a routine. It’s fun to watch.”

Alex’s lips twisted up into a smile as she grabbed her purse. “Well, we’ve been at this a long time, haven’t we Em?”

“A looooooooong time,” Emma nodded her agreement, her face comically serious.

“You’re too much, Emma,” Harry chuckled as he checked his watch and then clapped his hands together. “Alright ladies, it’s time to go. We don’t want to keep Zara waiting. She gets mean when you make her wait.”

Alex giggled and tossed him a look as he opened the door for them to pass through. “She’s only meant to you.”

Harry smirked and tossed a wink at his girlfriend. “It’s because I’m secretly her favorite. She doesn’t want the others to find out.”

“No Harry,” Emma called out. “I’m her favorite. She told me so.”

Alex couldn’t help the shout of laughter that left her lips and Harry rolled his eyes.

“Of course.”

************

“Alright, she’s brushing Prince Charming down and then she’s going to feed him some apples,” Zara grinned as she stepped from the stables to where Harry and Alex waited outside, letting Emma have her time alone with Zara.

“I still can’t believe she named that horse Prince Charming,” Harry laughed, an almost shy grin coming to his lips.

“That kid’s got a wicked sense of humor,” Zara said with a grin as she moved to stand by Harry, bumping his shoulder with hers. “I hope my kid will have a sense of humor like that.”

“Yeah, when you ever get around to making one,” Harry teased. “Do I need to go have a talk with Mike or…”

Zara chuckled and she turned to wink at Alex before swinging her gaze back to Harry, a devilish grin on her face.

And Alex knew. She knew before Zara said a word to Harry. Her smile grew wide and her heart swelled as she waited for Zara to say it, to confirm it.

“Nah,” Zara shook her head. “Mike definitely didn’t need any help with that job.”

“Didn’t?” Harry smirked. “Did he give up already or something?”

“Is he always this dense?” Zara asked Alex, rolling her eyes.

“You’d think about this he wouldn’t,” Alex giggled.

Harry’s forehead wrinkled in confusion and then Alex saw it hit him. He blinked and then his entire face warmed as he swung a wide eyed gaze to Zara. “Wait. Are you…are you pregnant?”

“Oh God. I thought I was going to have to spell it out for you,” Zara laughed. “Yes. I’m pregnant. Due in October.”

“Zara!” Harry’s smile pulled wide and he reached for her, tugging her into his arms. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Thanks,” Zara said, her smile grateful as Alex moved in, wanting to hug her as well, to offer her congratulations.

“I’m so thrilled for you,” Alex said as she hugged Zara tight. She pulled back and grinned at Harry’s cousin, at her friend. “You’re going to love being parents. And now Emma won’t be alone in making poor Mike do ridiculous things.”

“Oh no,” Zara smirked. “Mike does ridiculous things whether the kids make him do them or not.”

****************

 “She’s asleep,” Alex said with a smile as she slipped into Harry’s room, closing the door softly behind her. “She was worn out from her lesson today.”

“Good,” Harry grinned from where he sat stretched out on the bed, his eyes dancing as she moved closer to him. “I love that kid, but I’ve been dying to be alone with her mother all fucking day.”

Alex chuckled as she slid onto his huge bed and crawled up towards him. She moved to straddle him and settled herself there, at home right in his lap. She was already dressed for bed in a t-shirt and shorts and Harry’s hands instantly found home on her bared thighs.

“Well, that’s lucky, because her mother has been dying to be alone with you all day as well.” She settled her arms around his neck and leaned into him, enjoying being wrapped around him, loving the closeness. “I can’t believe Zara is pregnant,” she sighed, her lips curling up at the sides as she met his eyes.

Harry’s smile went wide. “More babies is always a good thing. Especially from Zara and Mike, they’ll be excellent parents.”

Alex nodded, her eyes growing soft and hazy. “And of course, we will get to babysit…I hope anyway.”

“You kill me when you do that, you know,” Harry said, his voice low and soft, bringing her eyes up to his.

“When I do what?”

His hands slid to her hips and he tugged her tighter against him. “When you get all soft about babies.”

Her fingers teased in the soft hair in his neck and she leaned closer, her chest pressing against his. Her eyes danced, seeing where he was going. “I love babies, Harry…” Her voice was soft, suggestive.

“Alexandra…” he warned with a shaky laugh. “You can’t do this to me tonight.”

He bottom lip jutted out just a bit and she looked down for a just a moment and then turned wide, innocent eyes up to him. “I can’t do what?”

“Talk about babies like you want babies. I desperately want to make love to you and I’m already on a high from getting the good news from Zara and if you start talking about babies like that…”

“Well then, Harry…I guess you’re going to have to find a way to make me stop talking…” She ran the softest of kisses across his lips, pulling a low groan from him. “Because if you don’t I’m just going to go on and on about how good they smell and how sweet and snuggly they…Oh!” she squealed as he moved, wrapping a strong arm around her and flipping her on her back.

His mouth was quick to cover hers, quick to silence her, quick to bring her brain to a place where she remembered that she hadn’t had this with him in almost a week and that she wanted this just as bad as he did.

And she did. She wanted the way he slowly peeled her clothes from her body. She wanted the way he kissed and licked and sucked what felt like every inch of her skin until she was writhing with want under him. She wanted the way it felt when he pushed himself into her, filling her completely, touching the places that only he could reach.

And God, she wanted the way it felt when he moved within her, pushing and pulling at everything she had while his hands ran over her, while his mouth ravaged hers. She wanted the way he groaned and moaned and called her name when he was close, when begged for her to come for him, to join him in the intense end that both of them were barreling towards wildly. And when she did, when she went over the edge, calling his name out hoarsely into the room, he followed right behind, pressing hard and deep as he groaned into the soft, sweaty skin of her neck as he poured himself into her.

The air was soft and sweet between them after it was over, after they both caught their breath, after they both shared whispered words of love and the slow, easy kisses that come after that kind of passionate lovemaking.

Harry left her side only to clean himself and then he was back, sliding into the covers and pulling her instantly against him, tucking her into his side and pulling the blankets up around them.

“I love you, Alexandra Mae,” he whispered against her hair as he closed his eyes.

“And I love you, Henry Charles Albert David.”

****************

Three Weeks Later

Alex couldn’t stop the way her hands shook as she got out of her car at Harry’s place. She couldn’t stop the way her brain raced and how the only thing she wanted to do was tell him and at the same time wished she didn’t have to tell him anything at all.

She fought to take deep breaths as she knocked on his door and when it swung open she fought to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes.

But it was a losing battle and the tears came anyway, filling her eyes and blurring her vision as she rushed inside, leaving a stunned and concerned Harry in her wake.

“Alex?! What in the world…” he shut the door and hurried behind her as she moved into the living room, pacing back and forth. “Hey…baby…” He finally caught her by her shoulders and turned her to face him. His eyes were wide with worry and concern. “What is going on? What happened, Alex? Did something happen with the press? Did something…”

“No…” She shook her head slowly. Her voice was small, nervous. Her eyes were big and filled with tears. “Oh God…Harry, how could I have been so stupid? I just wasn’t even thinking and…”

“Wait. What?” He shook his head, confused. He bent down to her level and brought his hands to her face, gently pushing the hair from it. “Baby, you’re scaring me. What is going on? Please…” His eyes searched hers. “Tell me what is going on, Alexandra.”

Her lip trembled, but she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “I was on antibiotics. I’ve been on birth control for years… _years_ …and I forgot that antibiotics mess with birth control and…”

Harry’s breath sucked in and his eyes went wide. “Alex…”

The tears finally spilled from her eyes.

“I’m a week late, Harry.”

And his entire world tilted on its axis.


	59. Chapter Fifty Nine

“Oh my God…” Harry breathed as his world spun around him. His eyes were wide and his entire face grew at least two shades whiter than normal and it made Alex cry harder, made her awful for having to do this to him.

“Harry, I’m so sorry.” Her voice broke and her tears spilled over as she looked at him. “I know better than that and…Harry I  _swear_  I didn’t do this on purpose. I wouldn’t…”

“Oh God, Alexandra…” he groaned as her words snapped his from the fog it had slid into with her revelation. His eyes refocused on her and his stomach dropped, utterly heartbroken that she felt that she needed to explain herself to him. He moved to her quickly, running his hands up over her shoulders and to her face, cupping it gently in his fingers. “I  _know_  that Alex.” His voice was firm as his eyes held hers, steady and conveying the truth he was also speaking. “I would never, ever think that you would purposely…” He trailed off as his voice caught and instead of trying to continue on where he knew he wouldn’t be able to, he pulled her into his arms and she went easily, burying her head in his chest as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

“I don’t know what to do…” she mumbled into his chest.

Harry took a deep breath and forced his mind to focus, to think rationally. This was a situation that was just as new and shocking to him as it was to her, but he also knew that for her the fallout could be so much worse, more than he wanted her to ever have to deal with.

“Okay,” he finally said, trying for conviction. “Let’s just…” He shook his head as he pulled back from her just enough to look down into her face. “I assume you haven’t taken a test.”

She shook her head. “No…I can’t just go out and by one, the paps would be all over me. And I didn’t want to go see my doctor before I talked to you and I didn’t even know if I would still be allowed to see my own doctor still and…”

“Okay, okay, okay,” Harry rushed in, his voice soothing over the rising panic in hers. “Okay love, let’s just take this one step at a time.” He paused to wait for her reaction and when she nodded he took a deep breath. “We need to take a test. We need to figure out a way to get one without tipping off the press.”

“Who can we trust to do that that wouldn’t send up red flags everywhere if they were seen picking up a test?”

“Charlotte?” Harry suggested with the first name that hit his brain.

“No, she’s on holiday with Matt, remember? She left last night.”

“Shit,” Harry groaned. “Sorry. Of all people I should know that, my brain is just…fuck.”

Alex sighed. “God Harry, this is Kensington Palace. Are you sure you don’t just have some lying around somewhere?”

“Kate,” Harry said instantly, startling Alex.

She blinked in confusion. “What?”

“I’d bet money Kate has some from when they were trying for Henry. I went over there once and she had them just…stockpiled.”

And despite the situation, despite the potential fallout from what was happening, Alex laughed. She couldn’t help it. It sort of just gurgled up her throat and left her lips, catching both her and Harry by surprise.

Harry’s lips twitched. “You were just imagining an entire room in their apartment filled with pregnancy tests, weren’t you?”

Alex nodded, her shoulders shaking with the humor of the image. “My mom is addicted to this show they have in the US called ‘Extreme Couponers’. The people in this show buy like, five hundred things of deodorant or whatever because they’ve figured out how to use coupons to get them for free and every single one of these people has a stockpile room…”

Harry shook his head and couldn’t help but chuckle at the image she was painting. “And that’s what you pictured?”

“I can’t help myself,” she giggled.

Harry smiled softly at her and then sighed, pulling her close again. He was glad they had been able to laugh in that moment, that she had been able to find humor. He wasn’t surprised though; it was so much like her to be able to ease the situation in her own way.

“I’ll call Kate,” he finally said quietly. He leaned down and kissed her softly and then stepped back and reached for his phone in his pocket. He dialed quickly and pulled it to his ear. “Kate, it’s Harry. I have a…favor to ask.”

**************

Kate was at a meeting and wouldn’t be able to be there for at least an hour; an hour in which Harry knew that there were some things that he desperately needed to address with Alex. Before they took this test, before they walked into whatever the future might have thrown at them, he needed her to know some things.

“Alexandra,” he said quietly as they face each other in the foyer. “Before Kate gets here we need to…I think we should talk. I need to explain some things before we take this test.”

Alex’s lips turned down into a frown. “You want to tell me what you think we should do?”

“No, no,” he shook his head and stepped closer. He reached for her hand and pulled it into his. “But I think we need to talk about the possibilities. I think…” His eyes were serious, incredibly serious, as they searched hers. “I think that you need to know what happens if you are pregnant, Alex. This is more than just an accidental pregnancy, if this is what has happened. There are either steps that need to be taken or…things we will have to come to terms with.”

“But what if it’s false? Then we don’t have to…”

“But what if it’s positive, Alex?”

Her lip pulled into her teeth and her eyes filled with tears. “You want me to have it all, all the scenarios of what could happen, don’t you? You don’t want me to let the…feelings…that would come with me being pregnant with a baby  _we_  made override the reality of the situation.”

“I want us to be real about this.” His voice was soft, pleading. “If you are pregnant, I want us to be able to make decisions as parents that best benefit our child.”

“Okay…” she nodded, her heart aching just a little bit. It wasn’t the way she’d always envisioned talking about a potential child with him. It wasn’t sweet or giddy or filled with hope. But he was right. They needed to be real about this. “There is one thing you should know first Harry, before we talk about what decisions we would have to make.”

He stepped closer and nodded, waiting for her to speak.

“If I am pregnant, if there is a baby… _our_  baby…I’m having the baby. Let’s make it clear that what we discuss is what will happen if I have the baby. I won’t…” she trailed off as her voice broke and she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I can’t…I would  _love_  our baby. Just like I love Emma.”

“Okay,” he nodded. His eyes were wide, open, letting her see how much he agreed with her. “Absolutely, Alexandra. I’m with you there, love.”

“I don’t begrudge anyone their options on that issue, but for us…”

“Alex,” he interrupted, his voice low and full of emotion. “If you are pregnant…” he resisted the urge to look at her stomach, to move his hands there. “Then we have the baby. We are on the same level there.” She nodded, her eyes swimming with tears. He tugged her close and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Come on love, let’s go sit and talk.”

He led her back into the living room and to the big, comfy couch. She slid onto it and he moved in beside her, turning so that he was facing her as she pulled her legs up under her and automatically reached for the blanket he kept draped across the couch for her and pulling it across her legs.

“Okay Harry,” she said, taking a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. “What happens if I’m pregnant?”

His lips curved slightly at her directness. He reached for her hand and took it in his, pulling it over to his lap. He looked down at her hand tucked inside of his for a moment, his thumb moving tenderly back and forth across her skin while he gathered his thoughts, while he pulled the side of him that had to consider the consequences of every action he made to the front of his brain.

“There are very old laws that are still very much in place in regards to children born into my family,” he began, already cringing internally at how this was going to sound to her. “If a child is born out of wedlock, he or she is illegitimate. Even if the parents were to have the baby and marry later, the baby is still illegitimate.”

Alex gulped. “Meaning they wouldn’t be…”

“The baby wouldn’t be in the line of succession. The baby wouldn’t be a royal.”

“That’s…”

“Heavy,” Harry nodded. “Gran could technically issue letters patent and change that, but honestly Alex…I can’t see that happening. It would set a precedent that I can guarantee you the powers that be don’t want to be set.”

Alex lifted her eyebrows, her gaze hardening just a bit. “The powers that be? As in your grandmother?”

“Yes and no,” Harry continued, wanting to be honest, even though he knew some of what he said was shitty. “She’s the head of the Monarchy, yes. But the Palace is a machine that she doesn’t run alone. She has people to answer to as well. As much as she loves me, and as much as she likes you and Emma, the rules wouldn’t get changed for us. You have to know that.”

“So, if we choose to wait until after the baby comes to get married…”

“Then the baby would be ours, but he or she wouldn’t be a royal.”

Alex bit her lip, trying to wrap her brain around all of it. “But if we did get married later, then any future children would be royal.”

“Yes,” Harry nodded. “And listen to me when I tell you this and know I’m  _not_ trying to sway you here, but it’s one thing to be a spare; it’s one thing to be the ‘back-up’ just in case something happens to the heir. Up until Henry was born I was the spare, and to some extent I still am, at least until Will and Kate have another one. I’ve had to carve a path that made me more than just the ‘spare’ in life. But I can’t imagine being a child that was saddled with something viewed by people as…not important at all. Not by us,” he rushed ahead, trying to make her understand. “Emma, a new baby, and future children…they would all be loved the same by me and by you, but the public can be harsh, Alex.”

Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked, letting them slide slowly down her cheeks. “That’s…that’s a hard pill to swallow, Harry.”

“I know,” he whispered, his eyes full of sympathy for her. “So that leads us to the other way this could go.”

“Marriage?” Alex asked quietly; her voice was soft, nervous.

Harry’s eyes turned down to her fingers, still entwined within his in his lap, before swinging back up to hers. “Marriage.”

Her lips twitched. “Shotgun wedding?”

Harry couldn’t help the shout of laughter that left his lips. “No one would ever have to brandish a shotgun to get me to marry you, Alexandra.”

“Good to know,” she winked, letting the moment of lightness hang for a moment before they moved back to serious. 

“I would marry you, Alexandra.” He scooted closer to her on the couch and reached out with his free hand to cup her face in his hand. “If that’s what you wanted, I would marry you.”

Her eyes filled with tears and she leaned into his hand. “Is that what you would want, Harry? Because if it’s just what I want, then that’s no reason…”

“Baby or no baby, Alexandra…you know that’s what I want. But I don’t want you to think that’s what you have to do. I’m simply laying the options out. You obviously know which one I think would be the better option for us and for a child, but Alex…” His voice was low and soft and filled with emotion. “I would support you and throw myself into this full force no matter which option you would want. You would be my family whether you married me or not. I love you and you know I’d go to the ends of the earth for you. I’d stand up and be proud of you and Emma and a new baby whether you were my wife or not; whether the baby were royal or not.”

“People would still know,” she whispered. “It would have to be done fast and then the baby would be here…they would know. It wouldn’t take a genius to put it together.”

He gave a small smile and shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“No?”

He shook his head. “No.”

She was quiet for a moment, chewing on the corner of her lip. He could tell she was debating on something, on whether or not to say something. He let her have the moment, let her work it out in her head. And then finally, she swung her gaze up to his, her wide and nervous eyes meeting his.

“They’ll say I trapped you.”

His jaw immediately tensed. “Alex…”

“They will,” she rushed ahead. “You know they will. They will say it for the rest of our lives. The baby would have to deal with that too, eventually.”

He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm the anger that came with the knowledge that she was right. But when he felt her move, when he felt her coming closer his eyes opened and he smiled softly as she moved into him, crawling into his lap and settling her legs on either side of him.

“I’m sorry that it has to be this way,” he whispered, his voice tight with emotion.

“I’m sorry too,” she whispered back. “But you know what, Harry?”

“What?” he responded as she leaned down and rested her forehead on his.

“No matter what, if I am pregnant, we will have a  _baby_. And we will love that baby…and Emma will be a big sister and she will love that baby too.”

His eyes turned up to hers and he softened, moving back with her to a place where they didn’t have to talk about all the negativity that a positive pregnancy test might mean. “Emma would be a great big sister.”

Alex smile pulled wide and she nodded. “And you, Harry…you would be an  _amazing_  father.”

And if nothing else that day had made him cry, that did. Those words, that simple sentence from Alex, from the woman he loved more than anything on the earth who was facing this potential situation, this impossible situation with him; it made him cry. The tears sprang into his eyes hot and fast and he didn’t even bother to hide it.

“I love you, did you know that?” His voice broke as his spoke, as the tears slid from his eyes and she wiped them away with soft brushes of her fingers. “You’re the most amazing woman, Alexandra Morgan.”

Her heart beat heavy in her chest and her throat constricted, the threat of tears once again very real for her. She leaned forward and, wrapping herself around him, she buried her head in his neck, holding on to him with all she had. They stayed just like that for a while, just wrapped up in each other, holding the moment. The moment before everything could potentially change.

And then, a knock on Harry’s front door broke the moment and Alex leaned back, her eyes finding Harry’s as she sucked in a breath.

“That will be Kate,” he whispered.

“Even her timing is perfect,” Alex joked with a small smile.

Harry chuckled and then his gaze met hers and locked there, heavy and anxious. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. It was a soft, sweet kiss and when he pulled back from her he gave her a reassuring smile. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go let her in.”

They moved from the couch and into the foyer. Harry held her hand the whole way, dropping it only to move to the door and let Kate in before he took it up again.

Kate moved in with the air of grace and easiness that was so much a part of who she was. She smiled sweetly at Harry and stepped close; pressing kisses to his cheeks before she turned to Alex. “Oh honey,” she murmured, feeling sympathetic for her friend and her brother-in-law. She moved in to kiss Alex’s cheeks and then handed her the bag containing a pregnancy test. “Here…it looks like you are going to throw up if you don’t take this soon.”

Alex let a laughing breath out and she nodded, smiling just a bit. “I might. I…” She swallowed and shifted on her feet. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing this over.”

“It’s nothing,” Kate said with a wave of her hand. Then, knowing she needed to leave the two of them alone, knowing they were anxious to have answers, she took the small opportunity she had and stepped forward to give Alex a hug, wrapping her arms around the shorter woman.  “Will and I had a scare once,” she whispered in Alex’s ear. “These things happen. No matter what though, Harry will still love you…we will all still love you.” And then, with a warm smile and another quick hug, she was gone, leaving Harry and Alex to deal with all of it themselves.

Alex stood in shock at the revelation Kate had just whispered in her ear. She didn’t have to tell her that, Alex knew that.

“What did she say?” Harry asked, seeing the look on Alex’s face.

“Nothing,” Alex shook her head quickly. “She just…she gave me her trust in return for mine, that’s all.” Then she turned and changing the subject, Alex took a deep breath as Harry turned to her, his eyes moving to the bag in her hands. “Well…I guess we should…”

“We should,” he nodded. He reached for her hand again and wrapped it firmly in his, leading them up the stairs and down the hall to his bedroom. He pushed open the door and she moved in, her nerves building as she stood inside of his room, unsure as to what to do next. “Do you want me to go in with you?” He asked her, trying to his best to give her as much support as she wanted.

A small, nervous giggle fell from her lips. “No…” she shook her head. “I’ll go in and take it and then you can come in and wait with me. How about that?”

“Okay. I’ll wait out here for you,” he agreed with a squeeze of her hand. And then, even though it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do, he dropped her hand and watched as it fell slowly to her side.

“I’ll just be a minute,” she whispered, not wanting to turn away from him in that moment. When he nodded she took a breath and turned, walking to his bathroom, the bag shaking in her hands, her heart pounding wildly. She made it to the bathroom door before she stopped and turned back to him. “I…I don’t think I can go in there by myself, Harry. I didn’t want you to be in there while I peed on a fucking stick but I’m being ridiculous and…I need you in there. Can you come with me?”

He moved to her in three quick strides, his hands moving to her face. “Of course. Of course, baby. Come on…let’s do this.”

Together they stepped into the bathroom and suddenly it was all business. There was no more waiting, no talks to get through, no waiting on Kate to bring the test, nothing standing in between them knowing if their future was about to take a huge, unexpected turn.

Harry leaned on the counter as Alex pulled the box out of the bag and quickly opened it, pulling out the stick and the instructions. She glanced quickly at Harry before she read them over and then, steadying herself as much as she could, she moved over to the toilet and went about taking the test. Harry averted his eyes, not out of embarrassment or discomfort, but knowing she was already nervous enough without him watching her pee on a stick.

“Okay, done.”

He turned back to her as she stood and set the test carefully on the counter and buttoned and zipped her jeans, pulling her shirt back down into place over her stomach. “How long?” he asked, his voice shaky.

“Three minutes.”

It was the longest three minutes of their lives. They stood there, almost afraid to move, afraid to disturb anything in the room as if that would change the outcome, as if it would make any difference as to what the test said. Harry glanced at his watch again and again, watching the seconds tick by as Alex kept her gaze firmly planted on him, afraid to look down, afraid of what it might say. She chewed on her lip as her nerves worked themselves crazy and it broke Harry’s heart to watch it happen to her.

And then Harry’s watch ticked the last second of those three minutes.

“It’s time,” he said, his eyes wide and dark as he looked from his watch to her.

“Okay,” she nodded, her voice tiny, her eyes closing for just a moment to gather herself.

“Alex,” he called before she could look down at the stick on the counter. When her eyes opened back up to him he stepped forward and pulled her hand to him, laying it flat against his chest, covering it with his. “No matter what it says, I love you. I love you and I will support you. For the rest of my fucking life, Alexandra. I promise you that.”

“I love you too,” she whispered. “Thank you, Harry.”

And then she turned and looked, and because Harry couldn’t quite bring him to do so yet, he watched her, waited for her reaction.

She gasped and immediately sagged, one hand reaching the counter for support, the other tightening in Harry’s shirt. Harry’s heart slammed in his chest and his head whipped down to where the test sat on the counter and he let out a harsh, long held breath.

Her reaction was one of relief; the test was negative.

“Oh God, Alex…” he groaned. “Come here.” He tugged her to him and she went, burying her face in his chest and wrapping her arms around him tightly.

She stayed right there and let Harry hold her while she cried. She cried out all of the tension from her body. She cried out all of the nerves and the uncertainty. She cried out all of the worry and the ache. She even cried out that tiny little part of her that had been already in love with the baby that never really was.

And as he pulled them down to the bathroom floor and pulled her tight against him and rocked her in his arms, Harry cried with her.

*************

The days after the pregnancy scare were quiet days. They were both shaken from it and even when Alex got her period a couple of days after the test; it still hit her emotions. That was the final confirmation that she wasn’t pregnant. It was still relief and it was still with a little bit of sadness.

But with everything that had happened, Alex had gained something from Harry, something she never knew she needed until he gave it to her. He would stand by her through anything; without question. She had never doubted him there, but hearing the words from him only solidified the knowledge in her heart that she was on the right path with him.

And as they moved into springtime and warmer days, they left that cold day behind and focused on Emma, on each other, and on the future; which for them, was very, very bright.


	60. Chapter Sixty

A/N: Okay. So this is kind of a nutty chapter. It’s a transitional chapter so it moves through a few things. In reality some of this shouldn’t all be in the same chapter, but that’s just the way it worked out! And it’s alllll fluff. I warned you! :)

***************************

“So, how was your vacation with Matt?” Alex asked Charlotte one evening as they sat at a small wine bar, enjoying a glass or two after work. Harry was out of town working and Emma was with Mia, coming up with ideas for her upcoming birthday party no doubt, and Alex used the opportunity to sneak in some time with her friend.

“It was nice,” Charlotte said, trying her best at nonchalance; but Alex caught the small smile that Charlotte tried to hide as she took a sip of her wine.

“Just nice?” Alex teased. “Since when are the Bahamas just  _nice_?”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “What do you want me to say, Alex? We spent a week on an island. We drank a lot, did some snorkeling, and had a lot of sex.”

Alex laughed. “I know you’re trying to gross me out so I’ll quit asking you questions about Matt.”

“Is it working?”

“Did he ask you about going to Texas with us in July?” Alex grinned, ignoring Charlotte’s question.

“Of course it didn’t work,” Charlotte groaned. “You’re growing immune. I need to come up with a new line of defense.”

“Ha! Good luck with that,” Alex giggled before her eyes turned a bit more serious. “I’m just trying to be your friend here. You helped me out a lot in regards to navigating things with Harry in the beginning – and you still do.” She shrugged and took a sip of her wine. “I’m just trying to do the same for you.”

“I know,” Charlotte sighed. “And I appreciate it. It’s just…I don’t know how to do that stuff. To get together and gab about boyfriends.”

“No one is gabbing,” Alex said with a shake of her head. “I’m just asking how your vacation went and asking if you are coming with us to Texas in July. That’s all.”

Charlotte eyed Alex for a moment, trying to decide if she should just keep her mouth shut about all things Matt. But Alex was right; she was her friend and she knew she could trust her. She knew that even though Matt was Alex’s brother that she wouldn’t tell him the things they spoke of in confidence.

“Fine,” Charlotte finally said and Alex had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at how close to pouting Charlotte looked. “Our holiday was lovely. We even had a fight.”

Alex almost spit out her wine. “What? A fight? Why does that make it lovely?”

Charlotte grinned. “Because we got to make up.”

“And you said you didn’t want to gab,” Alex laughed, shaking her head at her friend. “Well, I’m glad you at least made up. You wouldn’t want to share the reason you fought would you?”

Charlotte sighed. “It was about the Texas trip. He brought it up and when I said I would have to see if I could go, he got butthurt.”

“Butthurt?” Alex asked with a lift of an eyebrow.

“He was hurt that I wouldn’t get all jumpy and excited and ‘oh I can’t  _wait_  to go!’” Charlotte replied with a wave of her hand. “And then I told him that he was crowding me and I needed space…”

“Ohhhh…”

“And then he got mad and left the room,” Charlotte nodded.

“Matt got  _mad_?” Alex asked, a little surprised. “I know him better than anyone, and don’t think I’ve ever seen him truly mad. Maybe a little perturbed, but never  _mad._ ”

“Well, he got mad,” Charlotte said. She finished off her wine and then motioned to the bartender for another for both her and Alex. “I went and found him a couple of hours later on the beach. We talked it out and then…”

“You made up,” Alex grinned. “Look at you having an adult relationship. I’m so proud of you.”

Charlotte gave a laughing sort of groan. “Shut up…”

“Ha! So are you going to Texas or not?”

“Yeah, I’m going. Harry cleared it before he left town yesterday.”

Alex squealed. “Yay! Oh, you are going to love going to the river with us, Charlotte. We’ll camp out and then…”

“Oh God,” Charlotte rolled her eyes, interrupting Alex. “You and Matt are just alike. I don’t even know why I like both of you.”

“Because we are amazing,” Alex winked.

Charlotte waived her hand and Alex giggled. “Yeah yeah…”

*************

“I can’t believe I’m getting Emma a puppy for her birthday,” Alex laughed as she spoke to Harry on the phone later that evening before bed. “A puppy that needs to be fed and trained and taken out for walks and…”

“And that’s all cute and snuggly,” Harry finished for her, bringing a small giggle from her lips as she leaned back on her pillows and pulled her blankets up around her.

“You are the worst. Such a softy.”

“I have never denied this,” he said smugly. “So when are you going to get this puppy?”

“Well, her party is next Saturday, but her actual birthday is Monday, so I figured I would let her take the day off of school for her birthday and we can go to the shelter and get a puppy.”

“A shelter?” His interest was piqued.

“Of course,” Alex said pertly. “All those animals need homes. I’m not going to go pay hundreds and hundreds of pounds for a dog when there are perfectly good ones at the shelter. I don’t need a hunting dog or a breeding dog…just a dog that can learn not to poop on my floor will do.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed, settling back into the pillows of his hotel room bed. “Okay, trainable shelter puppy it is then. Do you want me to come with you guys or is this just a mother/daughter thing?”

“You’d come?” Alex asked softly, a small smile playing on her lips.

“Of course I’d come,” Harry replied with a chuckle. “I love to be wherever you and Emma are.”

“Harry…” Alex sighed, her heart warming at his words. “I miss you…”

Harry grinned as Alex’s soft words came through his phone. “I miss you too, baby,” he responded, his voice dropping to match hers. “Only two more days and then I’m back.”

“Ugh. That’s too long, Harry,” she sighed as she leaned back against her pillows. “I have needs you know.” Her voice bordered on suggestive and it snapped any part of Harry that had been thinking about sleep right awake, even after the long day he’d had.

“Needs? What kind of needs?” His voice dropped to match hers.

Her lips curved into a smile. “Needs that only you can satisfy.”

“Alex…” he groaned. Blood was quickly rushing south from his brain and his pants already felt tighter. “Baby, I love when you talk like that.”

“Like what?” she asked, egging him on in a husky voice.

“Like you want me inside of you right this minute…”

*M*

“Oh but I do, Harry…” Alex breathed. The hand not holding her phone ran a path down the front of her body, seemingly have a mind of its own – or just connected to the place the rest of Alex’s brain was moving to at the moment – and stopped on the small of her stomach, right above the top of her panties. “I really do…but you’re not here so…”

“Alexandra?”

Her response came in a breath. “Yes baby?”

“Are you…” He gulped and adjusted on the bed, his hand coming up to squeeze his hard cock through his pants. “Are you touching yourself?”

“If I slide my hand about three inches lower I will be…”

“Fuck.”

“Do you want me to slide my hand lower, Harry?”

“Yes…” he growled, even has his fingers worked open the button and pulled down the zipper of his own pants. His hand dipped into his boxers and he freed himself, wrapping his fingers around his aching length. He heard her breathy moan as she dipped her hand inside of her panties and his fingers tightened as he pulsed, amazed that from so many miles away she already had him racing towards the finish, with nothing more than her words and the knowledge of where her hand was right then.

“Harry…touch yourself for me too,” she ordered into the phone, her voice full of lust.

“I already am,” he groaned as he began to stroke himself slowly. It wasn’t the same as her; it wasn’t anywhere near on the level as if it had been Alex’s hands on him, but with her voice in his ear telling him what to do, he still felt utterly connected to her – as if she were there with him.

“God Harry…” she moaned, and he could almost visualize the way her back arched off of the bed when she made that sound. “I love when you get so hard for me. I just want to put my hands and mouth all over you.”

“You’re killing me, Alexandra.” His breath was harsh through the phone as he closed his eyes and pulled up memories of her, of the way she moved when his hands and his mouth were on her, of the sounds she made as he pleasured her, of the way she felt completely wrapped around him, and his hand began to move faster up and down his cock. “I want you so bad, baby. I want to feel how wet you are for me.”

She dipped her fingers down into her wetness and she gave a gasping sort of moan. “I’m soaked, Harry…”

His entire body pulsed. “Alex,” he said, pulling as much steadiness into his voice as he possible could. “Make yourself come for me…I need to hear it.”

“Mmmm…I need that too. Will you come with me?” Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

“Oh God yes,” he groaned. “I will absolutely come with you.”

“Good,” she breathed. “Because it’s not going to take long, not with that voice of yours in my ear.” She moaned again and he could hear her take a deep breath. “Talk to me Harry, tell me how you would make me come if you were here.”

Harry had to stop his actions on his cock for just a moment. He stopped and took a deep breath, trying to pull his brain back from a place where all he wanted to do was stroke himself into madness while she did the same. He wanted to talk to her, to do exactly as she asked, but he needed to at least have his fucking wits about him to do so. He let out the breath and then squeezed himself once before moving his hand up and down on himself again, only slower this time, trying to control himself.

“Slide your fingers inside yourself, Alexandra.”

“How many?”

Harry moaned and if he hadn’t of slowed his pace moments before, he would have lost it right then. “Fuck baby…two fingers.”

Alex did exactly that and she cried out softly as she made a few shallow strokes with her fingers. “Oh God, Harry…”

“Does that feel good?” he asked as his head swam with visions of her, imagining what she was doing to herself right then.

“Mmhhmm…”

He grinned at her mumbled answer but forced himself to keep going, to keep talking to her. “Now use your thumb and stroke your clit…soft, slow circles.” He heard her whimper and he knew instinctively it wouldn’t be long and he began to move his own hand faster. “God damn, Alexandra. I’m just going to fucking explode when you get there baby.”

“I wish you were inside of me,” she panted in a low, hoarse voice. “Nothing in the world feels as good as when you are inside of me.”

“Alex…” His voice was low and she heard the waver; the warning. He was just as close as she was.

And it only spurred her on.

“God Harry…” she purred into the phone. “When you are so deep inside of me and you hit that spot…that fucking spot that makes me come unglued…”

“ _Fuck_.” His hand moved faster. “Find that spot with your fingers, Alex. You can do it…” He groaned as his imagination pulled up that visual for him. “Just curl your fingers and…”

“Fuck!” Alex cried and Harry knew she had found it, just like that. His head tilted back just as Alex’s did on the on the other end of the line. “Oh God…oh God…oh God…”

“Yes baby,” he demanded. “Come on…”

“Oh baby…come with me…”

And then with one hand moving furiously against her center and one hand pressing her phone tightly to her ear she went, her hips jerking and her soft cries floating across the line to Harry who followed her over the edge with a loud, animalistic groan; his eyes squeezing tightly shut and his head tilting back into the pillow as the pleasure pulsed through him.

*EM*

“Wow…” Alex breathed after a few moments. She peeled her eyes open and blinked, laughing slightly that she was almost surprised that he wasn’t in the room with her, that he wasn’t the one who had just made her fall apart like she had.

“Jesus Christ, Alex,” Harry said, taking a deep, steadying breath. “That was…”

“Did we just have…phone sex?” Alex giggled. “We did, didn’t we?”

“Ha!” He laughed, his body falling into relaxation. “We did. Fucking great phone sex.”

“It was,” Alex agreed with a soft sigh. “God, I miss you.”

“I miss you too, baby.”

Alex opened her mouth to respond to him, but instead she found herself fighting a yawn and she realized she was just worn out. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “All of the sudden I find myself exhausted.”

“It’s okay love. I need to um…clean up anyway,” he chuckled. “I’ll let you get to sleep.”

“I love you so very much Henry Charles Albert David,” she smiled sleepily into the phone.

“And I love you Alexandra Mae. I will talk to you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight love.”

***************

“Harry, this is too much,” Alex said as she looked around the space decorated for Emma’s birthday party. Her daughter had wanted an African themed birthday and Harry, in his seemingly endless quest to give Emma everything she wanted, had gone all out; renting out the event space at the London Zoo and having it transformed to look like the African bush.

And that was only for the first part of the party. That part would be the more formal event – parents were invited to attend, there would be lunch served, and there would be entertainment. Then later, after those festivities were over, the children were set to take part in an “overnight adventure” at the zoo. Led by several members of the team at the Zoo, the kids would take a nighttime tour through the facilities and had a full schedule of activities and games lined up.

“This is not too much,” Harry laughed with a shake of his head. “This is mild compared to what some of the kids that go to Emma’s school have for birthday parties.

“Oh God,” Alex groaned. “I don’t even want to know. It still blows my mind who some of the parents are that are coming to this thing.”

Harry chuckled and tucked an arm around her, pulling her up against his side. “They are all just trying to get a chance to meet  _you_.”

Alex snorted. “Please.”

“You know it’s true.”

She laughed and bumped her hip into his playfully. “Stop. You are going to give me an ego the size of…well, yours.”

“Ha!” He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the sides before he leaned down and pressed a sweet, quick kiss to her mouth. He pulled back slightly and checked his watch. “Alright, they should be arriving any moment. Want to gather Emma and go do your official duties?”

Alex nodded and Harry took her hand in his, pulling it to his lips for a moment before he led her from the room where the staff were finishing up with the beautiful centerpieces. They stepped outside into the sunshine and Alex thought once again how lovely it was to have such a beautiful day, especially in rainy April, for Emma’s birthday. Molly and Emma were standing just outside of the doors and Emma was bouncing excitedly, waiting with extreme anticipation for her friends to start arriving.

She didn’t have to wait long. Within minutes the first of the children started arriving and Harry and Alex stood with Emma to greet all of them with their parents. It wasn’t lost on a single person who stepped up to greet them how at ease the three of them looked there, how much they looked like a family.

There were the parents that Alex had known were coming, parents of these children who were actually celebrities. When Gwyneth Paltrow walked up with a beautiful smile as she held tight her daughter’s hand, Alex managed to keep her cool, although barely, as Gwyneth kissed her cheeks, did the same to Harry and then commented on how sweet and beautiful Emma was before heading inside.

When Kate Hudson arrived with her son Ryder, Alex was floored with how talkative and lovely she was and just how cute it was when Ryder offered a shy little wave to Emma.

But it was one of the last arrivals that really got Alex.

When David Beckham arrived with his son Cruz – who was a little older than Emma but still friendly with her – Alex immediately felt her cheeks flush and her smile pull wide. He was very handsome, even better looking than in any of the pictures she had seen. Harry grinned when he saw his old friend and he clapped his hands together, surprised but delighted that he was there.

“David! I had no idea Cruz went to school with Emma,” Harry said as the two men shared a friendly hug. “Alex didn’t even tell me you would be coming.”

“I actually thought Victoria would be bringing Cruz,” Alex offered, stepping closer to Harry and smiling at David. She had met Victoria Beckham once at a school function and found her to be friendly and charming, just as her husband appeared to be.

“She was,” David nodded turning his attention to Alex. “But Harper is a bit under the weather and the business meeting I had today was cancelled, so she asked if I could come.”

“Oh, I’m sorry that Harper is sick,” Alex said softly, tilting her head to the side. “I’m Alex by the way, Emma’s mother.”

“And my girlfriend,” Harry said with a smug smile, his hand moving to Alex’s back.

“Mummy!” Emma interrupted, tugging on Alex’s dress. “Can I please go inside now and play? I’ve been out here forever!”

“Sure, go ahead,” Alex nodded, laughing as Emma ran off instantly and Cruz followed right behind her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Alex,” David said, reaching out for Alex’s hand. Alex grinned as she offered it to him and he shook it lightly, offering a slight squeeze. “I’m going to go make sure my kid doesn’t whip all the other kids into some sort of trouble, he has a habit of that. Harry,” he turned towards his friend. “It’s always good to see you and Alex,” he turned towards her with a smile. “It was lovely to meet you. I will chat with you both in a bit.”

He walked away and Alex couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. He  _was_  David Beckham after all.

“I saw that.”

Alex turned her head to Harry, her eyes wide. “What?”

His lips twitched. “You were looking at his ass.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Harry, we are at a child’s birthday party. Don’t say ass.”

“Then don’t look at his ass.”

“Harry, what did I  _just_  say?”

“Ha! You just don’t want to admit it,” he laughed, shaking his head at her. “I saw you.”

She leaned into him then, turning wide, innocent eyes up to his. “Aw, baby. Don’t be jealous. You know the only ass I’m interested in is yours.”

“Alexandra,” he admonished playfully. “We are at a child’s birthday party. Do not say ass.”

Then with a swift kiss he winked at her and then turned them into the doors to the party, ready to get Emma’s party underway.

**********

The party went well and Emma had a blast, along with all of her friends. For two days after the party was over all Emma could talk about was all of the fun she’d had and all of the different types of animals she had gotten to play with. But by the time the Monday after the party rolled around and it was her actual birthday, they party memories took a backseat.

Because she was getting a puppy.

She had begged and begged for a puppy for years, and Alex had finally given in. She’d had a long and serious discussion with Emma about the responsibilities of a pet, and after careful consideration, she’d decided to take the jump and let Emma get one.

On the morning of Emma’s seventh birthday Alex pulled Emma out of bed and into the kitchen, where they worked together to make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. They topped them with chocolate syrup, sprinkles, and whipped cream and Emma ate what Alex was sure was an entire week’s worth of sugar.

By the time Harry arrived, having wanted to give Emma and Alex special time alone in the morning, Emma was bouncing off of the walls – a mixture of excitement and sugar high.

“Harry! I’m getting a puppy today!” she squealed as she ran to Harry for a hug once he stepped inside of the door.

“I know,” he laughed as he pulled her up into his arms. “You’re also seven years old today. How does that feel?”

“I feel so  _oooooooold_ ,” she sighed dramatically, her eyes rolling back in her head.

“Ha!” he laughed. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then set her back down. “Well, happy birthday Princess.”

“Thank you Harry,” she grinned. “Can we go to the shelter now? I don’t think I can’t wait any longer.”

Harry chuckled. “Can I say hi to your mother first? Where is she?”

“Here!” Alex called out as she sailed around the corner, sliding an earring into her ear as she moved, her final touch in getting ready. “We got behind with pancake making and I had to rush to get ready.”

Harry smiled as she stepped up to him and laid her hand on his chest, turning her lips up to his for a kiss. Emma squeaked and clapped her eyes over her eyes, now a habit whenever Harry and Alex kissed hello. Both Harry and Alex laughed as they pulled apart and then they all moved into a flurry of activity, pulling on light coats and making sure they had the collar and leash they had bought for whichever puppy they had decided to get. Then they were out the door, down into the car, and off to the shelter to find a new puppy for the birthday girl.

************

Emma knew him the moment she saw him. He was an eight week old white Labrador puppy and when Emma went up to his cage he bounded over on his too big paws and smooshed his nose right through the gate, taking an instant shine to the little girl with the big smile and bright eyes.

“I want him,” Emma breathed, turning wide eyes to Alex. “This is my puppy.”

Alex knelt down so she was on Emma’s level and spoke low. “Are you sure, Emma? This is a big decision.”

“He’s my puppy, Mummy. I just know it,” Emma said softly as she turned back to the Labrador bouncing excitedly in his cage.

“Yeah?” Alex asked with a soft smile. When Emma nodded, never taking her eyes from the puppy, Alex turned her eyes up to Harry and she grinned. “Looks like we’ve found a puppy.”

“Looks like it,” Harry grinned. “What do you think you’ll name him, Emma?” he asked as the staff member they were working with opened the cage and pulled the puppy out and handed him off to Emma. The puppy immediately licked Emma’s face and she giggled prettily as she settled on the floor to play with him, completely in love.

“How about Gus?” she asked, turning a look up to Alex.

“Gus? I like it,” Alex nodded. “Any particular reason you’ve decided on that name?”

“It’s from Cinderella, Mum,” Emma rolled her eyes. “Remember? The mouse named Gus? And they call him Gus Gus?”

“Ah yes,” Alex laughed. “Gus it is then. Shall we take Gus home?”

“Yes!” Emma squealed.

Alex smiled as she moved off to fill out the paperwork required and then, once everything was official, Emma slipped Gus’s new collar on and then took their new family member home.

It was officially Emma’s best birthday ever.


	61. Chapter Sixty One

As spring made its way into summer, Harry’s life got very busy. The beginning of June marked several special occasions for the Monarchy. Prince Philip’s birthday party was celebrated at Windsor, which was Alex’s first trip out there. She fell in love with the old castle and while Emma was busy charming the pants off of Harry’s grandfather once again, Harry’s grandmother quietly took her aside and offered a tour, having noticed just how much Alex showing Alex her favorite rooms, pieces of art, and even a few priceless mementos from previous Kings and Queens. Those two hours she spent alone in Elizabeth’s company would forever be one of her fondest memories.

Then there was Trooping the Colour and of course, Alex wasn’t officially part of the festivities, but she was invited to the reception after the church service and the balcony appearance as Harry’s official date – along with Emma of course. It was her first experience inside Buckingham Palace and surprisingly, the first time she had ever seen Harry in his dress uniform in person.

It was almost the hardest thing she had ever done keeping her hands off of him that day.

Then, as June rolled to a close, the biggest event of them all was upon them.

Beatrice and David’s wedding was to be held at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor. Alex and Emma were both invited of course, and as they had been dating for about a year and a half by that point, all the eyes of the press were on them.

Would they arrive with Harry? Would Alex and Emma sit with him? Would they leave together?

Alex had laughed in the days leading up to the wedding at all of the frantically questioning headlines because she knew they deliberately printed them to work people up. They already knew the answers, because they’d all been through these situations before.

Alex, Emma, and Charlotte all rode to Windsor with Harry, but once they were to the castle the ladies were put into a separate car and were driving to St. George’s. Harry would be arriving with the family and would be sitting with them, although Alex, Emma, and Charlotte wouldn’t be sitting far from him.

“See,” Charlotte whispered, pointing to the row of seats Harry would be in. “You guys can still make googly eyes at each other.”

“What are googly eyes?” Emma asked, although she remembered to keep her voice down as Alex had asked her in advance.

“Something you won’t have for a very long time,” Alex laughed. When Emma shrugged and asked if she could play Angry Birds on Alex’s phone while they waited Alex nodded and pulled her phone out. She turned the volume down and handed it over to Emma. Then she turned back to Charlotte, reaching up at the same time to make sure her fascinator was still securely in place. “You know, you and Matt make googly eyes at each other too. And you do it when you think about him sometimes. I see it.”

“Oh shut up. I do not,” Charlotte groaned before pursing her lips. “But…I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see him in a few weeks.”

Alex grinned and was opening her mouth to respond when suddenly a wave of soft murmurs went through the room. Alex recognized it immediately; it was the reaction in any room when members of Harry’s family came in. Her eyes immediately swung to the door and she watched as they started to file in to the mostly full church. When Harry stepped through the door next to Will and Kate and immediately looked to find her, a smile tugged at her lips and she nudged Emma, whispering that Harry was there. Emma’s head snapped up and she offered a small, delighted wave to him. He winked at them both and shot small, sweet glances at them as he moved down the aisle with his family, most of whom also acknowledged Alex’s presence at they moved by, offering small smiles or nods of the head as they moved past.

“Jesus Christ. They just love the shit out of you,” Charlotte said under her breath, causing Alex to bring her program up over her face to hide her giggle.

“We are in church,” Alex whispered, sliding a humored glance at her friend.

Charlotte shrugged and popped a mint into her mouth, but the conversation was effectively over, as just then the soft music that had been playing as everyone was seated ceased and the trumpets sounded out, announcing the arrival of The Queen.

Alex pulled her phone from Emma, slid it into her purse, and they all stood as the major entrances began.

**************

Alex and Emma may have not arrived with Harry, but they did leave with him. They left the church first and stood out with the other guests as they waited for the family, followed by the Queen and Prince Philip, and then the bride and groom to exit from the chapel.

“She really looks stunning,” Alex remarked to Charlotte as Bea exited on Dave’s arm. Her grin grew wide when she spotted Prince Andrew who was standing with Bea and Eugenie’s mother Sarah Ferguson, whom Alex had not yet met, beaming proudly at their daughter and Eugenie with tears in her eyes as she held her sister’s train.

“She does,” Charlotte nodded. “And happy.”

Harry made his way over then, greeting Charlotte with kisses on her cheeks and then turning to Alex and pressing a quick kiss on her lips before leaning down to pick Emma up and settle her on his hip.

It was a shot the press had gotten many times, as it seemed to be a particular habit of Harry’s, but it never failed to send them into a tailspin. Alex couldn’t almost hear the pictures being uploaded as they stood there.

“Did you enjoy the wedding?” Harry asked the three of them.

“It was long,” Emma sighed, bringing a chuckle from the group.

“Well, you behaved well,” Harry grinned. “And now we get to go have fun.”

“I do like fun,” Emma smiled wide. “Will there be music and dancing?”

“Of course!” Harry laughed. “Are you going to let me take you for a spin on the dance floor?”

“Don’t do it Emma, you won’t be able to walk tomorrow,” Charlotte cut in.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the petite brunette standing next to Alex. “Don’t listen to her, Emma. She’s just grumpy and sad because your Uncle Matt isn’t here.”

“Okay, okay,” Alex laughed, cutting in. “We will be here all day if I let you two keep it up. Seriously, how do you ever get any work done?” When both Charlotte and Harry opened their mouths to respond she held her hand up and silenced them. “Nope, that was a rhetorical question.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed, his head tilting back. “It’s fine. The car is here to take us back to Windsor anyway.” He nodded in the direction of the Rolls Royce that had pulled up. He put Emma down and then led them all down to the car, the all filed in, and then they were off to the reception at Windsor Castle.

**************

“I’m so jealous I can’t drink with all of you,” Zara pouted as champagne bottles were uncorked by perfectly pressed waiters and glasses were filled up at their table.

“I think Mike should take one for the team and stay sober tonight with you,” Harry said with a wide, playful grin.

“Oh no,” Mike laughed with a shake of his head. “You have to drink to get through one of these weddings. Sorry love.” He threw a playful shrug in his wife’s direction and then grinned and reached over to pat her growing belly.

“At least you’re amusing,” Zara smirked. Her eyes caught something to the side of the table then and she laughed and looked to Alex. “Looks like Em is leading the pack over at the kids table.”

Alex’s head swung around and she laughed as she caught sight of her daughter in the middle of what looked to be some elaborate tale, with every single eye focused on her.

“She like to be the center of attention, that one,” Alex smirked, turning back around.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d be assuming that she gets that from this one right here,” Will tossed in, tilting his head towards his brother.

“Well,” Harry said with a smirk. “When you are the good looking sibling, you naturally draw the most attention.”

“It’s true, I can confirm it,” Zara grinned, throwing a glance at Peter who just groaned and rolled his eyes.

The table rumbled with laughter and then the conversation continued, the lively banter flowing like the champagne into their glasses which never seemed to get empty. However, when the band leader announced that it was time for the first dances, they all quieted down.

Dave and Bea went first, dancing to a lovely song that brought tears to Alex’s eyes. Then it was Dave’s turn to dance with his mother and in a touch that Alex though was very sweet, they invited all of the mothers and sons in the room to come up and dance as well. Harry went up to dance with Camilla and about halfway through the song Will came and stepped in, finishing up the dance with their stepmother.

And when it was time for Bea to dance with Andrew, they followed suit and asked any fathers and daughters in the room to come up and dance as well. Alex smiled softly as she watched Charles come over and ask Kate and she leaned into Harry’s side, completely in love with the feeling in the room at the moment.

She was so lost in the moment that she didn’t notice Emma until she was practically on top of her, tugging Alex’s arm to get her attention.

“What is it baby?” Alex whispered as she turned towards her daughter.

Harry’s attention was drawn towards them and he watched as Emma gave Alex somewhat of a shy smile and then leaned in and whispered something in her ear. When she pulled back her little bottom lip pulled between her teeth,  her eyes were wide and hopeful, and Alex looked completely stunned for a just a moment before he saw what looked like her blinking back tears before she spoke again and his forehead furrowed in confusion.

“Of course you can, Emma,” Alex said softly and before Harry could ask what was going on, Emma was moving around Alex’s chair to Harry and holding her hand out to him.

“Harry, will you dance with me?”

Harry’s heart thumped so hard he moved his hand to his chest as if that could keep it from pounding right out of his chest. His eyes moved from Emma’s to Alex’s and when he saw the elation there, the emotion that was right on the surface of Alex’s big blue eyes he wasn’t even sure if he would be able to stand up, much less go dance. He swung his eyes back to Emma and his smile pulled wide and he reached out for her hand, taking it in his and bringing it to his lips for a kiss and he pulled it together, because there was nothing that was going to keep him from taking this little girl who had this crazy way of taking him down out on to the dance floor.

“Emma, I would love that more than anything in the world,” he said softly, his voice slightly hoarse with emotion.

“Me too,” Emma grinned, a small, excited giggle escaping her lips as Harry stood to take her out onto the floor.

He looked down at Alex and ran soft fingers against her cheek, smiling at her with love shining from his eyes before he turned and walked hand in hand with Emma out onto the dance floor.

Alex watched from her seat, totally enthralled in the moment and the man she loved scooped Emma up into his arms and held her up under her legs, her feet dangling and a burst of giggles leaving her lips at dancing with Harry just like a grown up would. She placed her hand on his shoulder and kept her other hand in his as he slowly moved them around the dance floor.

“Where’s Harry?” Charlotte asked as she slid into her seat next to Alex, having had excused herself to use the restroom a few minutes before.

Alex, unable to find her voice in the moment, nodded to the dance floor and Charlotte’s eyes moved there and her breath caught.

“Well, would you look at that,” Charlotte chuckled. “He loves her.”

“She asked him,” Alex murmured, her eyes turning to Charlotte for just a moment, throwing her a meaningful glance before she turned her eyes back to the dance floor.

“Oh god. She took him down, didn’t she?”

“And me along with him,” Alex sighed.

**************

“Alexandra, would you do me the honor of this dance?”

Alex smiled up at Charles and immediately slid her hand into his, allowing him to pull her from her chair. “Of course, Charles. I would love to.”

“I’ll bring her back shortly, son,” Charles smiled at Harry, a teasing glint in his eyes. Alex could absolutely see where Harry got it from. “But she’ll be shaking her head at how terrible of a dancer you are compared to me.”

Harry laughed and shook his head. “Dad, don’t say things that aren’t true. It’s not very gentleman like.”

Charles chuckled with deep, warm laughter and then turned, tucking Alex’s hand in his arm as he walked him towards the dance floor. He was epitome of grace, charm, and good-manners and Alex felt so comfortable in his presence, as she always had.

“It was quite something,” Charles smiled as he began to move them easily around the floor. “Seeing Harry out here with Emma for the father/daughter dance.”

Alex smiled back, her eyes soft. “She loves him, Charles. And…I apologize if I’m stepping over any lines her, but he’s the closest thing she’s ever had to a father. I wasn’t quite sure if she understood that until today, but now I’m pretty sure she realizes that herself.”

“You aren’t stepping over any lines, Alexandra,” Charles said firmly. “It’s a joy to see him with you and Emma. The changes that have come over him in the last year and a half are just astounding.”

“As much as I appreciate the vote of confidence,” Alex smiled shyly, “I don’t…”

“He found purpose when he met you, Alexandra.”

Alex was stunned. “He’s always had purpose, Charles. His charities and military work are evidence of that.”

“Sure,” he nodded. “But his personal life was rough. And I know that not everything has been completely smooth since the beginning with the two of you, but he fought to make it through those things. He fought for the two of you and I just wanted to thank you for giving him that, giving him the drive to fight for what he wanted and to not immediately assume it wasn’t worth it because of the negatives that come with who we are.”

Alex smiled wide at the speech, at how lovely and wonderful it sounded in Charles voice, and how couldn’t believe he was saying those things about her. “Charles, thank you,” she said softly. “I’ve really done nothing but love him.”

Charles leaned close and his eyes danced. “Ah, but don’t you see Alexandra? That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

****************

“Hey…found you…”

Alex turned at Harry’s voice and smiled, her eyes softening as he moved towards where she stood near the railing of the small deck she was standing on outside of the reception room.

“You did,” she nodded as she turned and leaned back against the railing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak away. I just saw this out here and I wanted to come look. You got Emma settled with Louise? Edward and Sophie were okay with them having a mini-sleepover in their rooms?”

“They were happy to have her. Besides, I’m sure they’ll be passed out before they can get into too much trouble,” Harry laughed as he moved to Alex, circling his arms around her as he leaned down to kiss her softly. “What are you out here thinking about?”

“How beautiful this all is,” she sighed. Now that the party had entered the less formal phase, he had divested himself of his morning suit coat and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to right under his elbows. She moved her hands to his arms, loving the feel of his warm skin under her fingers. “How beautiful the wedding was, how beautiful Dave and Bea are together, how beautiful this reception is…”

“How beautiful  _you_  are,” Harry murmured as his arms slid around her waist and he pulled her close.

Alex smirked. “You know you’re already getting laid tonight, Wales.”

“Ha!” He tipped his head back with his laughter. “Yeah? Well in that case…” He leaned down so his lips were right next to her ear. “You’re the only person I could see when we were in that ballroom. You are the only person who I could focus on. And you know what else, Alexandra?”

Her entire body warmed from his words and she leaned into him. “Hmmm?”

“The only thing I could think today was how I can’t wait to watch  _you_  come down the aisle to _me_.”

Her breath sucked in and her heart thumped in her chest so loud she was sure he heard it. She pulled her head back, her eyes wide as she searched his. “You were thinking that?”

His lips pulled into a soft smile. “I was. God Alex, I want that so much.” His smile grew wider despite the lump building in is throat.

“I want that too…” Her voice was whisper soft and filled with emotion. “I do Harry. I want to marry you and have a family and…I want to be your wife.”

She had barely gotten the word  _wife_  out before his lips were covering hers, hot and intense and fueled by their declarations. They were things they had always known, but being here at the wedding – something about watching two people they loved pledge their lives to each other brought those things to the front, made them want the same thing even more.

“My wife,” he grinned against her lips before moving to kiss along her jaw. “I like the sound of that.”

She giggled and her hands slid up his arms, over his shoulders, and around his neck. “Me too.”

“Hmmm…” He reached the spot below her ear. “My wife, my partner, my… _Duchess_.”

Alex’s breath caught. “Duchess?”

Harry chuckled in the crook of her neck. “What did you think you would be?”

Alex shook her head back and forth, slightly dizzy with the new word – not in a bad way, just processing it. “This is going to sound ridiculous, but…I didn’t really think about being anything other than your wife. That’s the only title I ever wanted.”

He grinned against her skin and took a deep breath; a breath to steady himself, a breath to be able to pull away from the feel and taste and smell of her long enough to discuss that little piece of information she just handed him. With one last warm kiss to her neck he pulled back. His hands moved to cups her cheeks and he tilted her face up, holding her eyes with his.

“I think maybe it’s time that you and I discussed some specifics, Alexandra.”

“Specifics?” Her lips twitched. “What kind of specifics?”

His thumbs stroked her cheeks softly, and the look in his eyes made her stomach flip and made her heart flutter. “I think we should talk about what it means for you to be my wife. Not the love part, not the ‘Til Death Do Us Part’ aspect; I think we both know what that means. I want to…” He trailed off, smiling as her own smile grew wide. “I think we need to discuss what it will mean for you to be The Duchess.”

“Is that what I will be? A duchess?”

“Well…” He looked around quickly for a moment and then pulling back, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “I’m going to go grab something and then we will go sit somewhere and talk.”

“Okay,” she giggled, a little bit tipsy from all of the champagne and a little bit high from the conversation.

She watched as he moved away and within less than a minute he was back, holding a chilled bottle of champagne in his hand and a sneaky grin on his face. He walked swiftly to her, took her hand, and then with a wink he turned and tugged her behind him.

They moved down the stone steps off of the deck and before she knew it, they were on one of the sprawling Windsor lawns, moving quickly across the grass. The warm night air surrounded them and Alex felt happy and giddy and free, her hand firmly ensconced in Harry’s as he pulled her with him to go talk about their future.

They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Harry rounded a corner and they found themselves in a beautiful garden. It was walled on all side and the beautiful flowers and plants were in abundance. There were lights somewhere, but they were camouflaged well and cast just a soft glow on the garden. It almost felt like a soft, sweet cocoon that was there especially for them.

“Wow,” Alex breathed as Harry slowed their pace, walking slowly down the gravel path to an open grassy area in the middle of the garden. There was a large, round fountain and a solitary bench stationed on the grass. She assumed that Harry would pull her to the bench but instead he led them to the grass right in front of the fountain and grinned.

“Would you like to sit, my lady?”

“My lady?” Alex giggled. “Why yes, kind sir.”

He chuckled and helped her sit and then moved in beside her. He immediately went to work on the champagne bottle, removing the foil and popping the cork. They both laughed when he moved it hurriedly to the side, avoiding the spray that came out.

“You didn’t bring glasses,” Alex observed.

“Naw,” Harry drawled and then with smirk he lifted the bottle to his lips and drank straight from it before handing it off to Alex who smiled wide and then did the same.

“So…duchess, hmmm?” Alex said softly, bringing them right into the conversation and bringing a chuckle from Harry’s lips.

“Yes,” he nodded, growing slightly more serious as his mind worked over the details over it all. He stretched his legs out in front of him and then turned his eyes to her. “There are several dukedoms that have been discussed for when I marry.”

“And they are?”

“I could be made the Duke of Windsor, the Duke of Clarence, or the Duke of Sussex.”

“Wow,” Alex breathed. She passed the bottle of champagne back to Harry and kept her eyes on him as he took another drink. “Which one do you think it will be?”

“Well, I don’t think it will be Windsor. My great-great-uncle was the Duke of Windsor and there was so much scandal attached to his name. It’s still too fresh in the public’s minds. I don’t think it will be Clarence either; it’s a long story but the last Duke of Clarence was once thought to be Jack the Ripper.”

“What?!” Alex squeaked. “Jack the Ripper?”

“He wasn’t,” Harry grinned. “But still, I don’t think it will be Clarence.”

“So that leaves…Sussex?”

Harry nodded slowly and his eyes were wide, open, and honest as they found hers and held them, firm and steady. “Which would make you…the Duchess of Sussex.”

“The Duchess of Sussex,” Alex repeated slowly.

“Is it too much?” His voice was soft and she detected the nervousness in it.

“No,” she answered immediately. She scooted a bit closer to him and found his hand with hers. “It’s not too much. But what about Emma?”

Harry took a deep breath. “Well…that’s really up to you.”

Alex tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“There is no precedent for this Alex,” He said softly. “We’d be making history here. We would be setting the precedent. The only similar situation that exists is in Norway. Are you familiar with Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit?”

“I’ve heard of them, yes,” she nodded. “She was a single mother, right?”

“Right,” he nodded. “The situation is slightly different. Haakon will be King of Norway someday and I won’t be King of Great Britain. Plus, their title system works differently, so there was never a question that her son would receive a title. He won’t. But they are happy and he loves her son as if he were his own.”

Alex bit her lip and took a moment before she spoke. “Is there a question of whether Emma would be titled?”

“I hope you don’t mind,” Harry said, leaning forward and pulling both of her hands into his. “But I have already spoken to my grandmother about this. I wanted to have the options ahead of time. I didn’t want big questions like this to be asked at a time when our lives are going to be nuts.”

“I don’t mind,” she laughed. “But I’m going to smack you if you don’t quit stalling and tell me what your grandmother said.”

“Ha! Okay okay,” he laughed. “Emma could remain untitled. She would be part of the family but she wouldn’t actually be considered Royal. Or...” He stopped and smiled wide. “My grandmother has agreed, in the event that it is your wish to do so, to issue Letters Patent making her Princess Emma of Sussex…or whichever dukedom I receive; provided that I legally adopt her as my daughter…our daughter.”

She blinked several times. “Whoa.”

“I know that’s a lot of information to take, Alex. But you don’t have to decide now; you can let it sit and work over what you think is best for…”

“I would want Emma to decide,” she interrupted softly, her eyes flashing wide.

“Yeah?”

“Not about the adoption, Harry. That…” She trailed off as a lump built up in her throat and tears came to her eyes. “That is a yes. Whenever we decide to marry, if you want to adopt Emma I would never, ever say no to that and Emma wouldn’t either. I don’t even have to ask her. But I would want her to understand what she would be taking on by becoming a…Princess.” Her head shook a bit after she said the last word. It was just a touch surreal that they were discussing her daughter becoming an actual, honest to God Princess.

“It’s a lot to take on,” Harry nodded, growing a bit solemn at just what Emma’s life would be if she did take on the title, more so because of how she gained it. She would always be a story and he knew that.

“Hey,” Alex murmured, squeezing her hands in his. “I just want to give her the option because I don’t want her to ever think she wasn’t allowed to take her own path in life. Unlike any other children we would have, she has the option Harry. You’d be asking me to do the same and does it look like I have any reservations? Does it look like I have any doubts about living a life with you and everything that goes with it?”

“As much as it amazes me…no, it doesn’t,” he grinned.

“I don’t think Emma would either. She loves you so much, Harry. She has from day one. But I still want her to decide. I can’t make that decision for her. But for the record, yes…it’s a lot to take on, but what we’d be gaining beats what we’d have to give up any day of the week.”

“You’d have to give up your organization,” he said quietly. He knew it was the one thing that would hurt her to leave behind.

“I know,” Alex nodded slowly, her eyes growing teary.

“You seem resigned to that.”

She smiled softly. “No baby, not resigned. It will be terribly said and I will miss it every day, but I’ve known since you took me up to Balmoral all that time ago that I wouldn’t be able to run it anymore. But I can find a way to still be involved. That place is a part of my heart.”

Harry’s heart swelled with pride. “You can be a patron.”

Alex smiled softly and held his eyes for a moment. “That’s what I would want. Isn’t that funny? That’s how we met. I wanted you to be a patron, and in the end, that’ll be the role I take on.”

His lips twitched and then his head tipped forward, capturing her lips with his. He kissed her softly, sweetly, before he pulled back and pressed soft kisses to her nose, her cheeks, her forehead, and then her lips a final time before he pulled back. Then, with a wink he leaned back and tugged her with him so that they were lying on the grass. She tucked herself into his side, his arm wrapped tightly around her and her head resting on his chest.

They laid like that for several minutes, just staring up at the stars on the clear night, their chests rising up and down in unison as they both mentally digested the conversation they had just shared.

“Harry?”

“Hmmm?”

“Where would we live?”

And she could almost hear his grin.

“At Kensington, with me.”

“Do we have to wait until we are married to live together?”

“No,” Harry chuckled, his hand moving to smooth over her arm. “We don’t. In fact, whenever we get engaged, it would make it much easier if you and Emma lived with me.”

“Why?”

“Well…” He adjusted on the grass, pulling her tighter to him. “Once we get engaged, you would be assigned security right away. Both you and Emma would have a team of protection officers. If you aren’t living on palace grounds they are required to sleep in the same residence as you.”

“And that would be terribly difficult to arrange in my two bedroom flat,” Alex giggled, imagining making protection officers sleep in her living room.

Harry laughed. “They would do it, but it would be awfully cramped.”

They both chuckled and then faded into silence again for a moment before Alex spoke up again, although her voice was a bit more nervous this time. “Harry? Where would we get married? Would it be at St. George’s like Bea? Or Westminster like Will and Kate?”

“It would be in London,” he answered softly. “There would be so much interest; we could never get away with doing it here. It will be Westminster or St. Paul’s.”

She tilted her face up to his and grinned playfully. “It’ll be huge, won’t it? Like, people will be lining up on the streets and wearing masks of our faces?”

“Ha!” he laughed, his head tipping back into the grass. “Alexandra, your spin on things never fails to amuse me.”

She laughed with him and then settled against his chest. “This has been a wonderful day, Harry. Every single thing about it.”

“It really has,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. “You know what would make it even better?”

“More champagne?”

His shoulders shook with laughter and then reached for her, pulling her up and on top of him, her face even with his. “Trying to get me drunk and take advantage?”

She arched an eyebrow. “Oh Henry Wales, I don’t have to get you drunk.”

He grinned and his fingers moved into her hair and he pulled her mouth to his, their lips and tongues moving against each other fervently, the emotion of the night welling between them, an urgency surrounding them in that garden.

“Let me take you to bed, Alex,” Harry whispered against her lips, his eyes searching hers.

“Yes,” she said simply, knowing there were no other words to say, ready to let their bodies communicate to each other for the rest of the night; needing the way they moved together, the way they could say everything they felt in those moments with just a look, with just a sigh, with just a moan.

They pulled themselves from the grass and walked hand in hand back to the main building, whispering soft words, sharing small giggles. They bypassed the reception and snuck straight for their room, ready to love each other well into the night.

And they did.


	62. Chapter Sixty Two

"It really feels like we were just in Texas, doesn't it?" Alex said to Harry as they stepped out - with Emma and Charlotte in tow - of the terminal at the airport in Houston to the waiting cars.

"No, it doesn't mummy," Emma answered instead, holding tight to Alex’s hand. “It was forever ago.”

Alex laughed and squeezed Emma's hand and then watched as Harry reached up and wiped his brow for about the third time since they had stepped outside. "Hot?" She teased at him.

"You know," he laughed, “I’ve been to Afghanistan, I’ve been to Australia, I’ve been to some, hot, humid, tropical locations, but this is just..."

"Ridiculous," Charlotte groaned, lifting her hair off of her neck and fanning herself. “Jesus, Alex. No wonder you moved to England. How could anyone deal with this every day?"

Alex shrugged. "I grew up with it. It's hot, but this isn't even as bad as it gets."

"Oh my God," Charlotte groaned. "Why are we standing here? Can we not get in the cars?"

"An you going to be like this the entire trip?" Harry laughed as he moved forward and opened the door for Charlotte to get in to the car. She grumbled as she moved into the car and climbed into the third row seat. Alex moved in behind her and let Harry and Emma take the middle seat.

"Miss Charlotte will be happier once she sees Uncle Matt," Emma said without a single hint of sarcasm.

 Alex couldn't help the snicker that fell from her mouth and Harry couldn't control the way his shoulders shook with laughter and Charlotte scowled.

"Alex, you need to stop letting your kid hang out With Harry."

"No way," Harry laughed. "They can't separate us now, can they Em? We’re a team."

"That's right!" Emma called out just as the driver and one of Harry's POs slid into the front seats of the car and they pulled away from the terminal.

Harry grinned and turned to Charlotte. "See. We’re a team."

Charlotte rolled her eyes but decided not to argue any further. Besides, Emma was right and everyone, including Charlotte, knew it.

*********

The arrival at the Emerson's home went a lot like the arrival the previous year at Thanksgiving, except this time the comfort level was higher between everyone and it was all happy hugs and kisses with none of the nerves. Plus, Matt was already there waiting, as he had taken a half-day at work, and Alex watched with a smile when after hugging her, shaking Harry's hand, and smothering Emma with kisses, he pulled Charlotte into his arms and gave her the biggest, happiest kiss Alex had ever seen. And Charlotte didn't even protest one bit.

They all got settled in rather quickly and then, at Emma's insistence, it was going to be an afternoon spent by the pool.

Harry smirked at Alex when they first stepped onto the pool deck, the memory of his first swim in that pool - if a swim is what you wanted to call it - popping into his mind.

Alex winked at him and then leaned into kiss him quickly. "That was a fun night, wasn't it?" she whispered softly.

"I think mind mind-blowing is the description I would use," he murmured, his eyes sparkling at the memory.

"Harry!” Emma called from the pool, breaking the moment. "Come on! You promised you would race me!”

"That I did!" Harry called back. “I better go live up to my commitments. Where are Charlotte and Matt?”

“Charlotte said she was going to put on her swimsuit and Matt said he wanted to make sure she didn’t need any help and took off after her up the stairs,” Alex smirked. “I’m sure once they get that out of the way, they’ll be out.”

Harry laughed and shook his head. “He has no shame. Although, if I didn’t get to see you but every few months, I wouldn’t have any either.”

“You had no shame when you pinned me against the wall of that pool last year,” Alex said smugly.

“Ha! That’s the damn truth,” he agreed with a wink and then he leaned over and kissed her once more before moving to the pool, diving in and swimming straight to Emma.

Alex smiled and then moved over to the covered patio table and chairs were Mike was relaxing while Donna moved around the pool deck, gathering towels and placing them out.

"Not going to get in the pool, Boot?" Mike asked as Alex slid into the seat next to him.

"I will," Alex replied. "But I thought I'd spend some time with my dad whom I hardly see."

"Now see, if you were in high school, I’d be wondering what you want from me, but now I actually believe you."

"Ha. Ha," Alex rolled her eyes playfully.

"Seriously though Boot, it's great to see you. I’m glad you could come out this summer. You haven’t been able to visit other than Thanksgiving in a long time," Mike said, his happiness evident in his voice.

 Alex took a deep breath. “I'm sorry I haven’t come home as much as I should have, Daddy."

Mike's forehead knotted in confusion. "Honey, that's not at all what..."

"I know," Alex smiled. "I know that's not what you were saying. It's just…I left at eighteen and got married and had a kid and never came back."

“Alexandra Mae, you were always such a willful child, much like the little one dragging your boyfriend around the pool there…” He trailed off when Alex laughed and settled her eyes on the scene in the swimming pool. “When you wanted to go to England, you found a way and you did it. When you wanted to marry John, you did it. And when you lost him and had to raise a baby on your own, you did it and did it so well. We weren’t about to try to make you leave a place that you seemed to need to be.”

Alex’s gaze moved back to her dad and her eyes filled with tears. “England has done so much for me, Daddy,” she whispered.

“I know,” he nodded. “And I would suspect that in that not so distant future, we will be seeing you standing right next to that young man over there and doing a lot for England.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “What? Did…did Harry say something to you?”

“No,” Mike shook his head with a soft chuckle. “I just wouldn’t be surprised if he did sometime soon.”

Alex stared at her dad for a good, long second and then finally sighed and leaned back into her chair. “We’ve talked about it,” she admitted.

“I would expect that you have,” he chuckled.

“What are you two talking about?” Donna asked with a smile as she came over and sat down, having made sure that everything was taken care of around the pool.

“I was actually just about to give Alex the rundown on the campsite in New Braunfels,” Mike said casually, changing the subject. He would tell his wife all about the conversation he’d just had with Alex, just not in front of everyone else.

“Oh yes!” Alex grinned, clapping her hands together excitedly. “I’m so excited. I haven’t been camping and tubing down the river since high school.”

Mike chuckled at his daughter’s excitement and gave her a rundown of what they would be doing. The next morning – Friday – they would leave bright and early for the three hour trip to the Guadalupe River. A very large campsite was booked right on the river and Harry’s security team had contacted the owner of the campsite in advance to make arrangements and get specifics. Everything was approved and would be ready for them when they arrived.

They would tube down the river on Saturday and then pack up on Sunday to come back to Houston. Harry, Alex, and Charlotte had to leave on Monday, but Emma would be stay an extra week as she always spent two weeks in the summer with Mike and Donna while she was out of school.

Just as Mike finished up his explanation Matt and Charlotte stepped out on to the deck and Alex had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Charlotte’s previous tense shoulders were relaxed and she was smiling and Matt was grinning like an idiot as he moved past his girlfriend, smacking her on the ass as he moved to jump in the pool with Harry and Emma. Charlotte rolled her eyes but the smile never left her face as she pulled off her cover up and stepped into the shallow end and took a seat on the pool steps.

And Alex couldn’t resist.

“I’m going to go join the gang in the pool,” she said with a smile at her parents who nodded waved her off, wanting her to have fun. She stood and pulled off her own cover up, tossed it on top of Charlotte’s on one of the lounge chairs, and then she stepped into the warm water of the pool, sliding in next to her friend on one of the pool steps.

“Shut up,” Charlotte said immediately and Alex couldn’t help the laughter that burst through her lips.

“Aw come on,” Alex said low, bumping her shoulder against Charlotte’s. “If you let me tease you, I’ll make sure Harry doesn’t.”

Charlotte snorted. “You are full of shit.”

“Seriously though,” Alex laughed, ignoring Charlotte’s snark. “You couldn’t even make it half an hour?”

Charlotte chuckled and shook her head as she ran her hand into the pool water and splashed lightly at Alex, who immediately splashed back.

“Look,” Charlotte smirked. “You see your boyfriend all the time. I haven’t seen mine since March. So no, we couldn’t make it half an hour.”

Alex grinned wide. “Fair enough.”

“Hey Gossip Girls! Stop with the chit-chat and come play with us,” Matt called from the pool where he had Emma balanced on his shoulders, ready to launch her into the air.

“Yeah, come on Gossip Girls!” Emma mimicked with a giggle.

Alex laughed and pushed away from the wall towards Harry and Charlotte made her way into the deeper water as well, towards the laughter and fun.

It was going to be a great weekend.

****************

Everyone was up very early the next morning, including Matt and Charlotte who arrived at dawn from a night spent at his house, and they all immediately started loading up the rented SUVs and Matt’s SUV with camping gear, food for the weekend, coolers of drinks, and luggage.

Before long they were on the road, a caravan of SUVs carrying seven very excited people looking forward to great weekend.

Emma rode with Mike and Donna and told them all about her new puppy she had gotten for her birthday and how she had been working very hard to train him, even though he had chewed up two pairs of her mother’s shoes and demolished several large sections of the baseboards in Alex’s apartment.

Alex and Harry rode in another SUV, although things were quieter there, with both of them catching some steep in preparation for the weekend; one of the times that Harry was grateful the security team preferred driving for these long trips.

And Matt and Charlotte rounded out the group in his SUV, enjoying the time they got to spend together and alone after three long months apart.

“Do you think that Matt and Charlotte are in love?” Alex asked Harry as they neared New Braunfels and they were both fully awake as excitement for their destination took over any need to sleep.

Harry's eyes widened and he turned towards his girlfriend with a questioning look. “I…I don't know, Alex. Do you think that they are?"

"I know that Matt is in love with her," Alex said quietly.

"Did he tell you that?"

"No," she shook her head. “But I know my brother. And he loves her.”

“Wow,” Harry breathed. “I mean, I knew they were enjoying things and…I don’t know, Alex. Are you asking me if I think she loves him?”

“Well, has she ever been like this with anyone before?”

“Never,” Harry answered immediately. “I’ve never seen her interact with someone like the way she interacts with Matt. He really enjoys exactly who she is and she appreciates that. But listen, Charlotte’s family life…” He trailed off, unsure if he should say anything.

“What?” Alex prodded gently.

Harry took a deep breath and adjusted in his seat. “Part of the reason that Charlotte and I became such good friends early on is because both of us had parents who were in shitty marriages. The difference is that the entire world knows about my parent’s marriage, and while the Blakely’s troubles are no secret, it’s not something that people outside of our circle are interested in. And Charlotte doesn’t talk about it to anyone…with the exception of me.”

Alex bit her lip. “Do you think Matt knows?”

“Honestly? No, I don’t think he does,” Harry sighed. “And not because I think he would care, but because Charlotte won’t talk about it. Charlotte thinks she doesn’t have it in her to love because she came from two people that didn’t love each other, and didn’t ever show her that they loved her. It’s wrong and it’s sad, but that’s how she is. If anyone could make her see differently, I think that person is Matt…but I don’t think they’ve gone there yet.”

Alex frowned. “I hope that they do.”

Harry smiled softly and moved his arm around Alex, pulling her into his side. “I do too, baby.”

**************

Their arrival at the campsite was smooth. Even though it was a weekend during the summer and the river was busy, they had secured a large enough space to be spread out and still have enough room that Harry's security team could secure a firm perimeter around them. The head of Harry’s security team, Mark, made sure to give them all the rundown on security measures; the dos and don'ts. Even trips up to the public bathroom had to be cleared with an officer so they could keep tabs on everyone in the group.

Once the safety briefing was over, the task of setting up the campsite was under way. Mike, Matt, and Harry took on the task of setting up the tents for everyone while Donna, Charlotte, Alex, and Emma made the short walk down to the water so that Emma could swim, which was pretty much the only thing she was interested in at the moment.

And that is exactly where Harry found them an hour later.

The girls had pulled the portable chairs down to the water and were all sitting there, feet immersed into the cool water while they chatted and watched Emma play with a group of kids she met from the next campsite over who were being watched by a very bored looking teenage girl.

"Hey you,” Alex grinned, squinting against the sunlight and shading her eyes as she watched Harry wade into the water. He had changed into swim trunks and a t-shirt and had his favorite panama hat firmly perched on his head.

“Howdy,” he grinned back, the word sounding adorable to Alex in that British accent of his. "I think I'm going to go play with Emma," he said, nodding towards the splashing pile of kids about ten feet away.

"Are you asking my permission?" Alex smirked.

Harry laughed and shook his head before pulling the hat from his head and plopping it down on hers. He tugged off his t- shirt then and held it out to her.

"Will you please hold on to this for me?"

"Only in exchange for a kiss," Alex smiled sweetly. Her smile grew into a laugh when Charlotte groaned from the seat next to her. Ignoring the brunette rolling her eyes at them, Harry leaned down and gave Alex a soft, quick kiss and then handed her the t-shirt with a wink.

"Thanks love," he grinned before he turned and waded over to Emma.

"He sure does love to hang with her," Donna observed with a smile.

"They seriously entertain the heck out of each other," Alex laughed. "And they chatter away. They will sit there and talk about anything and everything for hours."

"On God," Charlotte suddenly snorted, her eyes focused on where Harry had gotten involved in a game of catch with the kids Emma was playing with. “Watch this.”

"What?" both Donna and Alex asked, their eyes swinging in the direction Charlotte was looking.

Charlotte just grinned. "This teenage girl glued to her phone is on the cusp of figuring out who Harry is. I love it when this happens."

Donna turned wide eyes to Alex and Alex just laughed and shook her head, well aware of what was about to happen.

"She's going to snap a picture, Alexandra," Donna whispered.

"I know, Mom," Alex nodded. "Did you think we were going to make it through the entire weekend without someone snapping pictures?"

“No," Donna shook her head. "I just didn't think it would be so quickly.”

"Shhh..." Charlotte hissed, her eyes trained intently on what was about to happen and both Donna and Alex both started laughing, covering their mouths in an attempt to keep quiet.

But Harry heard them and turned around, curious as to what was going on. His eyes caught Charlotte’s intense gaze and he turned towards it, curious as to what she could be so interested in.

And as he turned his face came into full view of the teenager whose mouth completely dropped. Her eyes went wide and then darted around quickly. She laid eyes on Alex and then Emma and that was all of the confirmation she needed.

" _Oh my God_ ,” the girl rushed out, frozen in her spot.

“And there it is…” Charlotte chuckled, leaning back in her chair just as Alex saw the tiniest bit of irritation flash on Harry’s face before he pulled it back, before the gracious, polite, and understanding Harry smiled slightly and waved at the teen, acknowledging that she had recognized him.

“Aw,” Donna breathed. “Look at him. That’s so sweet.”

"You’re…you're…can I get a picture?" the girl squeaked, holding up your phone with shaking hands.

"Um…" Harry started, his eyes flashing to Alex.

Alex smiled slightly and stood, knowing Harry felt like he should oblige her. Most people didn’t even ask; they just held up their phones and snapped, not even thinking that the person they were snapping a shot of might not want to actually be photographed.

"Here," Alex said, moving through the calf-deep water until she reached the girl. "Let me take the picture. I’m Alex," she said, extending her hand to the teen. "What's your name?"

"Um... Amanda," the girl said nervously as she reached out to shake Alex's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Amanda," Alex said warmly. "I'd be more than happy to take your picture with Harry, but can you promise me something?"

"Sure," the young girl nodded, feeling a little more at ease.

"Can you wait to post it on Twitter or wherever until Sunday? I know that’s a lot to ask but it would sure make our day easier tomorrow if..."

"Of course," Amanda nodded, amazed not only at her luck but with the grace the situation was being handled. “I understand. I won't post it at all if you want.”

“I think if you just wait until Sunday we will be fine,” Alex smiled wide, her gut telling her this sweet young lady would live up to her word. She turned to Harry then and waved him over. “Harry, this is Amanda. Would you do me a favor and pose for a picture with her? She promised not to post anything on social media until Sunday, which I’m really grateful for.”

The grin was immediate on Harry’s face and he nodded and turned to Amanda. “Hi, I’m Harry.”

“Oh God. I know…I mean…” Amanda blushed and shook her head. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Harry smiled kindly as Amanda reached over to hand Alex her phone. He moved in next to Amanda and put an arm around her shoulders and Alex had to press her lips together in order not to giggle at how red Amanda turned. She quickly snapped the picture and then went to hand the phone back to Amanda who, with a bite to her lip, decided to take one more chance.

“Do you think I could get a picture with you too?” Amanda asked softly.

Alex’s eyed went wide. “Me?”

Amanda nodded hopefully and Alex didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t at all expecting anyone to want a picture with her. Harry, sure…but not her.

But Harry understood, he knew that Alex had garnered fans, even if she didn’t see it, and so he stepped in. “I’ll take it,” he said, holding out his hand for the phone. “Same rules apply though, right? No posting until Sunday?”

“Absolutely,” Amanda nodded, grinning wide as she moved towards Alex who was still a little shocked. But she recovered quickly and smiled for the picture. Then, saying good-bye to Amanda with a smile and a wave she moved off with Harry, blinking a few times at what just happened.

Mike and Matt had joined the group in the water when Alex and Harry made their way back over and Alex smiled sheepishly as they all stared at her, except for Charlotte, who couldn’t help the smirk on her face.

Matt was the first to break the silence.

"Wales, I think my sister just stole a fan from you right there."

Harry laughed and cast a loving look down at his girlfriend. "I think your sister just realized that she has fans."

"Shut up," Alex laughed with a roll of her eyes. "I don't have fans."

"Yes, you do," Donna piped up, pulling a shocked glance from Alex. "Are you serious, Honey? You don’t know that there are people who..."

"No, I know…” Alex shook her slightly. “Can we not do this though? I just…I don’t want you guys to think of me that way and I certainly don’t want to think of myself that way. I’m normal here. Harry is normal here. Emma is normal here. Let’s just…be normal,” she finished with raised eyebrows and soft smile.

"Fair enough," Mike said knowing that Alex needed to be normal following moments like the one she had just had. "Besides, it’s time for dinner. I’ve got the grill all set up. Want to help me cook, Boot?"

“Sure!” Alex grinned.

Harry watched as she moved from the water and slipped her flip flops back on before moving to follow her dad back up to the campsite to help him.

He couldn’t have been more proud or more in love with her in that moment. Her ability to retain as much normalcy as she could and her refusal let the surreal moments define her life with him gave him such a sense of calm about where their relationship was heading. He wasn’t worried about how she would navigate a life with him in the public eye because through the craziness and the hoopla and the ridiculousness that came with his world, she would always bring herself – and him – back to this. Back to normal.

Just as she always had.


	63. Chapter Sixty Three

"Good morning..."

Alex’s voice was whisper soft in his ear but it still roused him from sleep; it always would. His eyes slid open and straight to me blonde snuggled up into his side, her eyes still heavy from sleep and her hair spread out on the air mattress under them. It was still early morning; the light was just barely coming in through the tent and although it was warm in the tent, the real heat of the day hadn’t set in yet. It was quiet outside and it didn’t sound like anyone else was up yet.

"Mmm..." he smiled. "Yes it is."

"Harry?" Alex whispered, her hand moving to his bare chest, her fingers tracing light circles. She turned her big blue eyes up to his and there was such a mixture of innocence and lust in them that his body immediately went on alert.

"Alex?" he lifted his eyebrows as his fingers reached up and brushed a piece of hair from her forehead.

She held his eyes and leaned forward to press a soft kiss against his chest. Something about the soft light and the quiet surrounding them, with just the sounds of the birds and the water flowing not too far from them made her want him desperately. She couldn't explain it. Maybe it was the pureness of the morning. Maybe it was the fact that it was just them in the tent and she felt like she hadn't been alone with him in so long, even though it was just a couple of days. But it really didn’t matter why; she wanted him and that was the only thing she could think about.

"Can we?" she whispered, a wide smile stretching across her face as she pressed another kiss to his chest. His eyes flashed wide as her hand left his chest and slid south, down under the light sheet that covered them.

"Baby..." His groan was quiet as he reached for her hand, snatching it into his just before it found its ultimate target. Her bottom lip jutted out and Harry shook his head in warning. "Your parents and Emma are in a tent not fifteen feet away."

"Harry, I need you. And I can be quiet…" she responded, pulling her lip back and in between her teeth and widening her eyes in a move so deliberately innocent that she knew he couldn’t resist. The thing was though, that even without the look she gave him, she knew she had him. She knew that he wasn't going to tell her no. She knew he was torn between propriety and his desire for her and she knew which one would win. And so she moved even closer, pressing herself fully into his side and tangling her legs with his.

And he knew. He knew that she knew she had him.

''Alexandra," he warned low, even as he turned his body towards her, even as he pulled her into the circle of his arms. She grinned wide as she let him, loving the warmth he brought with him. "You have to be absolutely silent."

"I can do that," she nodded. Her hands moved up his chest and around his neck where they slid up into his mess of red hair, smashed and spiky from going to sleep with it wet. "The question is, Captain…can you?"

"Jesus Christ. You drive me crazy, Alexandra," he growled low right before his lips captured hers.

*M*

She sighed into him as his tongue pushed in between her lips, finding hers and running hot, slow strokes against it. Her fingers tightened in his hair and she tugged him closer. She needed more. She needed all of him; she needed every inch of him pressed against every inch of her. She shifted against him, her leg moving up over his hip, hooking around the back of his leg and he gasped into her mouth as she pressed herself against him. Her eyes flew open and she grinned against his month. She could feel him through his boxers and her pajamas, hard and ready. She lifted an eyebrow and moved a hand in between them, sliding down his chest and stomach until it slipped into his boxers and she wrapped her fingers around him.

His breath came out in a rush and his hands gripped at her as she stroked him slowly. He pushed at her pajama top until her breasts were in his hands and it was her turn to react, it was her turn to sigh at his touch and his smile was smug and his eyes sparked as he watched hers slide close, as he watched her try to reign it in, to keep silent like she promised she would as his fingers teased and tugged her sensitive nipples. Alex's head tipped back, exposing her throat to Harry and he immediately moved in, pressing hot, wet kisses against her neck. Her breath hitched and she squirmed against him, the leg thrown over him tightening, telling him without words exactly what she wanted from him.

Harry took a deep breath against the skin of her neck and then lifted to look at her, his eyes finding hers. They were hot and pleading, almost frantic; and in them he could read the words she couldn't say.

_“Please…”_

His breath was heavy and deep as his hands left her breasts and slid down to her hips, his fingers dipping inside of her pajama shorts. His eyebrows lifted in a silent,  _"Are you sure?"_

She nodded slowly and squeezed his cock harder in her hot little hand.  _"Yes. Now."_

And that was all he needed. With a grin he pushed at her tiny pajamas shorts and she shifted to allow him to pull them down and off of her, along with her panties. Alex's breath was coming in pants, her anticipation for him almost unbearable as he tossed her shorts and panties to the side and pushed at his own boxers, sliding them off. Her eyes flickered down and she took him in, hard and ready and just as naked as she was. And her entire body pulsed in want for the warm, loving, incredibly sexy man in front of her.

Harry's hands returned to her, pulling her back to him. His hands were almost rough as he tugged her leg back over his hip and her eyes flashed to his. She almost moaned at the passion in the light blue depths and she was so close to begging for him to just take her, to fill her and ease the ache that was taking her over, when his fingers found her center. They slid into the hot wetness and her eyes flashed wide and she gripped at him, her nails digging into his shoulders.

The smallest of groans fell from his lips and he couldn't take it. She was hot and wet and when he slid his thumb up her center to run a slow a circle around her clit she let out a shudder that downright threatened to end him. He buried his face in her neck and fought for control. He wanted to take her fiercely. The way she had asked for this, the way she threw caution to the wind and didn't think twice about asking him to do the same made him want to take her in the way that made her groan and moan and scream his name, but he couldn't and he didn’t know if he could fight the urge that made him want that so badly.

And then Alex, in that way she had of bringing him back to where he needed to be, to stop his brain from spiraling, tightened her arms about him and brought her lips to his ear and she whispered low and full of lust, "I need you inside of me, Henry. So badly. Please..."

His breath blew hot against her neck and then he lifted his head to look at her. He leaned forward, his nose nudging hers. His eyes were so close as he adjusted, moving an arm under her neck and around to circle her shoulders. His other hand left her center, moving to her leg thrown over his and he wrapped his long fingers around her knee, tugging it higher over his hip. And then, with a soft smile and an even softer kiss to her lips, he pushed himself into her as far as he could, a hiss of air leaving his lips as her heat wrapped around him.

Her eyes slid closed in relief and the feeling of fullness that came with this, with him buried inside of her. His arm about her shoulders tightened and he pulled her closer. His nose nudged hers and she knew he was trying to get her attention. He wanted her to look at him. Somehow she managed to pull her eyelids open and when she did she found that his deep blue eyes were so close that they were the only thing she could see, the only focal point she had and it was so intimate, so sexy that it sent a pool of want straight to her core. And Harry caught it. He caught it and he grinned and then finally, devastatingly, he began to move within her.

Their position, their angle, didn't allow for a wide range of movement, but that only made it more intimate, it only made the level of passion between them to move higher and higher. Their eyes stayed locked as they rocked against each other slowly and because they had to be silent, because they couldn’t moan and groan and tell each other how good it felt, they communicated everything through the looks that passed between them and through the way their bodies moved so seamlessly together. His hand held her tight to him and their lips met in slow, passionate kisses. Their breath moved from their lungs in soft rushes as the heat continued to build around them in the tent.

And When Alex's eyes widened and he felt her try to adjust, to start to reach for it, he was right there with her. He was just as ready as she was. His hand slid from the leg wrapped around him, over her hip, and down to her core where his fingers immediately began to stoke, firm and steady. He nodded slowly, his forehead moving against hers as he begged her with his eyes and his fingers and his body to let go.

Her chest rose and fell against his rapidly and she pulled her up between her teeth and finally, just when Harry was sure he couldn't last another fucking second with the way she felt around him, against him; her body tensed, her eyes flew wide, her mouth fell open and she exploded fiercely around him.

Harry watched, enthralled, as she came apart, as she took in large gulps of air and let each one out in a shuddering, silent breath that did more to him than any moan or groan could have in that very moment, and it was all over for him. Resisting the natural urge to groan her name, he tipped his head forward, captured her mouth, and tumbled over the edge with her, clenching her to him tightly as his body pulsed against her until he was spent, just as she was.

*EM*

Their breathing was heavy and their hearts beat wild patterns in their chests and they came down from the pleasure that had exploded between them. Finally, after one last soft kiss, Harry pulled his face from Alex’s and found her eyes with his. They were heavy from passion but bright from being loved by him and he could feel his ego swell. He couldn’t help it; she did that to him.

“Thank you,” she whispered low, her lips twitching at just how little those two words conveyed how grateful she was that he had loved her like he just had.

“Mmmm…” He smiled and then with one more kiss to her nose he pulled back from her, slipping from her body with a soft groan. He squeezed her thigh gently before pulling it from him and then he sat up and gathered their discarded clothes. He handed hers back to her and they both quickly re-dressed before he tugged her back to him and laid back down on the mattress. “Do you want to go back to sleep?”

“No,” she answered quietly, shaking her head against his chest. “I’m awake now.”

“Me too,” he murmured. “Alex?”

“Hmmmm?”

“Keep in mind that I am in no way complaining here, but what exactly is it about Texas that makes you want to have sex with me in semi-public places?”

And Alex couldn’t help the shout of laughter that left her lips. She clapped her hand over her mouth but it was no use, the damage had already been done. She knew others in the campsite would have heard her and it wouldn’t be long before everyone was up. But as she giggled against Harry’s chest, which was shaking with his own laughter, she didn’t care.

“I don’t know,” she finally managed to get out. “But whatever it is has worked out well for you.”

He grinned. “Yes, yes it has.”

*************

“So, whatcha think man?” Matt grinned over at Harry as they floated down the river. They had all tied their tubes, which much to Harry’s surprise, had rubber bottoms attached so if they drug along anything no one would get an injury in a not so nice place, together around one central tube, which held the cooler full of drinks that was necessary on these trips.

“I’m thinking that this may need to be an annual trip,” Harry replied, his own smile firmly in place as he tipped his beer can back to his lips. He was sure his security officers were not happy about the busy river and how easy it would be for any of them to get separated, but so far everything had gone well and for the most part, people had left him and Alex alone. He knew there were pictures snapped and he was sure they were being uploaded to social media sites, but there was nothing he could do about that and really, there was no point in being upset about it.

“We used to do this every year when we were younger,” Matt said as he reached into the cooler. He tossed a beer at Charlotte who was busy in conversation with Donna and she yelped as the ice cold beer landed on her stomach. She turned and threw a look at Matt before turning back and Matt laughed as he pulled one out for himself. “I could certainly see us picking up the tradition again.”

“We will then. Even Charlotte is having fun,” Harry nodded with a smug smile in her direction and she turned around once again, a glare in her eyes.

“Well I tell you what, Wales. You and your friend right here won’t be having any fun if you don’t knock it off,” she called out, eyeing each one of them in turn, before turning back around to Donna, who was howling with laughter at Charlotte’s dressing down of her son.

“Be nice,” Alex called out from her tube, where Emma was currently sitting in her lap, her own tube – tied between Harry’s and Alex’s – having sat empty as Emma has made her way around the group.

“You know what’s not nice?” Harry called back. He pulled his aviators down on his nose and peered at his girls, both with looking at him with smiles on their faces. “It’s not nice that Emma has gone and visited everybody in this flotilla we have created but me. That’s not nice at all.”

Alex laughed and then turned to her daughter. “You better go visit him before he gets grumpy. We don’t want grumpy Harry do we?”

“Nooooo,” Emma shook her head with a giggle. “He’s no fun when he’s grumpy.”

“Go on then,” Alex said, her smile wide as she sat up and helped Emma to navigate out of her tube and crawl across to Harry.

“Oomph,” Harry grunted as Emma landed with a plop in his lap, her cold, wet swimsuit and lifejacket bringing goosebumps to his skin, heated by the sun.

“Hi Harry!” she sang out as she made herself comfortable.

“Hi Emma!” he sang back, reaching out to ruffle her damp hair. “Are you having fun?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “Are you?”

“Absolutely,” Harry nodded, his smile wide as he winked at her and then threw a glance at Alex, who was watching them with love in her eyes. “I always have fun with you, Em.”

“I know,” she sighed as she reached for his sunglasses, pulling them off his face and pushing them onto hers. “I’m a lot of fun.”

*************

It was late afternoon when they reached the stopping point on the river. There was a bus secured and ready to take all of them up back up to their campsite along with their rental tubes. They had just pulled everything from the water, untied all of the tubes from each other, and the staff that ran the bus service was throwing all of the tubes into the trailer attached to the back of the van when someone not with their group called out Matt's name.

"On God," Alex mumbled under her breath when she spotted the pretty brunette smiling at Matt and moving in to give him a familiar hug.

Harry followed Alex’s gaze and then leaned in closer to her. "Who is that?" he asked.

"That's Matt's ex-girlfriend, Natalie," Alex said with a roll of her eyes. She looked down at Emma and then covered her daughter's ears with her hands. "She's a complete and total bitch."

Harry's eyebrows lifted and his lips twitched in surprise at Alex’s words. "Really? Why?"

Alex pulled her hands from Emma's ears and Emma giggled and looked up at her mum. "I know you cursed, Mummy. You only do that when you say a bad word."

Alex shook her head and laughed. “You’re on to me, huh?” Emma nodded and grinned and Alex ruffled her hair before turning back to Harry. “When she broke it off it was bad. She moved away and ditched him without any warning...she did it on their graduation day from college. It was tough for him.”

“On their  _graduation day_?” Harry asked incredulously. “That’s awful.”

“Yeah,” Alex nodded. “I came in for the graduation. Emma wasn’t even two yet. But Mom watched her that night and I got wasted with Matt that night and gave him a shoulder to…you know…”

"I almost feel like  _I_  should get wasted with him tonight," Harry chuckled, knowing just now shitty being left by the woman you love was. He was lucky enough that it wasn't a permanent thing with him and Alex and the situation had obviously been different with them, but he knew Matt must have had a hard time and even though it was well in the past, he still felt for him.

"What's wasted?" Emma asked, bringing a laugh from Harry and a sigh from Alex.

"Something you won't be for a very long time," Harry said and then, with the intent of distracting the curious little seven year old standing with them, he leaned forward and tickled her quickly before offering her a piggyback ride up the hill to the van. "You coming?" he asked Alex once Emma was firmly up and secured on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"I'll be right there," she smiled. She watched as Harry and Emma moved off before turning back to watch Matt with Natalie. He was currently introducing her to Charlotte, who had a polite smile in place, but Alex knew it was her fake smile and that she wasn’t happy. Matt must have told her about Natalie at some point, Alex figured. That was definitely something, Matt rarely discussed it. Then she smothered a smile when Natalie said hello to their parents. Donna gave her a tight lipped smile and Mike offered only a small nod. They obviously remembered Matt’s reaction to being dumped and weren’t going to forget it any time soon. And then their attention shifted and turned to Alex. She sighed before pulling a small smile and then moved over to them, off to pretend she didn't want to push her brother's ex-girlfriend right into the river.

****************

“Alright Emma,” Alex called out, clapping her hands together as she stood and looked towards her daughter who was making a valiant effort to stay away in her chair as she listened to her Uncle Matt single and play a bit on his guitar. It was late and it had been a long day and Alex knew if Emma didn’t get to bed she was going to be a handful the next day. “It’s bedtime little girl.”

Emma’s drooping eyes snapped open, her chin set in defiance, and Alex knew right away that her daughter was about to put up a fight. It didn’t happen often, but when it did it was not pretty.

“No, Mummy,” Emma shook her head. “I’m not tired.

Alex lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, you are. You were half asleep a moment ago. Don’t fight me on this, Emma. I’m taking you to the tent and you’re going to bed and that’s the final word on it.”

Emma immediately crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head again, this time with more conviction behind it. “No!”

Alex sighed and then she moved over to Emma’s chair and knelt down to speak to her directly so everyone else couldn’t hear every word that was being said. She knew that Emma could easily be putting on a show for the group and she wanted to cut that from the equation.

“Emma, you aren’t being very polite and I don’t appreciate it,” Alex said softly but firmly to her daughter, who at this point was refusing to even look her in the eye. “You don’t have a choice here. I’m telling you to go to bed and you need to drop this attitude and do as I say.”

“You’re not being fair at all!” Emma yelled out, finally turning around to face Alex.

“I’ve already let you stay up much later than I should, so I’ve been more than fair, Emma Rose Morgan. Now, I’m going to stand up and you’re going to get out of the chair and come with me to the tent,” Alex said, her voice taking on more of an edge and she could see Emma waver, she could see her try to decide if it was worth it to keep up the fight.

“I’m not going Mummy,” Emma finally said, her voice low and challenging and Alex almost groaned; Emma was definitely on tonight. “And you can’t make me.”

Alex’s eyes widened slightly at Emma’s words and then she leaned even closer and brought out the voice that Emma rarely heard but still let her know that she was in huge trouble. “I don’t know what has gotten in you Emma, but we’re done here. I’ve given you too many chances to do as you are supposed to and now you and I are going to have a private talk in the tent where we will come up with exactly how long you will be grounded for when we get home.”

And as Emma’s mouth fell open and her eyes filled with tears Alex stood up and then leaned forward and pulled Emma from the chair, not even flinching at the wail that left her daughter’s mouth as she held her in her arms and walked swiftly from their group over to the tent. She moved inside of it with a still crying Emma and zipped it firmly shut behind them.

Harry had watched the entire thing unfold and as she disappeared he couldn’t help but shake his head at what he had just witnessed. Of course he had seen Emma misbehave, had even disciplined her himself on occasion, although nothing quite like the outright disrespect that she had just displayed. But he knew Emma was tired and he knew kids had meltdowns; it was normal and even though she was normally a great kid, she wasn’t beyond the occasional tantrum.

But Alex was a great mother. He had known that, of course, but this only served to solidify his conviction in that and in truth, it only made him love her more and made him that much more desperate to make her a mother again. It wasn’t necessarily watching her discipline Emma that made his thoughts drift to making children with her; it was how Alex didn’t talk down to Emma even when Emma back-talked. It was how she didn’t raise her voice and embarrass Emma in front of everyone, instead choosing to take her away and do it privately when things escalated. She still showed her daughter she loved her in those moments, which is something that Harry remembered that his own mother did for him and it made him smile.

“I didn’t know a tent could inspire such a smile.”

Harry turned at the voice and chuckled as Alex’s dad Mike grinned and then slid in next to him. He had two beers in his hand and offered one to Harry, who accepted it with a smile and a nod. He popped it open and then sat back in his chair. “It’s not so much the tent, as the occupants of it,” he laughed.

“Ah,” Mike nodded. “I’m sure there is an epic battle of wills going on in there right now.”

Harry’s lips twitched. “My bet is on the taller one.”

Mike laughed and shook his head. “She’s unstoppable when she wants to be.”

Harry’s smile went a touch soft and he turned to look at Mike. He genuinely liked Alex’s father. He had spent a good amount of time with him both last year at Thanksgiving and then at Christmas and he respected Mike. He was a solid man who loved his wife and kids and worked hard to provide them with a comfortable life. He was the type of man that Harry would want to be if he would have had the choice.

And suddenly Harry found that he wanted Mike to know, without a shadow of a doubt how much Alex and Emma meant to him, what they had done for him. And there was really only one thing he could think of to explain it to Mike, to show him how much he respected and loved Alex.

He took a deep breath and gathered his nerve, needing to be steady for the conversation he was about to have. “She saved me you know…”

Mike’s smile faded and his eyes turned serious and focused on the young man who looked like he was about to let him in on something important. “How do you mean?”

“Only a few people in the world know this…” Harry began, looking to the night sky for a moment as he pulled his thoughts together. “When I came back from deployment last year, I was suffering from a pretty heavy case of PTSD.”

“That’s pretty common among soldiers,” Mike said gently.

Harry nodded slowly. “One night, less than a month before my deployment was over, I taped that BBC interview and told them that I was in love with a girl back in England.”

“We saw it,” Mike said with a humored smile. “It was surreal to say the least, knowing who you were speaking of.”

Harry laughed and took a sip of his beer. “It was surreal to give the info to the press without hesitation. But…it just happened. Anyway…” He took a deep breath. “I was supposed to fly that night but a friend of mine offered to trade off so that I could call Alex and let her in on what I said, just in case the footage leaked early.”

“Go on…” Mike prodded quietly when Harry stalled for a few moments, the memories washing over him.

“He died that night,” Harry said softly. “Geoff died in his Apache that night.”

“Ah…” Mike breathed, his heart hurting for the young man sitting with him, for the devastation he must have felt. “And you blamed yourself.”

“I did,” Harry nodded. “And I kept it from Alex – from everyone – for a long time. It almost brought me down.”

“I’d give you the whole ‘it’s not your fault your friend died’ speech,” Mike said. “But I have a feeling you already know that. Is that where my daughter comes in?”

“She’s the reason I was able to see what the PTSD and Survivor’s Guilt were doing to me, yes,” Harry replied, his voice wavering with the emotion. He turned to face Mike and his eyes met his, open and honest. “I got pretty far into it at the end and I didn’t treat Alex so well. I didn’t hit her or anything like that,” he rushed to assure Mike. “I would  _never_.”

“I believe that one hundred percent,” Mike responded instantly.

“Thank you,” Harry nodded. “I just…I was using Alex as a crutch. I didn’t want to face it and so I focused all of my attention on her. I used her to push all the bad stuff back. But she caught on…” He took a deep breath and shot Mike a small smile. “She caught on, called me out, and when I denied it and said some shitty things, she stuck to her convictions, told me she wouldn’t allow me to use her like that, and she left me.”

Mike’s smile pulled wide. “And you respect her for that, don’t you?”

Harry chuckled. “Now I do, absolutely. I wasn’t so thrilled at the time. But the thing was that she didn’t give up on me. She didn’t write me off as so many people would have…as so many people have. Even though I was awful to her, even though I denied everything, she went straight to my father. She called up the Prince of Wales on the phone and told him she thought his son had PTSD without a second thought. Over the course of a week they figured it all out, got my brother involved and confronted me.”

“When she wants something, when she believes in something…she’s determined,” Mike said softly. “I’ve never seen such determination.”

Harry couldn’t help the laughter than slipped through his lips. “You know she said that exact same thing to me when she was trying to get me to see reason, to seek treatment. Word for word she said, ‘I’ve never seen such determination.’”

Mike chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “I think that's probably a trait that both of you recognize in the other. Something that is important to you.”

Harry was silent for a moment, running Mike's words through his mind, working through how to respond to them. "You’re right," he finally nodded. "It is something I see in her, something I'd always told myself I wanted in the person that I would spend my life with.  And…" He took a deep breath. "I knew before the intervention for my PTSD that I wanted a life with her; with Alex and Emma. But after that, when she refused to give up on me, when she chose to get me help and to stand by me during the process…" He sat up straight and looked Mike straight in the eye. "That's when I know that she was it for me in every way; that she could handle the pressures of my life, that she was exactly who I’d always wanted."

"Wow…" Mike breathed, running a hand through his hair. "Harry, to be clear…are you asking my permission right now?"

Harry smiled softly. "No…I’m not sure this is the right time to ask. At least that isn’t my intention tonight. I mostly just wanted you to know how amazing she is, or rather that I understand how amazing she is. And how much I respect and love her.”

Mike nodded and reached over to clap Harry on the back. "You are a good man. Harry. I couldn't ask for better for Alex and Emma."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said, swallowing at the lump in his throat brought on by Mike’s words

“That doesn't mean when you do ask I'm not going to take my only chance to give you just a little bit of hell about making sure my girls are treated right,” Mike cracked, bringing a laugh from Harry who enjoyed the good-natured ribbing.

“I would expect no less,” Harry grinned.


	64. Chapter Sixty Four

“Would you listen to that?”

“Listen to what?” Alex giggled as Harry moved in behind her, his breath tickling her neck as he whispered in her ear. He was warm, scruffy, naked, in her bed, and she loved it. They had gotten back from Texas the day before, and since Emma was staying in Texas with Alex’s parents for another week, both Harry and Alex had taken the day off, choosing to sneak in some alone time.

“Silence,” he murmured in her ear. “No one is here but us. You can be as loud as you want…”

“Ohhh…” Alex sighed when she felt him against her backside, hard and ready.

“And no one can interrupt,” he continued, his hands running up and down her soft skin, rousing her body to the state his was already in. And then, just as Alex was about to turn in his arms, ready to bring his mouth to hers, a ball of yellow fur came flying into the room and jumped up onto the bed, his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging as he let out a yelp of a bark.

Harry groaned and fell back to his pillow, which Gus took as his invitation to move in for a lick attack. “Remind me why I talked you into getting Emma a puppy again.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed and watched as Harry dodged Gus’s tongue and tucked him up against his chest, loving on the young pup even as he scowled over the interruption. “Because you spoil her. I’m sure he needs to go out.”

Harry pouted playfully at Gus, who was in heaven with the attention. “I think what Mummy means is that she wants Daddy to take you out, isn’t it Gus Gus?” He turned to Alex to tell her he would take Gus out for his morning business, but stopped when he saw that her entire face had gone soft. “What?”

Alex’s lips tugged into a small smile. “You called me Mummy.”

Harry grinned and leaned in closer to her, momentarily sidetracked from the puppy that was now whining its request to go outside. “You are a mummy.”

“I know,” she nodded, sighing as his lips met her neck. She would forever be amused at just how this topic turned him on. “But you said it like…I don’t know. Like, I was a mummy to something of ours.”

Harry let out a groaning sort of chuckle into her neck and pressed closer. “Oh Alexandra...I can make you mummy to something of ours. I can do right now if you’d like.”

“Ohhhh Captain…” she giggled, loving when he was like this, when he couldn’t keep his hands from her, when his base level desires went unchecked.

And then, just as both of them were about to get caught up in each other again, Gus got tired of waiting, lifted up his leg, and peed right there on Alex’s comforter, sending both Alex and Harry flying out from under the covers and into action. Alex plucked Gus from her bed and then squealed as he didn’t stop, pee flying everywhere until she finally dropped him onto her hardwood floor.

“God,” Harry groaned as he pulled on boxers and hurried about quickly to help her. “I feel like a terrible parent."

And Alex couldn't help the laughter that burst from her lips. "Aw honey," she winked at him, "You'll learn. But first...someone has got to clean up this mess."

"Of course," Harry nodded, his lips twitching. "Let me go get a towel.”

**************

“Mmmm…that was delicious love,” Harry groaned as he sat back in his chair at Alex’s small kitchen table. After they had finally gotten Gus’s mess cleaned up, taken him out for an extra-long walk to make up for waiting so long to take him out in the first place, and come back to her place, Alex had taken it upon herself to make the two of them a delicious brunch, which Harry had obviously enjoyed. “I’m definitely glad you can cook.”

Alex arched a brow. “Are you picturing me as the little wife in the kitchen, working hard to have dinner on the table when you come home from work?”

“Ha!” Harry laughed, shaking his head. “No, of course not. I’m picturing my barefoot and pregnant wife in the kitchen, working hard to…”

“I’d stop right there if you know what’s good for you, Wales,” Alex groaned with a roll of her eyes.

He grinned and reached out for her hand and pulled her from her chair and over into his lap. “I’m teasing. Besides, hopefully most of the time when I come home from work, you’ll have been working with me.”

Alex couldn’t help the shy smile that hit her lips, even as she was settling herself on his lap, her legs moving on either side of his. The thought of what he was talking about, about being his wife and working with him, it made her almost giddy. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. He moved his arms around her and pulled her tighter against his lap. “I can’t wait for that.”

Alex’s lips twitched and she leaned forward, pressing her chest against his. “Look at you.”

“What about me?” he asked softly. He reached up to brush a piece of hair from her face.

“This morning it was babies and this afternoon it’s the thought of working with me that turns you on.”

“No,” Harry corrected with a smug grin. “It’s the thought of being married to you that turns me on. But to be fair, there isn’t anything about you that doesn’t turn me on.”

“That’s definitely fair,” Alex murmured. Her eyes danced and she leaned even closer. Her hands slid up his arms, over his broad shoulders, and around his neck. “Hey Harry?” she whispered, “do you hear that?”

“What?” His lips turned up at the corners and his voice dropped almost to a whisper, matching hers.

“Silence…” Her mouth curved into a slightly naughty, but impossibly alluring smile and Harry’s smile grew wide. “No one can interrupt us…I can be as loud as I want…”

Harry groaned and his hands lifted from her and moved to her hair, sliding into the silky strands and pulling her down to him. Their lips met in a slow, hot, passionate kiss. Their tongues tangled together in a dance they had perfected, yet never grew tired of. Harry’s hands clutched at her, the need between them rising fast and intense.

And just at Harry was wrapping his arms around her and preparing to pick her up and take her to the bedroom or the couch or wherever he ended up with her…the buzzer to Alex’s door rang out.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Harry groaned against Alex’s lips. “We’re not answering it.”

Alex sighed and although she didn’t want to, she pulled slightly away from his mouth. “We’ve got to.”

“Who could it possibly be in the middle of the afternoon on a Tuesday?” Harry murmured as he tried to pull her back to him.

The buzzer rang out again and Alex frowned. “I don’t know, but that’s what makes me want to answer it. It’s an odd time for anyone to be coming by.”

Harry pouted but he knew she was right. He only hoped that whoever it was wasn’t going to derail their entire afternoon. He had planned on spending a day making love to her all over her apartment, and so far it wasn’t happening at all like he had hoped.

“Alright, off you go then,” he grumbled. He kissed her quickly and then helped her off his lap and to her feet. She chuckled lightly at the frown on his face.

“You’re so spoiled,” she teased with a wink and she reached out to ruffle his hair as she moved out of the kitchen and to her front hallway. She pressed the button on the intercom to the speaker downstairs at the door. “Hello?”

“Alex? It’s Charlotte.”

Alex blinked and her forehead knotted together. She turned towards Harry, who stood in the archway into the kitchen. “Why would Charlotte be here?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea love. With her it could be anything.”

Alex gave a small smile in return, but something didn’t sit right. Charlotte knew that Harry and Alex had taken the day off and that they had planned to spend the day together. She instantly felt ill at ease. Something was going on.

“Come on up,” she turned and said into the intercom and then then pressed the button to let Charlotte in. Her lip pulled into her teeth as she waiting for the knock at the door.

“You look worried,” Harry observed quietly as they waited.

Alex sighed. “I have a feeling…that whatever the reason she is here isn’t good.”

“Are you worried it’s another tabloid scandal?” His voice was low and her eyes snapped to his.

She was just about to assure him that even if it was she wasn’t scared of the papers but the knock sounded at the door and Alex immediately turned and unlocked it, pulling it open. “Charlotte?”

And then she took in her friend’s appearance. The worn t-shirt, loose fitting jeans, her hair pulled back and damp, and no makeup on. She had never, ever seen Charlotte look like that. “What in the world…”

“I fucked up, Alex,” Charlotte whispered as tears spilled from her eyes. “I slept with someone. Someone who isn’t Matt.”

Alex gasped. “You did  _what_? When?!”

Charlotte blinked and opened her mouth but closed it quickly, looking very uncomfortable as she stood in Alex’s doorway. “Last night…” she finally managed to whisper.

Alex’s face instantly hardened. She couldn’t help it. Charlotte wasn’t just confessing cheating on some guy; she was talking about Matt, her brother that she loved so much. “You cheated on my brother? Not even twelve hours after we got back from Texas you went and…”

“Hey hey hey,” Harry broke in gently, starting Charlotte with his presence and causing Alex to bite off what she was going to say and take a step back. “Let’s not do this in an open doorway,” he said softly, moving forward to the door. His hand was gently and steady on Alex’s back as he stepped up beside her and motioned for Charlotte to come in.

Charlotte bit her lip, looked to Alex who was visibly angry, and then back at Harry. “Maybe I should just go,” she said, her voice hoarse from tears.

“For fuck’s sake, Charlotte, you aren’t going anywhere,” Harry rolled his eyes. “Get inside this door.”

“Okay,” Charlotte nodded gratefully, a ghost of a smile appearing on her lips at Harry’s words.

Alex stepped back as Charlotte stepped in, but she refused to meet Charlotte’s eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips were pressed into a hard line, her entire body was tense, and frankly Harry was sure that he had never seen her mad like this before.

“Listen Charlotte, why don’t you go into the living room,” Harry directed. “I’m going to talk to Alex for a minute.”

Charlotte nodded and swallowed at what was now becoming a permanent lump in her throat. Alex was going to hate her, if she didn’t already. She could see it on her face and in the way she wouldn’t look at her and it was almost as bad as if it had been Matt standing there and giving her the same treatment. Alex had become a constant in her life and a wonderful friend to her. New tears spilled from her eyes at the thoughts spinning through her mind, but Charlotte swept them away with her fingers and nodded, glad that at least she wasn’t being turned away at the door. “Thank you,” she said and then with one last glance at Alex she stepped passed them both and into the living room.

Alex immediately turned to Harry but he shook his head, silencing her. He took her hand and tugged, pulling her from the entryway and down the hallway towards her bedroom. Once they were inside he shut the door behind them before turning to look at Alex.

“I cannot believe her!” Alex hissed, her eyes flashing.

“Well, Alex…” Harry began cautiously. “I’m shocked as fuck but I’m telling you right now, she’s here for a friend, and if you can’t be one, I’m going to be.”

Alex’s eyes widened and she crossed her arms over her chest, her anger now cast in his direction. “Harry…”

He shook his head and his eyes narrowed. “Don’t do this, Alexandra.”

“She cheated on my brother Harry!” she replied, her cheeks growing more flushed and Harry knew her emotions were getting the better of her. He wasn’t mad and he wasn’t upset; he just needed her to understand his position.

He stepped forward and with gentle hands he pulled her arms out of their position crossed over her chest and then he took her hands in his. His eyes met hers and he held them, firm and open. “And Charlotte has been one of my closest friends, one of the most important people in my life for almost as long as you’ve been Matt’s sister.”

Alex yanked her hands from his and stepped back, her eyes flashing. “Are you taking her side?”

“No,” he said quickly, with a shake of his head. “I’m not taking any sides, Alex. I don’t even know what the fuck happened. I’m just saying that I’m not going to turn away from her!”

“You think I’m being unfair?” she retorted, raising an eyebrow, almost daring him to answer in the affirmative.

But Harry wasn’t backing down. He understood her anger but he wasn’t going to let her dictate his actions in this situation. “Yes, Alexandra. I think you’re being terribly unfair. You’re mad at her. I get it, Alex. But she came to you, love. Did you see her surprise when she saw me here? She didn’t come here for me. She didn’t go to Bea or Genie. She came to see you.”

“I’m not sure why she thought that was a good idea,” Alex snapped. “Like I’m just going to stand there and hold her fucking hand while she cries about how she fucked over my brother.”

“Damn it, Alex,” Harry’s voice rose to match hers. “Don’t yell at me like I did something wrong here.”

“I’m not!” she huffed. “I’m not…I just can’t believe you’re supporting her!”

Harry groaned and scrubbed his hands over his face before running them through his hair. “Alex, I don’t even know what happened! I’m just saying she obviously needs someone to listen to her, to…I don’t know, to help her get through this. And I’m a little fucking pissed that you think I would turn away on my best friend when she needs something like that. Who the hell do you think I am?”

And Alex decided she’d had enough. She knew that maybe she wasn’t being entirely rational, but she was furious that Harry wasn’t worked up over the whole thing and that he was giving her shit for defending her brother.

“I’m going to take Gus and go…I don’t know…for a walk or something. I can’t do this. It’s ridiculous that you’re mad at me and…”

“I’m not mad at you, Alex!” he broke in, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. “I’m trying to talk to you here, to make you understand that she’s my friend –  _our friend_  – and I’m not going to...”

Alex held up her hand in front of her and closed her eyes. “Stay here and talk to Charlotte if that's what you really want to do.” He eyes opened and met his, sad but set in her decision. “But I can't.”

Harry stared at Alex for a long moment before he nodded. “Fine.”

Alex lifted an eyebrow. “Fine?”

“What else would you like me to say? You already told me that you are leaving so I'm respecting that.”

Alex bit her lip and her features softened for just a moment before she turned with a sigh and moved to her closet to slip on her shoes. When she stepped out Harry was still out there and because, even though she was mad, she still loved him, she went to him and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. Then, without another word she moved around him and walked from the bedroom and he turned to follow.

She walked into the foyer and her eyes fell into the living room where Charlotte sat on the couch with Gus in her lap. He was enjoying the attention she was giving him and he was providing her with a little bit of a distraction, but her head lifted as she heard Alex walk in and, for the first time since they had stood in the front Hallway, their eyes met.

Charlotte sat up straight. “Alex, I…”

Alex shook her head and held up a hand, cutting off Charlotte’s words. “Listen, I'm mad as hell. It would be unless for me to try to talk to you. I…” She took a deep breath. “Harry is going to stay. Talk to him. I'm going to take Gus and go out for a bit.”

Charlotte blinked at the tears but she nodded. “Okay. I understand. Thank you.”

“Yeah…well…” Alex swallowed hard and gave a small shake of her head and then she turned and pulled Gus's leash from its hook on the wall. “Come on, Gus,” she called out. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Gus, happy to be going on yet another walk, leapt from Charlotte's lap and scrambled over to Alex, who bent down to attach his leash. She grabbed her small bag, pulled it over her shoulder and then plucked her keys and phone from the table by the door before she turned to Harry, who was leaning against the frame of the entryway the living room.

“I’ll call you when I’m done. Or call me when you’re ready to come back and I’ll be done,” Harry said quietly.

“I can amuse myself until you’re done,” Alex said pertly.

Harry hated that she was being cold, but it was obvious that trying to talk to her want going to help. So instead he just nodded and leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her cheek. He watched as she turned without another word and walked out of the door with Gus, leaving him behind with Charlotte, whose heart broke a little bit more as her friend shut the door – and put up a wall – between them.

************

Alex walked her usual route to the park, stopping on her way to buy a lemonade as the summer day was hot and it seemed like something that would lift her spirits, as strange as that may have been. Her thoughts ran wild as she wandered through the park with Gus. They played and ran and took a break here and there to sit and enjoy the sunshine before getting up and walking some more.

Gus was happy to be outside for so long and it gave Alex time to think, to try to figure out how the whole thing was going to go down with Charlotte and her brother. She knew Charlotte would tell Matt, that’s just who she was. And she was sure that Matt would end it, that’s just how he was. But she couldn’t shake thought that there would be a lot more to the situation. Charlotte was her friend…really, Charlotte was her best friend. Sure, she had been Harry’s friend for longer but Charlotte had been there for her every step of the way for the last year and a half, even when she didn’t have to be. Would she really be able to just toss that to the side over Charlotte’s mistake? And if she did, what would that mean for her relationship with Harry? She would never ask him to choose, but would they all still be able to be friends?

“Alex?”

She looked up, startled at someone calling her name. She squinted up into the sun from where she sat on the lush green grass of Hyde Park, Gus relaxing by her side. It took a few seconds to find the face that belonged to the voice, but she was certainly surprised when she did.

“Kate?”

The tall brunette smiled at Alex from where she stood on the path, joined by her protection officers and her dog Lupo, who was on a leash that was attached to the stroller she was pushing that contained a sleeping Henry. “Am I interrupting?” she asked brightly.

“No,” Alex said immediately as she stood to go greet Harry’s sister-in-law. Gus jumped up right away and as Alex got to Kate, Gus found Lupo and they instantly went to sniffing each other. “I was just out for a walk with Gus and got lost in thought.”

The two women hugged each other in greeting and Kate’s smile pulled even wider when they parted. “It’s a long walk you’ve taken from home, no?”

Alex blinked and looked around her. Jesus, she had gone quite a ways. She wasn’t very familiar with this part of the park, but she was pretty sure she was closer to Kensington than she was to her own building. She didn’t live that far from Harry, but it was far enough that she knew she must have been out walking for a couple of hours.

“I…goodness…” Alex laughed. “It’s a long story but I had to get out of my apartment.” Kate’s smile stayed in place but Alex saw a look flicker across her face, something that said maybe Kate knew more about the reason she found Alex in the park than she let on. “Kate…” Alex drawled, her eyes narrowing playfully.

Kate laughed and then tilted her head towards the path. “Come on, Alex…walk with me.”

Alex peered at her. “Walk with you?”

Kate’s lips twitched. She leaned a bit closer and her voice dropped. “Listen, there are like…thirty mobile phone photos of you on Twitter right now and you look…sad. And you’ve been out here for hours and…”

And it dawned on Alex; Kate wasn’t here by accident.

“You are here to make it look like I’m meeting you, aren’t you?” she asked softly.

“You did meet me here,” Kate shrugged. “Maybe by surprise, but you did. Anyway, are you going to walk back to KP with me? We can let the dogs play and you can cuddle Henry and we’ll have tea.”

Alex felt her mouth pull into a smile for the first time since Charlotte had rang her buzzer a couple of hours before. “Sure, that sounds lovely.”

“Great,” Kate grinned. “Let’s go.”

“Kate?” Alex asked, her eyes twinkling with a bit of humor as she eyed her friend walking beside her.

“Hmmm?”

“Twitter? Really? Please tell me you don’t read the shit about you on there.”

Kate laughed, a warm, genuine laugh that spoke of just how comfortable she had become with Alex, with how much she trusted her. “No, no. Someone in our Press Office at KP saw it. I happened to be in the office and overheard. I called Harry...” Understanding flashed in her eyes and Alex knew that this was something they did in this family; they looked out for each other. That's what Kate was doing for her. “He said he was going to come get you. He sounded worried. But I told him I could really use a girl’s day and...here I am.”

Alex couldn’t help the soft smile that tilted her lips. “You didn’t have to…”

Kate waved a hand, dismissing Alex’s protest. “No worries. Now come on, let’s get back. We’ll have tea and eats lots of sweets and as soon as Will gets home, we can crack open a bottle of wine.”

Alex grinned. “I’m in.”

****************

It was later in the evening when Harry finally got back to Kensington. It had been a hard afternoon, watching Charlotte go through heartbreak. He had talked to her, listened to her, helped her make sense of her feelings, and then, in the way these things sometimes work, just when Charlotte had finally realized that she was in love with Matt, she’d had to place the call to tell him that she had cheated on him. Harry had stepped out of the room to let her talk in private, but when he heard the loudest, most heartbreaking sobs coming from Alex’s living room he went back, his own heart hurting at just how broken Charlotte was.

Matt had ended it. And Charlotte was more lost than he’d ever seen her.

He sat with her and let her cry on his shoulder until there were no more tears left, until her eyes were so swollen and her nose was stuffy and there was nothing left for her to do but wait for more tears to build up so she could cry those out too.

He had offered to bring her back to KP and let her stay in the guestroom overnight so she wouldn’t be alone, but Charlotte refused. She knew Alex would be there and she couldn’t face her, not with how she had just crushed her brother’s heart. So Harry took her home, made sure she got in safe and that she would be okay, and then with a deep breath he had gotten back into his car, exhausted and mentally fried from the day.

Kate had texted him and told him that she was with Alex over at his place, having left Will at their apartment with Henry so that they could have girls night and so he wasn’t surprised when he stepped out of his car in front of his home and the lights were on inside and he could hear music blasting from the surround sound. He smirked as he walked up the path. He could only imagine what those two had gotten up to.

He pushed open the door and walked quickly through the foyer and into his living room, finding Alex and Kate both spread out on his big, U-shaped couch. Kate was in pajamas and Alex had on one of his t-shirts and a pair of his sweatpants, which were huge on her, and there was about four empty bottles of wine on his coffee table.

“Ladies,” Harry called out into the room, raising his voice to be heard above the music.

Both of their heads jerked around and they burst into giggles, causing Harry’s lips to twist up into a smile. He strode across the room to the surround sound control and turned the knob, bringing the blaring Spice Girls down to a more acceptable decibel level.

“Boo!” Kate called out. “Party pooper!”

Harry lifted an eyebrow. “Let me remind you whose wine you are drinking.”

Alex snorted her laughter into her glass of wine as Kate shrugged and leaned forward to tip the very last of a bottle into her own glass. “We took out the most expensive stuff too.”

Harry chuckled as laughter burst forth from Alex’s lips. Her eyes lifted to meet his and he felt his heart tug. They had left each other on a bad note earlier today, and there was still unfinished business between them, but they were still able to smile and laugh and not tiptoe around each other before they worked everything out.

“Don’t worry,” Harry laughed, winking at Alex before he turned his attention back to Kate. “I’ll send the bill to Will for the wine.”

“Sure,” Kate nodded, her eyes dancing. “He’ll enjoy putting that through the paper shredder in his office. He loves that fucking paper shredder.”

Alex howled her laughter and tipped backwards onto the couch. Harry leapt forward and barely plucked the wine glass from her hand before it tipped back with her. He slid it onto the table and then shook his head in Kate’s direction.

“Look what you did to my girlfriend.”

Kate laughed and clapped her hands together. “I accept complete responsibility here,” she said with a bright smile. She tipped the last of her glass of wine back and then plunked it down on the table. “I should go, though. My husband and son await me at home.”

Alex turned and smirked up at Kate from where she laid on the couch. “You’re going to go home and pass out, Cambridge. Don’t lie.”

Kate giggled. “You’re absolutely right.”

Harry shook his head and pulled out his phone. He dialed Will, who said he would be right over to pick up his wife. Then, after tossing his phone on the coffee table, he went to help a wobbly Kate from the couch. Alex rose and gave Kate a giggling hug, thanked her for everything, and then sank back to the couch as Harry walked Kate to the door and handed her off to William, a look of humor passing between the two of them.

Then he shut the door behind them, locked it, and went back into the living room, finding Alex moving to clear the wine bottles from the table.

“I’ll get it,” he called out as he moved around the couch to the table. “I would rather not have broken glass everywhere.”

“Ha ha,” Alex smirked as he moved to take the bottles from her, but she was grateful as she sank back into the couch. She wasn’t wasted, but she was definitely more than a little drunk. But more than anything, she was glad Harry was there.

She watched as he strode back into the room and over to the couch, sinking down onto it gratefully. She sat up and turned so she was looking at him. She looked him over; he looked tired and sad and she decided she didn’t want to dance around anything.

“Did she tell him?”

Harry’s eyes lifted to hers and he nodded slowly and his hand reached up to rub the back of his neck, massaging out the tension. “Yes.”

“And?”

“He ended it.”

Alex bit her lip as the tears rose to her eyes. She was sadder than she expected. She knew he brother had been in love with Charlotte and she knew how destroyed he must have been. She took a deep breath and blinked back the tears. She looked down at her hands in her lap before lifting her eyes to Harry again.

“I hate her a little bit right now, Harry.”

Harry swallowed and then sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees. “I know.”

And suddenly she couldn’t stand to be apart from him, to not be touching him. She pulled herself up and crawled over to him, surprising him when she crawled onto his lap, settling her legs on either side of him.

“Hi,” he smiled softly up at her. His hands lifted to her arms and he rubbed up and down slowly, just need to touch her.

“I don’t know that I’ll always feel so mad,” she continued, feeling better now that she was closer to him. “But right now…”

“I get it,” Harry nodded quickly, his emotions rising to the surface.

“I don’t think you do,” Alex shook her head. Her hands moved to his face and she pulled his eyes up to hers. “If you ever cheated on me Harry, I’d expect everyone I know…and I mean  _everyone_ …to hate you.”

“Alex, I would never…” he began, his eyes widening at her words.

“No, I know,” she nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “I know you wouldn’t. But I’m telling you, if you did…I’d expect Matt to hate you. I know he’s your friend now too. But I’d expect him to hate you. You need to understand that, because when it comes to my brother…” She took a deep breath and worked hard to keep the tears back; she didn’t want to cry. “If he wants me to not be her friend anymore…”

Harry shook his head and his hands slid up her arms, over her shoulders, and to her face, cupping her cheeks and pulling her down closer to him. “I know, Alexandra,” he whispered. “But you have to understand that I will always be her friend.  _You_  have to understand that.”

Alex bit her lip and her eyes searched his. And the truth of it was that in that moment she loved him even more for being loyal to Charlotte, to knowing that this had all the potential in the world to be a fucked up situation and still sticking by her.

“I understand that,” she said, her voice soft and sweet but honest.

They stayed just like that for a long moment, holding each other’s eyes, letting the moment wash over them and then with a deep breath in and a deep breath out, Harry relaxed a bit and Alex followed suit, letting the tension ease from them and from the room.

“Hey Harry,” she called softly, her hands moving from his face to rest on his chest.

“Yes baby?” he responded as his arms moved around her, pulling her closer.

“Wanna have drunk sex?”

His shout of laughter rang through the house, even startling Gus who was fast asleep on his bed in the kitchen. “God I love you,” he grinned as he pulled her to him, his lips finding hers.

“Is that a yes?” she giggled hopefully.

With a groan he sat up, tipped her back onto the couch, and moved in above her with a smug grin.

It was definitely a yes.

**************

It wasn’t until late the next afternoon that Alex finally got ahold of her brother. She was sitting her office, trying to concentrate on work when her cell rang out, Matt’s name flashing across the screen. She had called him several times that day, but his voicemail had picked up right away every time.

“Hello?”

“Hey boot…” Matt’s voice was low and sad and Alex immediately felt the tears coming.

“Matt,” she said softly. “I’m so glad you called. I tried to call a few times this morning.”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I had to go get a new phone this morning. I broke mine last night.”

“Oh Matt,” Alex breathed. “I’m so sorry.”

There was a long silence on the other end but Alex knew he was still there, that he would talk when he was ready. So she sat and waited, letting him take as long as he needed.

“Alex…I don’t hate her. I want to hate her, but I don’t. But I can’t be with her…not after…”

Alex closed her eyes against the emotions welling at the heartbreak in Matt’s voice. “I understand,” she murmured. “Harry was with her yesterday. He talked to her, sat with her…but I…I couldn’t. Not after what she did to you.”

“Don’t do that, Alex,” he responded immediately, his voice pleading, startling her.

“Don’t do what?”

“Don’t shut her out.”

“Matt…” She was in disbelief. “But she…”

“I know what she did, boot!” Matt interrupted her, his voice a little wild. “But I don’t want you to stop being her friend. Please don’t do that. Don’t shut her out.”

Alex felt the tears slip from her eyes and she sniffled as she wiped at them. “Why are you so good, Matt? Your heart is just…God, you don’t deserve this.” She heard him take a shuddering breath on the other end and she wished more than anything that she could hug him, that she could comfort him. “Okay,” she finally whispered as she wiped at her tears. “I won’t shut her out.”

“Thanks boot,” he murmured. “Listen, I’m gonna go. I need to…fuck. I need to get drunk and play my guitar and just not talk about this right now. But thank you for calling me and I love you.”

“Okay,” she replied. “Call me if you need anything. I love you too, Matt.”

And then with a couple of whispered goodbyes the call was over and Alex pulled her phone from her ear. She looked at it for a few moments, trying to process the conversation she had just had. With a sigh she tossed her phone on her desk and then grabbed a tissue, wiping at her tears. But her attention seemed to be drawn right back to her phone and she knew why. She knew she had a call to make. She knew she had to so what Matt wanted her to do.

With a deep breath she picked it up again, found the number in her contacts and then pressed it up against her ear. It was picked up on the first ring.

“Hello?” came the surprised and nervous voice across the line.

“Charlotte…it’s me. I was…” She took a steadying breath. “I was hoping I could come by after work and talk. I thought…I thought you might need a friend.”


	65. Chapter Sixty Five

“Remember when we were kids and we used to come out and watch you jump here?” Harry asked Zara as he surveyed the scene around him.

They were in the stables at the venue of Emma’s very first show jumping competition. Emma was brushing her horse down, Zara was giving her some final coaching, and Alex and Harry were standing to the side, watching proudly.

“You didn’t watch,” Zara scoffed, turning from Emma to look at Harry. “You were under the bleachers with your little heathen friends the whole time, poking people in their asses with sticks.”

“You said a bad word, ZaZa!” Emma said when Zara turned back around to adjust the little girl’s helmet. “You know what that means!”

“Sorry,” Zara sighed. “I didn’t mean to curse, Emma. And yes, I know what it means.” She leaned a little closer and her lips turned up into a slightly naughty grin. “But it’s really Harry’s fault so he should be the one to pay the price.”

“Listen,” Harry’s eyes narrowed playfully in Zara’s direction. “Don’t try to recruit Emma to gang up on me.”

“What’s the price?” Alex asked, trying to smother her laughter at the banter between her boyfriend and his cousin.

“Everytime ZaZa says a bad word she puts a pound into a jar.” Emma said, matter-of-fact. “When I win my first competition, I get everything in the jar.”

Harry snickered, loving that his sailor mouthed cousin was probably losing a fortune to Emma. “And how much is in the jar right now?”

“I don’t know,” Emma shrugged. “But it’s pretty full already. I hope I win today!”

Laughter chorused among the adults for a moment before Zara finally turned and shooed Harry and Alex out. She needed to finish prepping Emma and they were becoming a distraction.

“Okay, Okay…we’re leaving,” Harry laughed, holding up his hands in defeat. He and Alex both hugged Emma and wished her good luck and then moved out of the stables and walked hand in hand towards the stands, followed closely by Harry’s protection officers.

“Zara says she has a chance to medal,” Alex said with a smile, glancing to the side at Harry.

“Yeah?” Harry said, his face brightening with the possibility. “I hope she does. She works hard with Zara and she seems to really love it.”

“She does,” Alex nodded as they reached the stands and Harry led her up to the top bench where they took a seat. “You look really proud of her,” Alex said softly once they were settled.

Harry turned to her with a slightly surprised smile. “Of course I am, love. I’m terribly proud of her. She’s my…” He trailed off, catching his words in his throat and swallowing them with a gulp, not sure if they were the right thing to say.

But Alex wasn’t about to let him get away that easily.

“She’s your what, Harry?” she asked, her eyes soft and sweet, dying to know what he was going to say.

Harry chuckled and shook his head slightly, a small flush crawling up his cheeks. “She’s my little girl.”

Alex had to look away; she had to. Her eyes filled with tears and if she hadn’t looked away they would have spilled out and she knew there were cameras on them and she simply could not cry right then. So she took a deep breath and turned her gaze off in the distance, concentrating on keeping her face straight.

But her hand reached for Harry’s and when her fingers tightened around his and her thumb stroked over the palm of his hand, he knew that she was agreeing with him in the only way she could at the moment. And he had to swallow the lump in his throat as well, had to concentrate on keeping his face straight until he could get it under control.

It took several long, emotional minutes but finally Alex was able to relax a little bit, to allow herself to glance in Harry’s direction, to find her voice again.

She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder and squeezed his fingers tighter. “She’s a lucky, lucky girl, that Emma,” she said lightly, her lips twitching up at the sides.

And Harry chuckled and moved an arm around Alex as he bent to kiss the top of her head. “Nah. I’m the lucky one.”

“You really are,” Alex sighed, drawing a shout of laughter from Harry and dialing down the intensity on the situation just a bit.

Harry squeezed her tight with the arm he had around her and took a deep breath before relaxing a bit, trying to move his brain into a different subject; something less emotional.

“So, Matt left today?” he asked, dropping his arm from around her and moving to pick up her hand instead.

Alex smiled. “He did. He would have been her if he didn’t have to go home today. He will be back in a few weeks. He’s got to finish up some things at work before he transfers and he’s got to put his house up for sale and…” Alex’s grin pulled even wider. “My brother is moving to London.”

“To live with  _Charlotte_ ,” Harry smirked.

“Pretty crazy, right?” Alex giggled. “From a one night stand last summer to Matt moving to an entirely new country for her.”

The announcement that the riders would be beginning momentarily came then, putting the conversation about Matt and Charlotte on hold. Both Harry and Alex straightened up, anxious to see everything start. They watched as three riders were announced, came out and performed their jumps, and rode off the field before the announcement was finally made that they were waiting for.

“And up next we have number four, Emma Morgan, riding her horse Prince Charming.”

There was a rumble of laughter that moved through the stands at the name of her horse, and more than a few glances were thrown in Harry’s direction, the irony of the name not lost on any of them. But Harry just grinned and pulled his phone from his pocket, getting the camera ready to go for when Emma came out.

And finally she did, looking every bit the professional little seven year old rider that she was. Harry and Alex watched intently as she cleared jump after jump, with just a small little error on the third one. And finally, when she cleared the last jump and steered her horse off of the field, there was applause throughout the crowd, although no one could deny that the loudest cheers of all came from the very proud red headed Prince sitting among them.

**********

The competition was a tight one; all of the riders in Emma’s age division were very good. Emma remained ranked high as the five riders after her each took their turns at the course. She remained in third place as the last rider went out.

The last rider, a little girl named Hannah Smythe, was good. She maneuvered the course and the jumps smoothly, with no errors. I was obvious to everyone in the stands that she was going to place within the top three, if not take first.

But on the final jump of her ride, her horse’s back hooves clipped the jump and he came down harder than he usually did. Little Hannah tried to hold on tight, to keep on the horse, but in the end she simply couldn’t keep her balance and she went toppling off, landing on her side.

The crowd gasped and a petite brunette woman, who was obviously Hannah’s mother, immediately jumped up from the stands and rushed down towards the course.

“Oh God,” Alex whispered, her eyes flashing wide as she watched what happened. “I hope she’s okay.”

“Me too,” Harry murmured, his eyes intent on the scene.

But their fears were instantly eased when the little girl sat up and looked around, definitely more shaken than anything. She stood up just as her mother reached her and bent down; checking to make sure everything was okay. They could see the little girl swipe at tears on her cheeks as she walked off of the field with her mother and Alex immediately felt awful for her.

“Poor girl,” she murmured.

“She would have won,” Harry said back, feeling bad for her himself. It was never easy to watch kids get let down.

“I know,” Alex nodded. “Such a shame she had to fall.”

“It is,” Harry agreed as they watched the little girl disappear into the stables with her mother. “Come on love,” he sighed, tugging on Alex’s hand and moving to his feet. “Let’s go find our little munchkin and congratulate her on her third place finish.”

Alex’s smile brightened and she nodded. “Absolutely.”

***************

The medal ceremony was quick and a touch cheesy, as most of them are, but Harry, Alex, and Zara ate it all up. Alex took pictures while Harry took video on his phone and they all cheered loudly when Emma’s name was called out as the bronze medal winner.

“Let me see your medal, Em,” Alex smiled when Emma jumped down from the medal stand and ran towards them. Alex bent down and Emma held the medal out from her neck for her mother to see.

“Mummy?” Emma whispered, drawing Alex’s attention up to her daughter’s face.

“Yeah, Em?”

“Did you see when Hannah fell?”

“I did,” Alex nodded.

“She’s really said,” Emma said in a small voice. Her eyes moved over Alex’s shoulder to where Hannah stood with her parents; she was still swiping tears from her cheeks. “But she still came over to say congratulations to me and the two other winners and to give us hugs.”

Alex smiled softly and pushed a lock of hair from Emma’s forehead. “That was very nice of her, baby. She has good sportsmanship.”

“I think…” Emma started before taking a deep breath and giving Alex a small smile. “I think because I wouldn’t have gotten a medal if she would not have fallen…”

“Go ahead…” Alex encouraged.

“Would it be alright if I gave her my medal? I know I should keep it because it’s my first one but I’ll get more and…”

“Oh Emma,” Alex said in a soft voice, her eyes shining with pride as she ran her hands over her daughter’s arms. “Of course you can. It’s your medal and you can anything you like with it. And…” She winked at Emma. “I think you would probably make her feel a bit better, knowing you care so much.”

Emma’s eyes brightened and a wide smile appeared on her face. “Thanks Mummy!”

Alex laughed lightly and then stood up straight, ruffling Emma’s hair as she did so. “You’re welcome, kiddo.”

Emma gave Alex a quick hug around her hips and then she went running off towards Hannah. Alex stood and watched her while Harry and Zara moved in closer to her.

“What is she doing?” Zara asked, her hands resting on her pregnant belly as she watched Emma.

“She’s giving the little girl who fell her medal, because if Hannah wouldn’t have fallen then Emma wouldn’t have gotten it. She wanted to make her feel better,” Alex replied, turning towards Harry and Zara with a proud smile.

“Wow,” Harry chuckled, shaking his head in surprise.

“I can see that being around Harry for so long hasn’t rubbed off on Emma, she’s still a good kid,” Zara snickered, waiting for Harry’s reaction and then laughing when he narrowed his eyes at her.

“Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean I have to be nice to you,” Harry joked.

“If you ever want to babysit, that’s exactly what it means,” Zara said smugly.

Harry rolled his eyes and grinned and Alex couldn’t help but giggle. His entire family seemed to know exactly how to get him to behave himself.

“Harry!”

The three adults all turned their attention towards Emma, calling Harry’s name as she ran back up to them. She grabbed Harry’s hand with hers and looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Harry! Can you do something for me?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded.

“Maybe that’s not a smart thing to agree to so quickly,” Alex teased.

“Mum!” Emma sighed; a picture of sass as she put her hand on her hip and shot Alex a look.

“Sorry,” Alex laughed, holding her hands up in the air.

Emma turned back to Harry. “Can you please come take a picture with Hannah? She said her big sister has a crush on you and it will make her jealous.”

Zara and Alex couldn’t contain their snorts of laughter but Harry just chuckled and nodded. “Sure thing, Princess,” he grinned, motioning for her to lead the way, happy to do anything she asked of him

**************

They barely made it through the door to Harry’s room before Alex’s hands, urgent and needy, were on Harry’s clothes, pulling and tugging, wanting them off of him right then. Emma was tucked in and asleep and after the events of the day, she wanted him so badly she could taste it.

And she was about to take exactly what she wanted.

“Wow…” Harry grinned as he lifted his arms above his head to let her pull of his shirt. He loved when she was like this, when she went after him, when she was fierce and passionate and demanding.

“You’re so smug,” Alex laughed low. She flung her own shirt off and moved into him, her own arms wrapping around his torso as she walked them slowly towards Harry’s big bed.

“I can’t help it,” Harry responded in a low, husky voice. His eyes grew dark with passion. “Not when it’s  _you_  who wants me.”

“I always want you,” she breathed, her eyes sparking at his words.  A slight moan left her lips when he reached around her and flicked at the clasp of her bra, pulling it from her and flinging it away. She sighed with the small relief and with the way it felt when she pressed her chest against his, loving the feel of his hot skin against hers and the pressure that felt so good against her hard, sensitive nipples. “Especially when you call my daughter your little girl…” she continued, her eyes growing a touch softer at the memory, even as she was pushing him backwards on the bed and moving in above him.

Harry sat up and wrapped his arms tightly around her as she settled her legs around him. He didn’t want any space between them; he needed to be as close as possible to her right then.

“Alex…” he groaned when she slid her hands into his hair and tilted her head over his, her mouth pulling his into a scorching kiss.

“I can’t wait to give you more children to love like you love Emma…” she continued, pulling her mouth from his and dragging her hot lips down his jaw towards the sensitive spot just under his ear, bringing a soft groan from him. His hands slid to her hips and around to her ass, flexing and pulling her tighter against him. And Alex continued, kissing his neck softly before she spoke again, “How long are you going to make me wait to give you babies, Harry?”

“Alexandra,” he groaned as his entire body pulsed with her words. His eyes pulled open and his hands moved into her mane of blonde hair, pulling her back from his neck and finding her gaze with his. “You’re going to kill me,” he panted, his eyes flashing with need.

Alex’s lips curled up at the sides and she reached between them, finding the button the zipper on his jeans. “That's not good,” she teased as she popped the button, pulled the zipper down, and reached in. She wrapped her hand around him, loving the moan that fell from his lips. “Then I definitely won't be able to give you babies.”

A laughing sort of groan fell from his lips. He was totally turned on by everything about her in that moment; her desire, her playfulness, the words she was saying to him. “Alexandra…you know I want that more than anything…” He let out a harsh breath when she squeezed him and then, out of pure necessity only, his fingers wrapped around her wrist and he pulled her hand from his pants and to her side. She pouted and he shook his head, thinking she was the most adorable thing on the face of the earth. Trusting she would keep her hand to the side for the moment he released it and his fingers moved to her face, cupping her cheeks and pulling her face closer to his. “I want that more than anything…except marrying you. I want that more. And...”

“Yes.”

Harry blinked, confused. “What?”

Alex’s lips pulled into a wide smile and her eyes danced. “I'll marry you.”

“Alex…” Harry warned in a shaky voice. His eyes were wide and he was sure that she could hear the way his heart was slamming into his chest over and over again. “What are you doing to me right now?”

Alex’s head tossed back and she laughed; a happy, warm sound that only served to draw Harry closer to him in that moment, to make him love her even more, if that was even possible. Here she was saying these things to him and she wasn’t shy or trying to beat around the bush. She was happy and had no qualms about the things she said.

“Doing to you? Come on, Harry,” she said lightly. “If you want to marry me, then ask me. It's that easy.”

Harry’s fingers flexed on her cheeks and his eyes grew serious and steady. “It'll be the easiest thing I ever do.”

Alex held his gaze for a long beat. She knew he was serious and she knew he meant it. She also knew that he making assurances to her; assurances that she didn’t necessarily need, but that made her heart beat fast all the same.

And then she sighed happily, her lips curving up into a soft smile. “You have a plan don't you?” she teased.

He nodded slowly and leaned forward, brushing her lips softly with his. “I do…and baby?”

“Hmmm?” She was already moving her hands back to his body; her desire for him growing by the second.

“Just so you know, it's taking everything I have not to throw it to the wind and ask you right now. But…”

“The plan is good isn't it?”

Harry’s eyes danced as he nodded and Alex couldn’t help herself, she had to kiss him. And so, with a wide grin she moved in again, wrapping her arms around him and giggling as he fell back onto the mattress, pulling her with him.

And she went, happily. As she always would.


	66. Chapter Sixty Six

Alex’s second summer with Harry had been busy and full of so many moments. The Duke of Edinburgh’s birthday, Dave and Bea’s wedding, their trip to Texas, and the drama with Matt and Charlotte had made for a very full and very busy few months.

And as the summer wound down and the air grew cool, they stayed busy.

Harry met a new career goal, qualifying as an Apache Commander, the culmination of a lot of hard work and the determination that he seemed to have in spades. He was also taking on more royal duties than ever. He even made a quick, three day tour of Australia, with a stopover in Dubai on his way back to attend a Sentebale fundraiser.

Alex kept herself busy as well. Emma was back in school for the year and so was she; resuming her university courses that she had taken a break from over the summer. She was in her second to last semester before graduation and so she was into the real meat of her coursework. She loved it.

They were busy but as always, they made time for each other. They were solid and comfortable in their relationship and inching closer and closer to a turning point in their lives together, their life as a family. They knew it, everyone around them seemed to know it, and the press was all over any bit of engagement talk they could find.

And once again, as it had the year before, the papers stepped up their coverage and the paps were more intense as September rolled around and Harry’s birthday was approaching.

It was, after all, his thirtieth.

**********

I’m having major Déjà vu,” Alex chuckled as she watched the scenery fly by outside of her window.

“Yeah?” Harry chuckled from the driver’s seat, tossing a glance in her direction.

“Mmhmm,” she murmured, throwing him a smile before turning back to the window. The leaves were beginning to fall and the colors were bright, various shades of red and orange mixing with the lush greenery. It was Harry’s birthday and, similar to the year before, he had told her that there was something he wanted her to see with him. Later that night, once they were back in London, she had an entire evening planned for him, but he had asked for this part of the day and she had gladly given it, although she had no idea where they were going.

“What’s Déjà vu?” Emma called out from the backseat.

Alex turned and smiled at her daughter who was looking at her expectantly. Gus was sprawled out across any bit of seat that Emma wasn’t occupying, fast asleep and enjoying the car ride that he had been lucky enough to have been invited on.

“It’s when you are doing something and you get a feeling that you have been in that exact place doing the exact same thing before, even though you haven’t,” Alex answered.

“So you felt like we’ve been on this exact same trip with Harry before?”

Alex smiled. “Well, I said it as more of a joke; to tease Harry.”

Emma’s head tilted to the side. “Why?”

Harry chuckled from beside her, and Alex couldn’t help the feeling of warmth she got from the entire conversation, how much they felt like a family, and it made her smile even wider. “Remember last year on Harry’s birthday when he took us out into the country?”

“Yes!” Emma brightened, a grin breaking across her face. “That’s when we met Miss Susannah and then went to stay with ZaZa and Auntie Mikey.”

“Yep,” Alex nodded. “That’s why I said it was like Déjà vu, because he’s taking us out into the country but not telling us where we are going, just like last year.”

“Ahhh...” Emma nodded, her little face growing serious as she thought over the new phrase.

“Alright,” Harry called out from the front seat. “We’re here.”

His words turned Alex’s attention back to the front of the care as he steered the Range Rover around a curve in the road and then slowed, before turning into a drive and up to a gate. His detail, following in the car behind them, pulled in and waited as Harry pressed the button on the call box for the gate.

“Where are we?” Alex asked, taking in the beautiful drive in front of her. It was obviously an estate, and a huge, beautiful one at that.

“Althorp,” Harry said, his voice low and full of emotion. He turned his eyes to Alex just as she swung her gaze toward his, her eyes wide as realization washed over her.

“Your mother’s family home,” Alex breathed. “She’s…”

“She’s buried here,” Harry finished for her. “We’ve come for a visit.”

“Harry…” Alex began, although she didn’t really know what to say – what she  _could_  say – that would convey just how special this was to her. But right then the speaker on the call box crackled to life and any words she could have possibly come up with faded out as Harry turned towards the voice calling out through the speaker.

“Hello?”

“It’s Harry,” he called back to the voice.

“Yes sir, you’re expected.”

The speaker clicked off, followed by a buzzing sound, and then the ornate gates in front of them began to swing open.

“Harry, this is where your mummy lived?” Emma called from the backseat as they moved slowly down the drive.

The corners of Harry’s lips turned up and he glanced in the rearview mirror at Emma. “When she was growing up, yes.”

“Does your whole family have humongous houses?” Emma asked, clearly impressed with the size of Althorp.

Alex snickered and Harry grinned. He loved how plain spoken children were and that they had no qualms about asking the questions that everyone was really thinking.

“Quite a few of them do,” he answered with a chuckle.

They reached the end of the drive and pulled up in the circular drive in front of the house, if you could really even call it that. The huge, ornate front door opened as soon as their car pulled to a stop, a testament to how these estates worked when visitors arrived. Even with family it was precise and formal.

Harry’s detail exited from the vehicle behind them and with that, Harry and Alex both opened their doors. Alex opened Emma’s door while Harry took a moment to make sure Gus was attached to his leash before he let the dog jump out and handed the leash to Emma, making sure she had a good grip on it as Gus was desperately excited to explore the new surroundings.

“Harry!”

They all turned at the deep voice and Harry smiled at the tall, handsome, older man standing at the top of the stone steps that led up to the door.

“Uncle Charles!” Harry called back in greeting. He moved around the car as Charles Spencer made his way down the steps to greet his nephew. The two men kissed each other’s cheeks and share a hug.

“Happy birthday, Harry,” Charles said with a wide smile and Alex couldn’t help but think that Harry resembled his uncle a bit.

“Thank you,” Harry nodded and then he turned to Alex. “Uncle Charles, this is my girlfriend, Alexandra Morgan and her daughter Emma Morgan,” he said, gesturing towards each of them in turn.

Charles lifted a warm smile to Alex and leaned in to kiss her cheeks. Alex had to suppress a giggle; she always teased Harry about his Windsor charm, but she now realized that a good portion of it must come from the Spencer side of the family.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Alexandra,” Charles said.

“Please, call me Alex,” she smiled in return. “And it’s lovely to meet you as well, Earl Spencer.”

“Call me Charles,” he insisted, squeezing her hand kindly before he turned towards Emma, kneeling down to take her little hand. “And Emma, you are a very pretty little girl. You look just like your mother.”

“I know,” Emma grinned and then her eyes widened and she tossed a glance up at Alex, whose lips were twitching slightly. “I mean…thank you,” she tried again.

Charles laughed and stood, patting Emma’s shoulder affectionately. “So you’ve come to visit her on your thirtieth birthday?” Charles asked Harry, going straight to the point.

“Yes sir,” Harry nodded. “Thank you for letting us come out.”

“Of course,” Charles waved a hand in the air. “Although you must know that you three are having tea with me and Karen first. And, I believe your youngest little cousin will be up from her nap soon.”

“Absolutely,” Harry replied, a wide smile pulling at his lips. “We would love it.

Charles clapped his hands together. “Fantastic. Come on inside then.”

“Wait!” Emma called out, bringing the attention of the three adults swinging to her. She pointed to the happy dog at the end of the leash she was holding to tightly. “What about Gus?”

Charles chuckled. “He can come in to. We have two labs ourselves. They can play.”

“Phew,” Emma sighed dramatically, bringing a laugh from the group before they all made their way inside.

***********

An hour later, after a lovely tea with Charles, his wife Karen, and even a little visit with their two year old daughter Charlotte, Harry, Alex, and Emma made their way out onto to the grounds of Althorp. Harry’s uncle declined to join them, wanting Harry to share this visit with Alex and Emma alone.

“This is so beautiful,” Alex sighed as they walked away from the main house. It was chilly outside, but the sun was out and shining and fall colors everywhere gave their walk a warm, cozy feel.

“I know Mum loved growing up here,” Harry nodded. “But we didn’t visit much when we were kids.”

“Why not?” Alex asked. She moved closer to his side and he moved an arm around her, tucking her close to his side. Their eyes stayed forward, watching Emma who was several yards in front of them. They had left Gus at the main house with his uncle’s two dogs, letting him enjoy the playtime he was having.

“You know how the media is always all over Kate and Will for spending so much time with the Middletons and having Henry spending time with them as well?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “I hate that.”

“Me too,” Harry nodded. “They conveniently forget how little time my mother spent with the Spencers after she married my father and how little time we spent with them growing up. And don’t get me wrong, my father’s side of the family is wonderful and we both love them all immensely, but that’s how it was. Will was always determined to not have that happen with Kate and her family. It takes a huge support system to be part of our family, and sometimes the best support system comes from outside of the family, from people who know life outside of being a royal. It keeps you grounded.”

She peeked up at him with a small smile. “So you mean I’ll be allowed to keep my family?”

Harry’s head tipped back with laughter and then he pulled her tighter against him, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “You are amazing, you know that?”

But before she could ask him what he meant, they turned a corner and Harry’s smile grew a bit sad. Alex turned and saw it, the big, white stone memorial that had been built for the public to be able to come to Althorp and pay their respects to her.

“Emma!” Alex called out immediately, catching her daughter’s attention and then pointing to the memorial.

“Wow,” Emma said, her eyes growing wide. “What’s that?” She stopped in her place along the path and waited for Harry and her mum to catch up. “Is that your mummy’s grave, Harry?”

“No,” Harry shook his head. “Her grave is actually much more private. This was built so that people who weren’t family or friends could come and visit her. A lot of people loved her, even if they never met her.”

Emma turned wide eyes up to Harry. “Can we go see?”

“Of course,” Harry smiled, reaching out for her hand.

He lead them up to the ornate white stone structure with its tall, grand columns. They spent several minutes there while Harry explained the reasoning behind the architecture and how popular it had been for tourists until it closed to public a couple of years before. And then, with a deep breath in, he turned towards the lake, towards the island in the middle where his mother was buried.

He always felt this way when he went to visit his mother, but this time it was deeper. He was bringing Alex and Emma with him. In a way, he was introducing them to her. It was something he wanted but it made him sad in a way that he knew would never go away; sad that his mother would never meet Alex and Emma.

He turned back towards them, tried to push the sadness back, and pulled the warmest smile he could to his face. “Come on, ladies. Let’s go visit her.”

With Alex tucked firmly into his side and Emma’s little hand in his, he led them down to the path that ran around the lake. The fall leaves crunched under their feet as they followed the path around until they came to a small walking bridge that would take them out to the island at the center of the lake.

“After you, ladies,” he smiled, holding his arm out for them to proceed in front of him. Emma went first so that Alex could watch her as they crossed and Harry followed behind, the last one to step onto the solid earth at the end.

And as fast as that, the melancholy was back, washing over him as they walked through the short clearing in the trees and stepped in view of his mother’s grave. The beautiful white stone column rose from the ground and, shrouded by trees with just sunlight streaming in between the leaves that hadn’t yet fallen, it really was beautiful.

Emma was quiet, this kind of moment entirely new to her, but Alex let out a small gasp and tears immediately sprang to her eyes. She squeezed Emma’s hand tightly in hers and the both watched as Harry took his moment took look over his mother’s grave.

“She would have adored you both,” he finally said, turning towards them. His voice was heavy with emotion.

“Harry,” Alex whispered with a shake of her head. “You don’t have to…”

“I know,” he interrupted. He stepped closer to Alex and Emma and took Alex’s hand in his, squeezing it gently. “And I wouldn’t say it if it weren’t absolutely true.” He stopped for a moment, glancing towards the grave for a moment before he turned back to her, a soft smile on his face. “She would have loved you.” His eyes dropped to Emma and he laid a soft hand to her cheek. “And she would have loved you too kiddo.”

“Really?” Emma asked, her face a mixture of surprise and delight at the thought and it brought a wide smile to Harry’s face.

“Absolutely. She would have adored your spunk and your sass and that big heart you have.”

Emma bit her lip and blushed a bit at his words, and Alex sniffled trying her best not to cry at his words. He had a way of doing that to her.

“And you…” Harry addressed Alex and she shook her head, blinking back the tears in her eyes.

“Don’t Harry…I can’t…”

“I have to, Alexandra,” he said, squeezing her hand again. “She would have loved your kindness and your strength and that very same heart that Emma has. And she would have loved how much you love me, how much you’ve done for me. I wish you both could have met her.”

Alex wiped at her wet eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. “Thank you, Harry. I really wish we could have met her too.” She leaned up and kissed him softly. “I’m sure we would have loved her.”

“I inherited my portion of her estate today, you know,” he said after a few quiet moments.

Alex nodded. That wasn’t something they had talked about – money wasn’t a comfortable subject for him – but she had still seen the talk in the papers, splashing his inheritance amount around as if it were any of their business. She didn’t even consider it her business.

“I would give it all away if I could just talk to her one more time,” he whispered, his voice breaking a bit. He hadn’t gotten this emotional over her in a very long time, but something about sharing it with his girls was bringing it all crashing to the surface.

Emma’s head tilted up to him at his words. “You can talk to her anytime, Harry.”

Harry’s head tipped to the side and then, incredibly interest in what she had to say, he knelt down to her level. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “A long time ago I asked Mummy if she ever missed talking to my daddy. She said that she still talks to him because he’s in a place that she knows he is listening no matter what. She said I could talk to him too.”

Harry flashed a wide grin up to Alex, who blushed slightly. This topic had always been between just her and Emma, not that she minded sharing it with Harry.

“And what do you talk to your dad about, Em? If you don’t mind me asking of course,” Harry asked quietly.

Emma glanced up at Alex then, deciding at the point that maybe she should make sure that sharing that information was okay.”

“Go ahead,” Alex encouraged her daughter.

“Well…” Emma said, drawing the word out slightly. “I don’t do it  _all_  the time, mostly when something important happens that I think he’d like to know. But sometimes I just tell him I love him, because all daddies like to hear that, right?”

Harry took a deep breath, the ache in his chest easing a bit. He thought it was amazing how the words of a seven year old could bring him as much peace as Emma’s words seemed to. “You are absolutely right, kiddo.”

**********

After leaving Althorp, they made their way back into London. They stopped to drop Emma off at Molly’s for the night and then the car headed towards Harry’s place so that they could get ready for dinner with Harry’s family that evening and then out for a night that Alex had planned with all of their friends.

Alex could feel the intensity radiating from Harry the second she had slid in next to him in the backseat of the Range Rover. He had handed over the driving duties to one of his RPOs in favor of wanting to be as close to her as possible and instantly he made it his mission to do exactly that, be as close to her as possible.

He took one of her hands in his and, his eyes never leaving hers, he kissed each fingertip softly before moving his hand to his leg and pressing his hand over it, holding her hand tightly to him. His other arm was wrapped tightly around her and kept her tucked into his side as if he thought he might be able to get her close enough into him that they would meld together. And finally he tilted his head toward hers and pressed his lips to hers with such passion that a low moan left her mouth before she could stop herself.

“Shhh…” he breathed against her mouth, his hand moving from her shoulder up into her hair, cradling her head for him. He pressed his lips to hers over and over again, kissing her so deeply and with more intensity than she had ever felt from him.

And he stayed at her mouth for long minutes, just like that, his tongue and lips pushing and pulling at everything she had. It wasn’t until Alex heard the crunch of the gravel under the tires and felt the car pull to a stop that she even remembered that they were in a car at all, she was so completely lost in him.

In what seemed like a blur, the car doors were pulled open, Harry’s mouth pulled from hers, and before she could cry out at the loss, he was pulling her from the car and towards his cottage. She wasn’t really sure how her legs were working, but somehow she made it up the path with him to the door and Harry immediately pushed it open, pulled her in, and moved her back against it, his body pressing hers into the dark, solid wood.

“Oh God. Harry,” she moaned, right before his mouth crashed down on hers again and his hands moved to her body, pushing up under her shirt, groaning as his fingers met the hot flesh of her belly.

*M*

“Alexandra, I have to be inside you. Right now,” he demanded in a low, husky voice.

“Yes,” she breathed, completely wrapped up inside this moment with him and how much he needed her.

His hands instantly moved up under her skirt, found the band of her tights and he tugged sharply, yanking them down with her panties off of her long legs and tossing them to side along with her shoes and then he was moving back up to her, reaching down to free himself from his pants and his boxers as he went. He groaned as his cock sprang free and his hands moved to her waist, lifting her and pushing her back against the door as she wrapped her legs around him.

He reached in between them and guided himself to her. She whimpered as the tip of him found her wetness and his eyes flashed to hers, the heat and emotion so heavy between them that she felt like she could almost smell it in the air. And then, without much preamble he leaned in, pressed his forehead against hers, and thrust himself all the way into her.

“Fuck!” he groaned out, his world growing hazy at the way she felt around him.

“Please…” she responded, the need he was consumed with overtaking her.

And because he couldn’t resist that plea for anything, he moved a hand into her hair, tugged her head back, covered her lips with his, and began to move against her.

It was quick and rough and deep and everything that both of them needed right in that moment. There had been so much emotion that day, so much they had shared, that both of them needed this; needed the moaning and the groaning and the release that only they could give each other.

Harry pushed into her over and over again, hitting the very back of her, making her cry out in pleasure with every thrust he gave her. It wasn’t long before she felt the burn begin deep in her belly and she gasped, her eyes flying open to find his already watching her, taking in every single detail of her in that moment.

“Yes,” he nodded, lifting another thrust into her. “Come on Alex…I want to come with you…”

“Oh God…” she gasped, her entire body beginning to tighten around him. And then, because she wanted more than anything to share her release with him, to feel him pulse within her as she clenched around him, she pulled his lips to hers and went, crying out into his mouth with the intensity of it as it slammed into her.

“Alex…” Harry groaned as the first wave of her released pulsed around him and, just as he had told her he wanted to do, he thrust once more into her and exploded, a shudder rolling through him at the feeling of his release, intense and so utterly needed.

*EM*

It took several minutes before either of them could take a solid breath, before either of them could form a coherent thought. Eventually though, the storm calmed and Alex opened her eyes, finding Harry’s already watching her, his look a mixture of love, wonder, and satisfaction.

“Damn Wales, at least we know you haven’t lost your touch now that you’re an old man,” she teased, a slight giggle leaving her lips.

Harry’s head tossed back in laughter and he gathered her into his arms and away from the front door. He lifted her off of him and she moaned at the loss, her lips pulling into a slight pout.

“Aww love, don’t worry. The day is far from over,” he grinned as he turned them towards the stairs.

“Ahhhh…” Alex sighed, her body relaxed after the sex they had just shared. “I love birthdays.”

Harry chuckled as he moved up the stairs, loving her humor. “And I love you, Alexandra.”

She grinned wide. “And I love you, Harry. Happy Birthday.”


	67. Chapter Sixty Seven

Alex smiled when she stepped from the elevator and onto her floor in her apartment building. Mark, Harry’s RPO, was stationed outside of her door. He nodded at her as she pulled her keys from her purse and her smile pulled wider. It had been a long day at work, and seeing as it was her birthday, this was exactly what she wanted to come home to.

“He must be just as excited to see me as I am to see him,” she said with a playful look at Mark.

Mark’s lips twitched and he nodded. “I believe so. And, happy birthday, ma’am.”

“Thank you,” Alex said softly, a bit surprised. “I appreciate that.” Mark nodded and Alex smiled gratefully one more time and then slid her key into the lock.

Everything about Alex relaxed as she stepped through her door. It had been a week since she had seen him. He had been on base and then traveling to a private meeting out of country for one of his patronages and God, she had missed him. She was more than ready to be with him, to be in his arms again. Molly wouldn’t be dropping Emma off for another hour or so, and Alex was definitely looking forward to making the most of that hour with Harry.

“Hello?” she called out into her quiet apartment. She peeked into her living room and into her kitchen and her brow furrowed when she didn’t see Harry. “I know you’re here, Wales!” Her voice was playful as she called out again. She took a few steps toward her bedroom, thinking that he might be in there waiting on her.

“I’m in here!” his voice finally called out, matching her playful tone, and she spun toward it.

“What are you doing in Emma’s room?” she chuckled as she moved quickly down to hallway. The door to her daughter’s room was slightly open and, raising a hand, she pushed it open and gasped, startled at the scene before her. “What in the world…”

Harry and Emma were sitting at a table in the middle of Emma’s room, although to be honest it didn’t look much like Emma’s room. It was decorated into the most elaborate and beautiful tea party scene Alex had ever seen. The table was covered with lace and topped with a selection of desserts, along with three perfect place settings and of course, Emma’s beautiful tea set. The overhead light was off, but the room had been strung with small white lights, the kind that are used most often on Christmas trees, and it gave the entire scene a warm, cozy glow.

“Surprise!” Emma yelled out, standing up from her chair and clapping her hands together as she watched her mother take it all in. “Happy Birthday, Mummy!”

Alex’s hand flew to hear chest and her face broke into a huge smile. She knelt down as Emma came running over to her and she opened her arms, pulling her daughter into a tight hug, not minding at all the face full of feathers she got from the huge feather boa Emma had wrapped around her.

“Wow. Look at all of this,” Alex breathed when she stood back up from Emma’s hug. Her eyes fell on Harry and her heart surged. “And look at you…”

Harry smiled wide and moved from his chair, standing to greet her. He kissed her softly and his eyes met hers, holding onto them for a beat before he pulled her hand into his, squeezing it gently. “Happy Birthday, love.”

“Thank you,” Alex grinned. “This is amazing. You two are incredible. And look, Emma even talked you into using the special set you gave her.”

“Well, it’s a special tea party,” Harry grinned, his eyes dancing. “Isn’t that right Emma?”

“It is!” Emma nodded, moving to stand behind the table. “We have real tea and real dessert, Mummy.”

“I see that,” Alex nodded as Harry led her to the table. He pulled her chair out for her and she giggled slightly as she sat, feeling incredibly loved in that moment. “I’m terribly excited to try them all.”

“But first you have to put on your tiara,” Emma said, pointing at the pretty silver tiara sitting above Alex’s place setting.

“Oh absolutely,” Alex winked at Emma. She placed the tiara on top of her head and turned to Harry. “How does it look?”

“Stunning,” Harry replied, chuckling at just how much Alex was enjoying everything.

“Wait. Where is your tiara, Em?” Alex asked, knowing Emma never missed a chance to wear one of her collection of the silver and gold plastic tiaras.

“Oh no, Mummy,” Emma shook her head seriously. “Today you are the princess because it’s your birthday. You are the only one who gets to wear a tiara.”

“Well, what if I want my pretty little girl to wear one? Can I change the rules?”

“Nope,” Emma said, popping her lips together on the word. She shook her head. “Rules are rules, Mummy.”

Harry couldn’t help the laughter that fell from his lips and Alex joined him before finally nodding her agreement. “Okay then, just this once,” she conceded. She surveyed the table before her, noting that each place setting was meticulously set, and they had even covered each plate with the beautiful porcelain covers that came with the set. “I’m so excited for everything,” she said, rubbing her hands together and reaching for the cover, intending to move it from her plate and get started.

“Mummy,” Emma called out, her bossy tone ringing out immediately and halting Alex. “At least let me pour the tea before you go after dessert.”

“Oh! So sorry, Emma Rose.” Alex giggled as she pulled her hand back from the table. “Please, I would love some tea.”

Emma poured the tea expertly for all three of them. There was a selection of milk, sugar, and honey and after they had all fixed up their tea how they wanted it and taken few sips, Harry set his tea down and with a big smile he clapped his hands together.

“Alright ladies, do we think it’s time for dessert?”

“Yes!” Emma squealed setting her tea down and leaning forward on the table to look at Harry.

“Yes!” Alex mimicked her daughter playfully, leaning forward to look at Harry as well, drawing a shout of laughter from him.

“Well then,” Harry nodded, his smile pulling wider. He sat up straighter in his chair and his eyes met hers, full of something Alex couldn’t quite pinpoint. “So, Emma and I got to talking and we picked out something special for you.”

Alex tilted her head to the side and her lips twitched as she regarded him with growing interest. “A special dessert? Like, birthday cake?”

Harry took a deep breath in and nodded towards her plate. “Why don’t you pull the cover off and see.”

Alex narrowed her eyes at him playfully, but in the spirit of everything this tea party was, she turned and reached for the porcelain cover and pulled it off with a flourish.

And then she gasped. There on the plate, in the place where she fully expected a piece of cake or pie to be waiting on her, there was none.

Instead, there was a small black box with the lid open, revealing an incredibly stunning diamond ring.

****ONE WEEK EARLIER****

Harry took a deep, steadying breath as his car pulled up in front of the large, beautiful house in Texas. It looked the same as he remembered, but everything about this visit was different. He wasn’t there with Alex and Emma for a holiday or a vacation. This was a short trip; he would be back at the airport and on the private jet late that evening, but it was a necessary trip and one he would not have forgone for anything.

He stepped from the car and into the Texas morning sunshine he nodded to his RPO.

“Ready, sir?” Mark asked.

Harry chuckled and shook his head. “As I’ll ever be.”

Mark hid a small smile. It wasn’t his place to comment and he never would, but he had known Harry a long time and was pretty sure that this was the most nervous he had ever seen him and if it wasn’t, it was definitely in the top five.

They moved up the walk, but before Harry could even ring the doorbell, the door open up and Donna Emerson appeared, a smile that was just like her daughter’s firmly in place. Harry couldn’t help how his lips turned up in response.

“Harry.” She pulled him into a hug as Mark moved past them to do a check on the house.

“Donna,” he murmured, returning the hug before he pulled back and looked down at her with a cheeky grin. “I was sure Mike would be here to greet me with a very intimidating look on his face.”

“Ha!” Donna laughed, shook her head, and motioned for him to come inside. “Come on Harry, Mike would never. He would make sure he had a scary looking baseball bat to go along with the look.”

“Okay, that’s only funny if you’re kidding,” Harry quipped.

“Well,” Donna drawled, her eyes dancing, “he’s out back on the deck. I’ll take you to him and you can see for yourself.”

Harry laughed, enjoying the fun Donna was having at his expense.

He hadn’t told Alex’s parents why he was coming, but he was sure they had figured it out right away. And that was fine with him; he didn’t need it to be a big secret. He just wanted them to listen to what he had to say and hopefully at the end of it, give their blessing.

Donna led him through the house and out onto the deck where Mike sat at the big outdoor table. He was looking at a file but when he heard the back door open his head popped up, he grinned, tossed his folder onto the table, and leaned back in chair.

“Honey,” Mike called out to Donna. “I thought I told you to bring my baseball bat with you when you brought him out here.”

Harry’s lips twitched with laughter just as Donna shrugged and called back, “Sorry! I can run back in and get it if you’d like.”

“Naw,” Mike chuckled, rising to his feet with a smile and moved to shake hands with Harry. “I’ll let him off easy this time.”

“And I do appreciate that,” Harry grinned. He could feel himself relaxing, the nerves fading a bit. “Although, this is somewhat of a one-time only conversation.”

Donna sucked in a breath at Harry’s words. “Okay,” she said, letting the breath go slowly. “On that note, I’m going to go inside and let you two talk.”

Harry turned to Donna, his eyes open and honest. “I was actually hoping to speak to you both.”

“You will,” Donna said quietly, patting Harry’s arm. “But talk to Mike first. She’s a Daddy’s girl, Harry.”

Harry smiled softy and nodded. “Okay.”

Donna’s eyes grew a touch moist and then, before she could lose it in front of him, she leaned up, kissed Harry’s cheek, and then bustled off into the house, shutting the door gently behind her.

Mike watched his wife go with a look of complete adoration and then, turning to Harry, he nodded towards a chair. “Come on, let’s sit.”

“Of course,” Harry said, sliding into the chair across from Mike’s.

“So,” Mike began, folding his hands in front of him and regarding Harry seriously. “What brings you to Texas today, Harry?”

Harry chuckled, incredibly thankful for not only Mike’s humor, but also his ability to get straight to the point. And Harry, wanting to afford Mike the same treatment, jumped right in.

“When we talked over the summer on the camping trip,” he began, his face growing serious and his voice lower. “I told you about my PTSD and how I knew I wanted a life with Alex and Emma, you asked me if I was asking permission.”

Mike nodded slowly. “You said you weren’t sure that it was the right time.”

Harry took a deep breath and his eyes met Mike’s, strong and steady. “It’s the right time now. I want – more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life – to marry Alexandra. And it would mean everything to me to have your blessing to ask her to be my wife.”

“Then you have it,” Mike said without a moment’s hesitation.

Harry blinked, startled. “Just like that?”

Mike chuckled. “Were you expecting to have to convince me?”

“No,” Harry shook his head with a chuckle. “No, I didn’t think I’d have to convince you, but you said on the camping trip that you would give me a bit of a hard time.”

Mike shrugged. “Of course I did. I had to make sure you were a bit nervous. Couldn’t make it too easy for you to come here.”

Harry laughed then, leaning back into his chair and exhaling a large breath of hair. “Nice.”

“In all seriousness though, Harry,” Mike said, pushing the humor back for just moment. “I think you are a great guy. I think you’re honest and have a good head on your shoulders. And for someone who has had the kind of upbringing you’ve had, who has had every advantage the world has to offer, who has been through the kind of tragedy you’ve have…” Harry’s eyes snapped to Mike’s at the last part of his sentence. “You could have been the shithead rich guy who looks down on people. But you treat everyone with kindness and respect and you have protected and loved my daughter and granddaughter without fail. I don’t need convincing. You convinced me long ago.”

It was several beats before Harry spoke, before he was sure he would have a voice when he did. “Thank you,” he finally said, his voice a bit hoarse with emotion.

“No, thank you,” Mike replied. “For making my daughter and my granddaughter happy.”

Harry grinned then, images of Alex and Emma moving through his mind. “Well, they make me incredibly happy. I’ll spend my life making sure they stay happy and safe and loved. I promise I will take care of them, always.”

“Okay, I can’t take it anymore!” Both Harry and Mike’s heads turned in surprise as Donna called out from the patio door. “Can I come out now? I’m dying inside!”

Laughter pushed from Harry’s lips and Mike shook his head, amusement and affection for his wife written all over his face. “Come on!” he called out, waving his hand for her to join.

With a squeal of excitement, Donna made her way over to the table and both of the men stood as they waited for her.

“You said yes?” Donna asked Mike as soon as she reached them.

Mike rolled his eyes and his shoulders shook with laughter. “Of course I did. You knew I was going to.”

“Okay, but did you tell him what I told you to tell him?”

Harry’s lips twitched as he watched the conversation and he couldn’t help the warm feeling that washed over him. These people were going to be his family now. This warm, funny, good-hearted group of people would be his family. And more than ever, he felt like the luckiest man in the world.

“Jesus, Donna. I’m not going to tell the man that,” Mike groaned.

“Fine then,” she smirked. “I will.” She turned to Harry and walked straight up to him. “Harry, I need one promise from you before you’re in the clear here.”

“Anything,” he said with a smile.

“Grandbabies. I need more grandbabies,” Donna said, a look of complete seriousness on her face.

“Ha!” Harry laughed, his head tipping back with it. “Now I can absolutely promise to fulfill that wish for you.”

Donna’s eyes filled with tears and she opened up her arms. “Then welcome to the family, son.”

And as Harry stepped into her embrace, he was one step closer to everything he had ever wanted.

****PRESENT TIME****

“Harry…” Alex breathed. Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes flew to Harry, immediately filling with tears. “This is…Harry…”

Harry’s eyes grew serious and his heart beat a furious pattern in his chest. This was it. This was the moment he had been planning for almost as long as he knew her. He pulled in a deep breath and then he slid from his chair and moved to her, coming to rest in front of her chair on one knee. Her eyes were soft and wet and for a moment Harry forgot everything he was going to say. But it was short lived, just a second in time that came and went before he took her hands in his and prepared to ask her the most important question he ever would.

“When I met you almost two years ago, the one thing that was instantly clear to me was that I had to know you. I had to know everything about you. I’ve never felt something so…consuming before. And it scared me, but in the best way possible because, along with some very strong words from Charlotte…” He paused when she giggled and swiped at a tear that had fallen from the corner of her eye. He laughed lightly before he continued. “It pushed me forward…to you and to Emma. And after our first date, after I spent the evening here with you and Emma, watching The Little Mermaid and eating macaroni and cheese…”

“With cut up hot dogs,” she interrupted, bringing a chuckle and a grin from Harry and a giggle from Emma.

“With cut up hot dogs,” he added, his lips curling up at her humor. “After that night, it was over for me, Alex. I had to know you. I had to know all the little things about you; how you drink your coffee, how your face looks when you are really engrossed in a book, all the different ways you laugh…”

“Harry…” she breathed, her hands squeezing his in reaction to his beautiful words. His smile pulled wider and he brought her hands to his lips, kissing the tops of them in turn before he continued. “And the great thing about it is I know all of those things now. But, there are so many things I don’t know and I want to spend the rest of our lives finding them out. I want to find out new things about you every day and I want to cherish the fact that you are so amazing and so complex that it will take a lifetime to know those things.”

Tears spilled from Alex’s eyes, but she didn’t try to control them. She didn’t want to stop them. They were a part of this beautiful moment and she wouldn’t take away any of it. And when he reached up and swiped at one of the tears sliding down her cheeks she leaned into his hand, waiting for him to continue.

His face grew a bit more serious and he scooted a bit closer to her, his chest pressing against her knees. “I know that my life is hard…”

“Harry, you don’t have to…”

“No, l do…” he nodded, his voice soft. “My life is hard. With the press and the expectations…” He took a deep breath. “I’m asking a lot of you and Emma.” He turned to look at Emma and he smiled at her, his chest rumbling with laughter when she grinned back and waved a hand, urging him to continue. “I know that I am. But, I want you both there with me. I want to be your husband, Alex and I want you to be my wife. I want to be parents to Emma together. I want to have more children with you. So please know that if you say yes, if you want all of those things too, I will do everything I can to make sure that you and Emma never once regret stepping into this craziness with me. I promise you both that.” He pulled in a large breath and reached around her, pulling the little black box from the plate next to her. “So, with that being said,” he pulled the ring from the box and looked up at her with wide, bright, hope filled eyes that almost sent Alex from her chair and down to the ground with him. “Alexandra Mae Morgan, will you marry me?”

There was never a doubt in her mind what she would say to Harry when he asked her that question. She had known for almost as long as she had known him. And as she looked down on his handsome face and he looked up at her with such hope and happiness, she was never more sure of anything in her entire life. But, it hit her too in that moment that this wasn’t entirely up to her. There were two people he was asking to be officially a part of his life. So, she took a deep breath and turned to her daughter, who was watching with so much excitement Alex knew she could barely contain herself.

“Well, what do you think, Em? What do we say?” she asked softly, bringing her daughter into this amazingly important moment that would impact her life just as much as it would Alex’s.

****THREE DAYS EARLIER****

“Harry!” Emma called out as he stepped through the door at Molly’s. “Mummy didn’t say you were coming to get me.”

Harry greeted Molly with kisses on her cheeks and a grin and then he turned to Emma and opened his arms for a hug, lifting her off the ground and into his arms.

“I’m actually not,” he said, tapping the tip of her nose with his finger. “And your mummy has no idea I’m here.”

“She doesn’t?” Emma tipped her head to the side with question.

“Nope,” Harry shook his head. “I actually came to talk to you.”

“Me? Am I in trouble?”

“No,” Harry chuckled. “Why? Did you do something you should be in trouble for?”

Emma’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “No way.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed as he leaned down to set her down on the ground. “Good. So Emma, do you have a few minutes to speak to me in private?”

She pulled a face and put her hands on her hips. “Are you sure I’m not in trouble?”

Harry groaned and leaned back down, picking her up, tossing her over his shoulder, and reaching up to tickle her side. She giggled loudly as Harry turned to Molly. “Thank you for letting me come do this and for agreeing to help me out with this little secret.”

“Please,” Molly grinned. “It was my pleasure. However, I’ll leave you two alone now. Alex will be here within the hour so you need to hurry.”

“Yes ma’am,” Harry grinned, raising his free hand in a mock salute and Molly chuckled as she moved off, letting Emma and Harry have their privacy.

Harry kept her over his shoulder as he carried Emma into the living room. He plopped her down onto the couch and then he slid in next to her. His smile pulled wide as he looked down on her. “I have something important to ask you, Emma.”

“Okay,” Emma nodded, her attention focused happily on him.

“Earlier this week, I took a trip to Texas to visit your Mimi and Poppy.”

Her little forehead scrunched in confusion. “Mimi and Poppy? Why?”

Harry took a deep breath. He reached down and brushed a piece of hair from her face. “I went to ask them if it was alright if I asked your mummy to marry me.”

Emma’s eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. “Are you kidding with me, Harry?”

“No,” he laughed, shaking his head. “I’m absolutely not kidding. I want to ask your mummy to marry me.”

“When?” Emma squeaked, still in a bit of shock.

“Well,” Harry drawled. “That’s where you come in.”

“Me?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “First, I want to know if it is okay with you if I ask your mummy to marry me. That’s very important me to me, that you are okay with it.”

“Harry!” she cried out, clapping her hands together and moving to her knees on the couch. “You’re so silly! I’m okay with it!”

Harry could help the way his face lit up at her reaction. “Yeah?”

“Duh…” She rolled her eyes. “You should have known that.”

His head tipped back in laughter and he reached for her, pulling her into a hug. “Okay, so if you are okay with it…” he said as he moved her back to the couch. “Now…what I’m about to ask is super-secret. I mean it. It’s kind of like a top secret mission and we’re partners, but you can’t tell anyone. Not your friends at school, not Uncle Matt or Charlotte, and especially not your mum. Can you do that?”

“Yes,” Emma nodded eagerly, her little hands twisting together in excitement. “I can do that. I promise. I can keep a secret.”

“Alright, believe you,” he chuckled. “And so my next question to you is…will you help me ask her?”

Emma’s smile pulled wider and bright than Harry had ever seen it and it brought tears to his eyes. “How do you want to ask her?” she whispered.

“I was thinking that maybe we should throw her a tea party for her birthday. What do you think?”

And Emma’s squeal of delight told him everything he needed to know. She was in.

****PRESENT TIME****

“Mum!” Emma cried, throwing her hands on her hips. “Come on…yes! Say yes!”

Laughter burst from Alex and she felt Harry’s chest shake against her knees with his own laughter. She turned back to him and she pulled his face into her hands, leaning closer to him.

“Yes, Henry Charles Albert David. Emma and I say yes.”

“Yes?” Harry breathed, his heart hammering into his chest as her words washed over him.

Alex found that the words, having left her mouth once already, had no chance of coming out again. Her emotions were simply too high in that moment. All she could do was nod her head like crazy while the tears clouded her vision. And then suddenly his arms were around her and pulling her against him. Her eyes closed and the tears pressed out of them as she wrapped her arms around him, melting into his embrace.

“Emma,” Harry called out hoarsely, turning towards her for just a moment. “Close your eyes. I’m going to kiss your mother now.”

“Ew!” Emma groaned, immediately bringing her hands up to cover her eyes.

Harry chuckled and then turned back to Alex. His eyes met hers and he brought a hand up, brushing her hair back from her face. “You said yes,” he whispered.

“I did,” she whispered back, her eyes searching his as her hands moving into his hair.

And then he tilted his mouth to hers and it was absolutely the sweetest thing in the entire world when their lips met, sealing this moment, this monumental moment, between them.

“I love you so much,” he murmured against her lips.

“I love you too,” she sighed, leaning in and opening her eyes to his.

“Here...let me...” Harry kept his voice low but pulled back from her slightly. He pulled her left hand up and with a steady hand, he slipped the beautiful ring on her finger.

“Wow…” Alex breathed. “I can’t even…”

“Okay…can I open my eyes now?” Emma called out, interrupting their moment, although neither one of them minded one little bit. They both laughed and pulled apart a bit, looking towards Emma.

“Yes!” Harry exclaimed, chuckling as Emma pulled her hand from her eyes with relief. “And come over here, Em!”

And Emma did just that, round the table and running into the arms of both of them with a giggle that spoke of the kind of happiness that all three of them felt in that moment.

The best kind of happiness; the kind you get when everything you’ve ever wanted is finally yours.


	68. Chapter Sixty Eight

Harry’s eyes swung straight to Alex when she stepped into the doorway of her bedroom with a small smile on her lips, watching him as he relaxed on her bed, her eyes bright and full of love.

“She’s asleep,” she said with a bit of a chuckle. “Passed right out. I think all of the excitement got to her.”

“Yeah?” He chuckled when she nodded slowly and then he held out his hand for her. “Come here.”

She bit her lip and then she stepped into the room. She shut the door softly behind her, locked it, and then she moved straight to him, climbing onto the bed and crawling up his legs until she was over his lap. His hand moved to her hips and he pulled her against him.

“Hi,” she said in a low voice, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Hello my love.” He smiled and reached up to brush her hair from her face.

“Harry?”

The skin around his eyes creased as his smile grew wider. “Hmmm?”

She pulled back just a little bit and looked at him with wide eyes. “The ring…”

“Yeah?” His eyes never left her as he reached for her left hand and pulled it to his lips, his fingers running over the diamond she now wore.

“It matches my earrings,” she murmured. “The earrings you got me for Christmas last year.”

“You noticed,” he grinned.

“Of course I noticed. I wear those earrings all the time.” She laughed softly before her eyes grew slightly more serious. “Have you had this since then?”

“Well…” His hands moved over her, running along her arms, over her shoulders, and down her sides before they rested on her hips. He took a deep breath. “I consulted with the jewelers after we got back from Texas after Thanksgiving last year. We came up with a design and they rushed the earrings out for me so I could give them to you for Christmas. The ring was done and approved a month or so later.”

“Henry Charles…” she breathed, her eyes soft and sweet. “You’ve been planning this for that long?”

“Longer.” The word was quiet but packed with meaning. His hands moved up her back and he pushed her closer to him. “You’re really going to marry me, Alexandra?”

She nodded her head slowly. “I’m going to marry you. I’m going to be your wife.”

“I really like that sound of that…” His lips curled up and his fingers twisted up into her hair, pulling her face closer to his. “Say it again.”

Alex giggled and she sank further into him. She tilted her head so her lips were so close to his that a deep breath would bring them brushing against each other. “I’m going to be your wife,” she whispered, her eyes dancing with the words.

And that’s when it hit him; every single hope and want and wish he’d ever had about his future was sitting on his lap, completely wrapped around him.

And she had said  _yes_.

Harry couldn’t help the groan that fell from his mouth as he pulled her lips to his. And when her mouth opened under his and his tongue tipped out and into her mouth, the feeling that surged through his body was indescribable.

“Harry…” she moaned into his mouth as she pressed herself closer to him. “I want you.”

He grinned against her lips. “You have me.”

“You know what I mean…”

The kiss grew deeper, hotter. And then, before it could move into something more, Harry – pulling strength from somewhere he didn’t know existed – pulled back from her slightly. His body pulsed at the pouty look on her full, pink lips but he took a deep breath and held steady. “I want you too, Alexandra…but…”

“But?” Her eyebrows raised and her lips pulled into a smirk. “Henry, don’t tell me you’re going to start holding out on me now.”

“No,” he shook his head with a laugh. “I am definitely…” He pulled her lips to hers again. “Not going to…” The kiss deepened, their tongues stroking hot and firm together. “Be holding out…” His hands tightened on her and his brain began to haze over. “On you now...” But then he snapped back, pulled away from her with a heavy sigh. “But…” She groaned in disappointment and he chuckled, his shoulders shaking with it. “It’s just that there are a few people…your parents, my dad and Camilla, Molly…who might be delighted to get a phone call right about now. And if I get all tangled up in you…”

“Where is your phone?” She interrupted, holding her hand out to him with bright eyes and a wide, excited smile.

Harry couldn’t help the shout of laughter that left his lips and he shifted her from his lap and back onto the bed. He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. “You want to call your parents first? I believe they are expecting the call.”

“Expecting the…” Her forehead scrunched in confusion for a moment before understanding washed over her face. “They know?” she whispered, her face soft and full of emotion.

Harry nodded. “They know. I flew to Texas a week ago to ask for their blessing.”

“You did?” she whispered, her eyes widening. “How in the…they called me earlier to wish me a happy birthday and they didn’t even let on.”

“Of course they didn’t,” Harry smirked. “It was a secret. Molly knows too. I snuck over there to talk to Emma before you picked her up a few days ago.”

“Wales!” Alex laughed, leaning over to kiss him soundly. “You little sneak.”

He smiled wide and watched her as she unlocked his phone and then dialed her parent’s number. Her eyes swung up to his when the phone started to ring and he reached for her hand, playing with her fingers while she waited for the line to pick up. And he wasn’t surprised one bit that when it did, tears immediately formed in her eyes.

“Daddy?” she breathed, her voice catching. “Dad…I’m getting married.”

Harry watched as she talked to both of her parents, the smile never leaving his face. She laughed and swiped at the tears that spilled from her eyes as she received excited congratulations from both of them. She squeezed Harry’s hand in hers when they told her how proud of her they were and how proud they were that they would get to call Harry their son-in-law. And then, when they asked to speak to Harry, she bit her lip, tilted her head to the side, and with sweet eyes, she pulled the phone away from her ear and held it out to him.

“They want to talk to you too.”

Harry grinned as he slid the phone from her hand and pulled it to his ear. “Hello?”

***********

When Harry finally tossed his phone to the side half an hour later, they had called and spoke to Alex’s parents, Charles and Camilla, and Molly to share the news of their engagement. Everyone had been delighted and happy for them and it was wonderful to share their happiness with some of the people who had supported them most throughout their lives.

But as soon as Harry slid his phone onto the nightstand next to her bed, Alex was moving back over his lap, ready to pick up where they had left off before the phone calls started. However, when Harry wrapped his big hands around her arms and stalled her on her mission, a groan of disappointment pushed from her lips.

“Harry…” Her lip stuck out in an adorable little pout.

“Sorry,” he chuckled. “There is just one more thing to talk about and then I swear to you, we don’t have to talk for the rest of the night.”

Alex lifted a brow. “Oh, we’ll be talking, that just won’t be the only thing we are doing.”

His lips curled up and his shoulders shook with laughter at her words. “The soon you have this conversation with me, the sooner I stop talking and start…” His hands tugged at her hips and he pulled her down tighter against his lap.

A soft moan fell from her lips. “You’re killing me,” she sighed. Then, sitting up straight and taking a deep breath, she smiled wide. “You have my attention, Captain.”

“Thank you,” he smirked, before growing a bit serious. “So listen. As soon as I call Granny and tell her that you said yes, this thing becomes official.”

“It’s not official now?” she snickered. “You mean I can still get out of this?”

“Easy…” Harry narrowed his eyes playfully. “What I mean is,” he continued, “when that happens you become officially a future royal. You and Emma will be assigned security and once that happens, every time you go out…”

“Security will be with us,” Alex finished, following his line of thought. “Which would tip off the public in a hurry.”

“Yep,” he nodded. “So, basically I need you to tell me how long you want me to ask to wait until security is assigned. When I go to see her, I can ask that it be held off for a little bit. She knows I was going to ask you, but I do need to let her know you said yes and get her formal permission. I’d like to have it before we announce.”

“She has to give permission?” Alex said, her eyes widening a bit.

“Yes,” he smiled. “But don’t worry. She likes you and she was delighted when I told her I was going to ask. She even offered to take me to the vaults and look for a ring before I told her I already had one designed.”

Alex pulled a face. “The vaults? As in…I mean, is there really such thing as the royal jewelry vault? Is there just…shiny things everywhere?”

Harry’s head tipped back with his shout of laughter and he hugged her closer. “Well, you’ll find out when you have to go choose a tiara for the wedding.”

Her eyes flashed wide and she shook her head. “Okay. Let’s not dive too far into that right now. Back to telling your grandmother.”

“How long do you need? You tell me,” he said. He moved a piece of hair over her shoulder and looked at her with honest, open eyes. “What amount of time do you think you’ll need to be ready?”

“I’m ready right now,” she said in a low voice. “I’d be all for announcing tomorrow if we could. But…I do need to transition out of HFTF. I’ve been working with Susannah in the hope that she would take over eventually, so I’ll need to formally ask her and get her moved into my spot.”

Harry’s smile pulled wide. “Susannah will be great.”

“She will,” Alex nodded and then her eyes grew a bit more serious. “How about two weeks?”

“Two weeks,” Harry nodded. His eyes lit up and his hands smoothed up her back. “You have a deal.”

“Oh wow,” Alex breathed. Her eyes widened. “In two weeks we will tell the world and…”

“And then it all begins,” Harry said, somewhat solemnly. “You become a public figure and the press…”

“Hey. Hold on,” Alex interrupted, holding up her hand to stop him. “Stop that. I know all of that. Don’t make tonight about that stuff.” She stopped and pulled a deep breath and wide smile. “I was going to say that in two weeks we will tell the world and I can be an official part of your life. We can start planning this wedding. Emma and I can move in with you…”

His eyes flashed to her and she couldn’t help but giggle at the look on his face; it was pure giddiness.

“I can’t wait for that,” he murmured. His hands smoothed down her back and to her hips. He pushed his fingers up under her shirt, meeting the warm, smooth skin of her stomach and bringing a gasp from her.

“Yeah?” She leaned in, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Mhhmm…” He bit his lip and his hands moved higher. “I’ll have you both around all the time. I’ll have  _you_  in my bed every single night…”

Alex grinned as her fingers moved into his hair and she tilted her head over his. “Don’t you mean  _our_  bed, baby?”

“Ohhh,” he groaned. “I absolutely do.”

Her mouth opened up over his and he welcomed it; welcomed the sweet slide of her tongue, the smooth press of her lips, the way she tasted. Then he wrapped a strong arm around her and moved, flipping her over onto her back.

And as he moved in above her, pressing his body against her, the giggles that came from her lips were soon replaced with moans and groans and everything that this night had meant for them.

***********

“Seriously, Harry. You didn’t have to have this catered,” Alex sighed as she eyed the spread laid out on Harry’s dining room table.

Matt and Charlotte were on their way over for a brunch that Harry had pre-planned for Alex’s birthday weekend and as a way to let them in on the engagement. Emma was with Harry’s Aunt Sophie and his cousin Louise at a matinee showing of the big musicals playing in London – an outing that had been planned for weeks – and so it was a perfect opening for a small, intimate gathering for the four adults.

He smiled and moved his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. “I didn’t have it catered, love.”

He turned to him and pulled a face. “You cannot seriously think that I believe you made all of this, Wales.”

“Ouch,” he chuckled, playing at being wounded before he winked and continued, “We do have a chef especially for times such as this one, Alexandra.”

“That’s the same thing as having it catered,” she said with a playful roll of her eyes.

“You’ll get used to it,” he grinned. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head just as his phone buzzed in his pocket. “That will probably be the gate telling us that Matt and Charlotte are here.”

Alex’s face lit up and Harry couldn’t help but think how adorable it was that she was so excited to share their news with her brother and Charlotte, especially since Matt and Charlotte had seemed to have found their own happiness with each other so recently.

“Well answer it, Captain,” she said, throwing her hand on her hip and looking pointedly at his phone.

“Yes ma’am,” he grinned, offering her a mock salute and wink before he pulled the phone to his ear. “This is Harry...Great…Send them on back.”

**********

Harry waited until everyone had made up a plate from the selection on the table and were enjoying the meal before he looked at Alex and she gave him a smile and a nod, letting him know she was ready to bring Matt and Charlotte in on the secret.

“So Charlotte,” he said with a wide smile as he turned towards her.

“Yes?” She raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her drink as she waited for him to continue.

He took a breath, adjusted in his seat, and tried his best not to look at Alex. He could literally feel her trying to not smile. “I wanted to talk to you about a big project that has come up for next year.”

“Ugh. Do we have to talk about work today?” Charlotte groaned and motioned towards Alex. “It is your girlfriend’s birthday celebration.”

“Fiancée,” Harry corrected softly, his eyes dancing. “It’s my fiancée’s birthday celebration.”

A bright, excited smile spread across Alex’s face as she watched the realization wash over the faces of her brother and Charlotte. Charlotte’s eyes were full of surprise as they swung from Harry to Alex, while Matt’s eyes lifted from his plate to hers, wide and happy and looking for confirmation.

“Harry proposed last night,” Alex said softly, her eyes darting between a shocked Charlotte and her brother, who’s smile was growing bigger by the second. “And I said yes, of course,” she added for good measure, bringing a chuckle from Harry.

“Holy shit,” Charlotte finally burst out, snapping out of her stunned surprise. She turned to Harry and reached out, smacking him firmly on the chest. He yelped in surprise, but she paid no attention. “You finally asked?! Shut the fuck up.”

The table burst into laughter and Matt shook his head. “I believe that’s Charlotte’s way of saying congratulations.”

“Well thank you,” Harry smiled, knowing that Matt was right.

“Jesus Christ, Wales. You really know how to be dramatic about it,” Charlotte laughed, her smile and her eyes bright.

And then she stood and everyone followed, ready to give out hugs and words of congratulations. While Charlotte moved to Harry, Matt came around the table and pulled his sister into a warm, tight hug.

“Congratulations, Boot,” he murmured in her ear and Alex could feel the tears start to prick her eyelids.

“Thank you,” she whispered back, her throat tight.

“You really deserve this. I hope you know that.”

“Stop that,” she laughed, pulling back from the hug to smile up at her big brother. “You’re going to make me cry.”

Matt grinned back down to her. “Well, it’s not like that’s hard to do.”

“Shut up,” Alex laughed as she turned towards Charlotte, who was coming up beside her.

And it was then that Alex really was in danger of crying.

Because Charlotte was crying.

There weren’t tears streaming down her face, but they were definitely pooled in her eyes and Alex couldn’t help the way the emotion bubbled up within her at that.

Charlotte didn’t just work for Harry. She wasn’t just Harry’s friend. She wasn’t just Matt’s girlfriend. She was Alex’s best friend. And right then, in that moment, Alex felt that more than ever and she couldn’t help it, the tears spilled over.

“Damn it,” Charlotte groaned as she pulled Alex into a hug. “I swear that I never cried before you and that damn brother of yours came into my life.”

Alex laughed as she squeezed Charlotte tightly. “I must be rubbing off on you a little bit then.”

“Well, that’s not such a bad thing,” Charlotte murmured as they pulled back from the hug, her voice full of sincerity.

“Why Charlotte Blakely,” Alex smiled. “That may be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.

“Let’s not go too far now,” Charlotte chuckled. She swiped at the tears in the corners of her eyes before she turned to Matt and Harry – who had shared a handshake and a warm, brotherly hug during Alex and Charlotte’s moment – and opened the moment back up to the whole room. “So, I’m assuming this project you’re talking about next year is a wedding?”

Harry smiled wide and his eyes fell on Alex for a moment, tender and full of love, before moving back to Charlotte. “It is.”

“Well,” Charlotte took a deep breath and then clapped her hands together. “I only have one more question then.”

Harry lifted a brown. “What’s that?”

“If this is a celebration, where the in  _hell_  is the champagne?”

“Ha!” Harry laughed, shaking his head. “Of course. I’ll just go get some. I suppose everyone else would like a glass as well?”

And the answer was a resounding yes.

The first of many celebrations had begun.


	69. Chapter Sixty Nine

After the celebration brunch that had taken place at Harry’s that morning, as the day moved into evening it was time for another, and very important event that evening.

Alex drew a deep breath as the car carrying her, Harry, and Emma pulled up to the gate at Clarence House for dinner with Charles, Camilla, Will, and Kate.

“Are you okay?” Harry murmured, smoothing his tie as he leaned in close to her.

“Absolutely.” She turned a wide smile to him. “Just…don’t take this the wrong way but…”

“Okay…” he chuckled, waiting for her to continue.

“Sometimes…” she shook her head and laughed lightly. “Sometimes it’s still a little surreal. And this is one of those times.”

A soft smile appeared on Harry’s face. “You want to know a secret?” he whispered so that Emma wouldn’t hear, even though she was completely involved in Angry Birds on his phone.

“Sure…”

“Sometimes it’s surreal to me too.”

Her eyebrows lifted and she smirked. “Going to having dinner with two future Kings and Queens of Great Britain is surreal to you too?”

“No,” he shook his head. “The fact that I have you and Emma is.”

Alex’s lips curled up and she leaned into him, kissing his lips lightly as the car rolled to a stop. “Thank you,” she whispered, her eyes bright.

“You’re welcome,” he winked, squeezing her hand just as the car doors were pulled open.

“Emma. Phone,” Alex said, holding her hand out for Harry’s phone.

“Mum, I’m almost passed this level,” Emma squeaked, trying in vain to finish up before climbing from the car.

“Emma,” Alex laughed. “Only  _you_  would keep the people inside waiting on us for Angry Birds.”

“Not true,” Harry grinned as Emma finally gave up the phone and he slid it into his pocket. “I’ve kept them waiting plenty of times because I was determined to get past a level.

Emma giggled and Alex rolled her eyes as the three of them stepped from the car. Harry moved out first and then turned to help out Emma and then Alex, squeezing her hand tightly and giving her a wink.

The door opened as they turned to move up the walk and Charles stepped out, Camilla right beside him. There were kind, happy smiles on both of their faces.

“Good evening!” Charles’ deep, smooth voice called out to them.

“Father,” Harry greeted warmly, stepping forward first to receive a hug and words of congratulations from Charles before he moved to Camilla, kissing her cheeks and hugging her as well.

Alex and Emma stepped forward then and although normally she wouldn’t do so, she dipped into a small curtsy, followed by Emma, just as they had practiced. She wanted to pay respect to not only his title, but to the man who had always supported her relationship with Harry, who had been so incredibly kind and welcoming to her and Emma from the very beginning.

“Alexandra,” Charles said warmly when she rose. He leaned in to kiss her cheeks and then pulled her into a tight, fatherly hug. “Congratulations my dear, we are so incredibly happy. Welcome to the family.”

Alex’s smile pulled wide and it was a miracle she didn’t cry. “Thank you, Charles. I’m incredibly happy to be a part of your family.”

He nodded and patted her arm, offering her one more genuine, delighted smile before Alex stepped to Camilla, dipping into a curtsy just as she had with Harry’s father.

Charles turned to Emma then, leaning over a bit to get closer to her. “That was quite a lovely curtsy, Emma.”

“Thank you, sir,” Emma said sweetly, bringing out her perfect manners.

Charles smile pulled wide. “I think you can call me Charles,” he winked, tapping her on the end of her nose. “Now tell me, are you very happy that your mum is marrying Harry?”

“Yes,” Emma nodded, her eyes lighting up at the topic.

“Are you going to help keep him in line?” Charles joked, bringing laughs from Alex and Camilla and a groan from Harry.

“Oh, I already do,” Emma immediately answered, her sass peeking through, bringing everyone to a laugh.

“I can see that is most definitely the case,” Charles chuckled as he stood back up straight and patted Emma on the head.

Emma turned to Camilla and curtsied to her as well, bringing an affectionate smile to Camilla’s face.

“Emma, I hear you helped Harry propose,” Camilla said.

“I did,” Emma said excitedly. “I really did!”

Charles turned an impressed look to his son. “Well then, let’s go inside, find William and Catherine, and you can all tell us that story. What do you think?”

“Absolutely,” Harry grinned. He would tell the entire world that story if they wanted to listen.

**************

Dinner that night at Clarence House only served to make Alex realize even further how truly blessed she was. The conversation was warm and the air buzzed with the excitement over her engagement to Harry.

Kate and Camilla were full of questions about what Alex envisioned for the wedding, to which Alex couldn’t even begin to answer. Kate graciously offered her assistance and said she would make sure that the wedding planner hired was the same as helped with her wedding to William, for which Alex was incredibly grateful.

Initially, when she had told Harry she wanted two weeks to get everything in order before they announced the engagement, it seemed like it would be the longest two weeks of her life. In reality however, it turned out that those days moved so fast she barely had time to blink.

The first step Alex took during those two weeks would be the hardest and the saddest for her as she moved into her new life with Harry.

On the Monday following their engagement, she pulled Susannah in her office first thing in the morning, and with a deep breath she did her best to keep her emotions in check, and she formally asked her to take over Healing Family Through Friends.

Susannah’s eyes went wide as she looked at Alex from across her desk. “You want me to take over? But…there is only one reason I could think of for…” A slow smile spread across her face as realization dawned on her. “The only reason I could think of for you to leave this place is if you were engaged to a certain ginger prince.”

Alex couldn’t help the grin that appeared on her face. Susannah’s hands flew to her mouth but Alex was quick to hold up a finger, to pause Susannah’s reaction for just a moment.

“Okay,” Alex whispered. “What we are about to discuss is absolutely to stay between us. I know you know that, but I have to say it.”

“Of course, of course,” Susannah nodded quickly. “I would never breath a word.”

Alex paused for a beat; a heavy, anticipation filled beat, and then she nodded. “I am engaged to a certain ginger prince.”

“Oh my GOD! Alex!” Susannah squealed. She jumped out of her chair and moved around Alex’s desk to hug her. “I’m so excited for you!”

“Thank you,” Alex said softly. She stood and hugged her friend and then pulled back, holding Susannah’s hands in hers. “I’ve been hoping that when this happened you would agree to take over. It makes sense, with you being a war widow…”  She paused as she watched Susannah’s eyes grew soft as she thought of Geoff. “And you fit here. You do wonderful work here. I want you to keep this going and I know you’ll be amazing. What do you say?”

“Are you nuts?” Susannah laughed. “I'll miss the hell out of you, but I'd be incredibly honored and proud to run this place.”

Alex’s smile pulled wide. “Yeah?”

“Of course,” Susannah nodded.

“Okay then,” Alex breathed, relaxing a bit. “Then I’m going to go ahead and tell you this next part while you’re happy and excited.”

Susannah’s eyes narrowed playfully. “You better not be telling me I’m not invited to the wedding.”

“No no,” Alex laughed with a shake of her head. “Of course you are.”

“Excellent,” Susannah replied with a wink.

Alex giggled and squeezed Susannah’s hands in hers again. Then she took a deep breath and continued, “I’m going to ask Mia to come work as my personal assistant.”

Susannah’s eyes flew wide and Alex rushed forward to make assurances.

“You can keep her on until you train a replacement. They will have someone come in and be my assistant until Mia comes in and they will train her on the specifics. I could have an assistant who is already well trained and versed in everything, but Mia is so smart; she’ll pick it right up. And she’s been with me since the beginning here. She knows me so well and…”

“Alex,” Susannah laughed and held her hand up, cutting Alex off. “Hey…I’m not mad that you want Mia with you. I think it’s great.”

“Are you sure?” Alex asked, her eyes wide.

“Absolutely,” Susannah nodded. “I was just picturing her reaction when you tell her, that’s all.”

Alex burst out into laughter and pulled Susannah into another hug. “Want to be in here when I tell her?” she asked when they pulled away and moved back to their seats.

“Oh God. Yes, please.”

Alex giggled and reached for her desk phone. She dialed Mia and asked her to come in the office and then sat back, chatting with Susannah for a moment until Mia arrived.

At Alex’s request, Mia shut the door behind her, but it didn’t really matter. When Alex relayed her news and asked Mia if she would like to come work for her, Mia’s squeal of shock and sheer delight could be heard by anyone within ten feet of Alex’s office.

And just like that, Alex had taken the next step into a Royal life.

************

Another change that took place over those two weeks between the engagement and the announcement was the amount of time spent at Harry’s place.

They couldn’t move in quite yet; movers in front of Alex’s building would give them away instantly. However, Alex found that now that she was engaged to Harry, that he was officially going to be her husband, she didn’t want to live apart from him. And so Emma and she found themselves staying at his place at Kensington almost exclusively, with Alex stopping by her apartment every few days to pick up a few things for them and to check and make sure everything with okay at her place.

And Harry loved it. He absolutely adored it. He loved that Alex was with him every single night. He loved that Emma asked him to tuck her in and read to her at bedtime. And he loved that one night, after he had read her book with her, instead of moving from the bed he stayed for a bit and looked around the room that had become hers, making plans with her on how they could re-decorate it once they officially moved in.

It made his heart full, to do those things with Emma, to have her wanting to make part of his home hers.

And as Harry sat in his office one evening, three days before the announcement, he chuckled to himself at how weirdly peaceful the atmosphere was in his home. Three days until they announced and the storm began. Yet, it all felt so normal right then. He was reading briefs and going over some plans for the announcement that Charlotte sent over and he was relaxed and at ease, much different than he would have ever thought he would feel with just seventy-two hours before he invited the world into his relationship with Alex and Emma.

"Harry?" Emma's voice was quiet and hesitant and Harry’s head pulled from his paperwork, smiling wide as he saw her standing in his office doorway. She was in her pajamas and her hair was still wet from her bath and she looked incredibly adorable.

"Hey Em, what's up?"

She blinked and then looked down at her hands, her fingers fidgeting together. And it clicked in Harry's brain. She was nervous about something.

"Emma? What's going on?" he asked softly, bringing her eyes up to his.

"I...I wanted to ask you something..."

Harry immediately set his papers down and moved from behind his desk. He walked over to her and knelt down on her level. "Hey, why are you so nervous? You can ask me anything Emma."

"It's a big question," she said softly, her eyes wide.

"Is it big enough that you should ask me over a bowl of ice cream?" Her lips twitched a little and he watched the nerves fade a bit. 

"I think so," she nodded. 

“Where is your mum? Do you want her to have ice cream with us?”

Emma smiled a bit. “Can it just be us?”

"Sure," he smiled encouragingly as he stood up and held his hand out for her. “Lead the way, Princess.”

Emma smiled brightly, took his hand, and then turned, pulling him from his office and down the hall towards the kitchen. Once they were there Harry lifted Emma up onto a stool and then set about dishing out two bowls of ice cream for them. He handed Emma one and then moved to the stool across from hers, settling in as they each dug in to the delicious treat.

"You ready to ask now?" Harry questioned softly after they had each taken a few bites. Emma nodded slowly and slid her spoon into her bowl. She turned serious eyes to him and Harry immediately put his spoon down too.

"When you marry Mummy, what am I supposed to call you?"

Harry's heart thumped in his chest and he couldn't help the way his lips tilted up at the sides. He had known at some point this topic would come up but he hadn't really anticipated it yet, not after they had only been engaged a couple of weeks.

"Well," he took a deep breath and kept his gaze steady on her eyes. "That is entirely up to you, Emma. You can call me Harry like you always have or you can..."

"Can I call you Daddy?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

The lump in his throat was immediate and almost overwhelming. His vision clouded for a split second before he blinked it back, needing to remain just a little bit calm, to keep himself in check at least until they finished this conversation. 

"Do you want to call me Daddy?" he whispered back, his ice cream all but forgotten.

And then Emma said the words that would bring tears to Harry's eyes every single time he thought about this moment for the rest of his life.

"Yes...” she nodded slowly. “More than anything in the entire world."

And as he stood and rounded the island to pluck her from her stool and into his arms, he didn't even bother to blink back the tears.

Because sometimes it's okay when daughters see their fathers cry.


	70. Chapter Seventy

Harry was still a bundle of emotions when he pushed the door to his room open later that night. He had tucked Emma in after they had finished their ice cream, Gus snuggled right up next her, and the tears as come again when he went to step from her room and Emma had called out quietly, “Good night, Daddy.”

He heard the shower running in his bathroom and he moved towards it without thought, pulling off clothes as he went. If that’s where Alex was, that’s where he wanted to be. He opened the door of the bathroom and moved straight to the glass door of the shower, pulling it open and stepping in.

“Hey,” Alex smiled as she turned to him, not surprised at all that he was joining her in the shower. It had become a particular habit of his. But her smile faded when he saw him, saw the tears shining in his eyes. “Harry?”

But he didn’t answer, instead he moved straight through the steam of the shower to her, gathered her face in his hands, and pressed his lips to hers.

Alex gasped into his mouth at the passion behind the kiss, at the intensity with which his lips covered hers. And when his tongue teased at her lips and then pushed into her mouth, she moaned; whatever was going on with him, whatever he was trying to communicate with her was filled with a heat that made her ache for him.

“Harry…” she breathed, her hands moving into his hair, now wet from the water pounding down on them, and tugged his lips from hers, wanting to know what was going on, wanting to share with him whatever emotion he was so overcome with. “Harry, what is going on?”

His eyes slid open to hers and he smiled softly. His thumbs stroked the soft skin of her cheeks and he leaned forward again, pressing a kiss to her nose, her cheeks, and one more soft kiss to her lips. “Alexandra,” he whispered hoarsely. “Emma just asked me if she could call me Daddy.”

Alex’s eyes went wide and she felt tears spring to them. “Oh my God…”

“Is that okay with you?” Harry asked softly as he pushed a piece of hair back from her face. “Is it okay if she calls me Dad?”

“Oh God Harry, of course it is!” Alex nodded, a happy laugh falling from her lips as her smile grew wider by the second. “I’m so incredibly happy for you.”

“Happy for us,” Harry grinned, moving in closer and wrapping his arms around her. “Happy for our family.”

“Our family…” Alex echoed with a whisper, her heart beating wildly in her chest at the word. “Our  _family_ …”

And suddenly his lips were back on hers and he was moving her back and pressing her into the tile wall behind her. Her arms moved around his neck and she sank into him, kissing him back with every bit of passion and want that he was kissing her with.

His hands moved over her hungrily, taking her in, worshipping her, this woman who had given him everything; this woman who had given him a  _family_.

*M*

His hands rounded over her curves; her hips, her waist, moving up to cup her breasts in his hands, running his thumbs over her sensitive nipples, bringing a gasp from her.

“Please Harry…” she moaned, arching against him, against the onslaught of his lips and hands on her.

“Please what?” he teased her. One hand remained at her breasts, pinching and pulling her into madness while his other hand trailed downward, sliding over her flat stomach and then lower until his fingers slid over her center.

“Oh God,” she moaned. Her fingers pressed into the wet skin of his back and her eyes flashed open to his, full of want and desire. “I want you,” she whispered her demand.

“You have me,” Harry smiled, moving in closer. His fingers parted her folds and then sank into her wetness, dipping down and then running a slow, methodical stroke up her slit until he found her nub. He ran a devastating circle around it and watched as she fell further into passion they shared together.

“No…” she shook her head, gasping as his fingers continued their maddening assault on her. One of her hands left his back and she reached in between them, finding him and wrapping her fingers around his incredibly hard length.  “I want you inside of me.”

And with a smirk he obliged. His thumb remained steady at her clit and his fingers slipped down. He slipped a single digit slowly inside of her and he groaned even as her eyes rolled closed at the way he felt inside of her.

“Oh God,” she moaned, squeezing his length In her hand as he stroked that single finger inside of her warm, wet body.

“Is this what you wanted, baby?” Harry teased. He loved watching her like this, turned on and wanting him as badly as he wanted her.

Alex pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and her eyes opened slowly to him again. She smiled at the look his face. He was such a tease. He knew what she wanted; but she loved when he was playful like this and she could play just as good as he could.

“Actually,” Alex purred, her face moving into a look of determination that made Harry's entire body stand on alert. The hand she had on his back flexed and she pressed him closer to her. “What I had in mind was a lot closer to this…” Her hand left his back and moved between them. Her fingers wrapped around his wrist and to his surprise she pulled his hand from her body, a small gasp leaving her mouth at the sensation. And then she squeezed his cock in her hand, pulled him a bit closer, and pressed the tip of him to her folds.

“Fuck,” Harry groaned, the heat of her sending shocks through his system. And then, in a moment that made his entire body pulse, she guided him up her slick center until the head of him met the swollen ball of nerves. She moaned as she circled him around it, using him to give herself pleasure in a way that made his blood boil.

“Jesus Christ, Alex,” he hissed. His hands moved to the wall on either side of her head and he watched her, his breathing harsh. “If you keep doing that…”

She turned heavy, dark eyes up to his and her lips curved up into a smile. She had effectively turned the tables on him and she knew it. But really, in the end, she just wanted him. She didn’t care who had the upper hand; she just wanted the man that her daughter wanted call her Dad, she wanted the man who had come straight into that shower with tears in his eyes, his desire to share this huge news and be with her larger than anything else.

She wanted him.

In the most basic, instinctual way possible.

And so, she dropped the tease and asked for what she wanted.

“Harry,” she murmured, her hands leaving his throbbing cock to slide up his chest and around his neck. “Please…I want you inside of me. Please…”

“God I love you,” Harry groaned as he moved into action. His hands ran down her sides and over her hips to her thighs and he lifted her, his knees going just a bit weak as her legs moved around him. He took just a couple of steps backward and his legs met the built in shower bench. His lips tilted up at the sides and he sat, adjusting her legs on either side of him. “Don’t you understand, Alexandra?” His hands gripped her hips and his eyes held hers as he moved her into position above him. “You can have anything you want, Alex. Anything. You made me a father.”

“I…” Alex stammered, her fingers tightening on the damp skin of his shoulders. “I didn’t…”

“Yes,” Harry nodded. His arms moved around her, one around her hips and the other around her back, pulling her wet, slick body against his. "You did. In all the ways that really matter, love…you did.”

Tears pricked in Alex's eyes and she had to take a deep breath. She sucked in the steamy air around her and focused on Harry. She focused on the man who had this amazing ability to wreck her body and her emotions at the same time. “Harry, in all the ways that matter, you made yourself a father.”

And then she slid her hands up Harry's neck and into his damp mess of red hair and tilted her head over his, her mouth covering his with a passion she wasn’t quite sure she could contain.

Harry moaned and his mouth opened under hers, welcoming her tongue into his mouth to tangle with his. And then, not sure that she could wait another minute for him, Alex reached between them, guided him to her, and ahe began to slowly sink down onto him.

“Oh God Alex…” Harry groaned into her mouth. His fingers tightened on her hips as she took him in and settled herself into his lap. “You feel so amazing.”

“So do you,” she breathed, her lips tearing away from his and her head tilting back as she wrapped her brain around the feeling that came with this; the fullness and completeness that only came when he was deep inside of her.

But Harry couldn't have that; he couldn't have her eyes closed to him, not then. “Alexandra, look at me baby,” he commanded gently. His hands tangled in her hair and he lifted her head just as her eyes slid open to his.

“God…I love you, Harry,” Alex sighed. She leaned forward to rest her forehead on his, holding his bright blue eyes with hers. “I love you so much.”

She was almost too weak, too overcome with the way she felt about him to even move, to give them both the precious friction they craved. And Harry, as if sensing her struggle, pulled her closer and shifted her up slightly, ready and willing to give her what she wanted but couldn’t quite find the strength for.

His eyes held hers and then in a deep, throaty voice he whispered, “I love you too, Alexandra.”

And then he moved, thrusting up into her hot, wet center and bringing moans from both of them.

Alex could do nothing but take deep, steadying breaths as Harry continued, lifting stroke after heavy stroke into her. It was slow and hot and so incredibly deep within her that it made everything else disappear. She no longer heard the spray of the shower behind them. She didn’t hear the sound that her hands made when she slapped them against the tile on either side of Harry’s head as she tried to gain leverage against his sweet assault. The steam that swirled around them felt like a product  of their lovemaking, an effect from the heat that they produced, rather than from the hot water they had abandoned in favor of each other.

The only thing – the only sense – that Alex had was Harry. In that moment he was her entire world; the only thing that she needed to survive. She fed off of that, and as her body absorbed each delicious thrust from him, as he pulled her closer and closer to the edge, the inability to move that she’d felt moments before was replaced by an intense desire to give him what he was giving to her.

She lifted her head from his and hands moved back to their home at his shoulders. Then, with a look that made Harry’s entire body pulse, she took control and began to move over him.

“Oh God,” Harry groaned, watching her as she rose up and sank down on him. “You look…fuck…” His hands smoothed over her wet skin and hers moved into his hair. “I could look at you like this forever.

Her mouth pulled into a sultry sort of smile and she moved closer, her hard nipples brushing against his chest. And just like that, she pulled him right to the edge, right to the place he so often found himself with her, fighting to hold on long enough for her to get there with him.

And she was. She was so close to there with him she could almost taste the pleasure that was threating to break and wash over her.

“Harry…” Alex panted. Her fingers clenched in his hair. “I’m so… _please_. I’m so close…”

“Yes,” Harry nodded. His fingers spread out over her hips and his thumbs slid down to her hot, slick center. And when he pressed in, when his thumbs began to work together in a devastating pattern over her swollen nub, Alex couldn’t help the primal cry that fell from her lips.

“Oh God,” she moaned, her hips moving faster, bringing not only herself closer and closer to the end, but taking Harry right with her.

“Come on, Baby,” Harry encouraged in a hoarse, needy voice. His thumbs pressed harder and then, just as Alex felt the first flutters of her release deep in her belly, Harry leaned down and captured a nipple between his lips. And with a swirl of his tongue and a soft bite of his teeth, Alex came completely apart.

He head fell back and she cried out, the sound reverberating against the tile walls as the mind-numbing waves pulsed through her. And Harry, who had barely been hanging on to himself since the moment she sank down on him, had no hope against the way her body clenched around his, with the way she cried out his name over and over again. With a gasp and a groan his fingers tightened on her hips, his head dropped to her chest, and he followed her over the edge, everything he had pulsing up into her, this amazing woman that he loved.

The woman who really had given him everything he ever wanted.

*EM*

***********

Two Days Until the Announcement

“What’s that?” Alex asked, pointing to the thick manila envelope in Harry’s hand when he stepped through the front door of his home.

“Good evening to you too, love,” Harry laughed, shaking his head a bit as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, his head dipping for a kiss.

Alex giggled against his lips and kissed him back, her arms moving around neck. “Sorry…” she sighed when he pulled back a bit, keeping her close but looking down on her. “It just seems like every time I turn around there is a new envelope with something new to look at or remember or…my brain is going to explode soon.”

Harry chuckled and pressed another kiss to her lips before he stepped back and took a deep breath, his face growing a bit serious. “This is actually something new to look at, but I want to make sure that it’s why you want before you open it.”

Alex tilted her head to the side, her brow furrowing slightly. “Okay…what does that mean?”

“It means…” His fingers flexed on the envelope for a moment and then he continued on, his voice dropping a bit. “It means that the family lawyers drew up adoption papers, or what’s needed to start the first part of the process. And I wanted you to look at them before we have to start signing things.”

Alex’s eyes fell to the envelope as her heart beat a furious pattern in her chest. “I told you months ago that’s what I wanted,” she said softly, her eyes turning up to his. “And since then I’ve agreed to marry you and…my mind hasn’t changed, Harry. And considering Emma called you Daddy…” She trailed off at the look of pure happiness that crossed Harry’s face and it made her smile wider before she continued, “I think she’d be absolutely okay with that too. But we need to talk to her first. And we definitely need to talk about the…” She laughed a little nervously and whispered, “The Princess stuff.”

Harry lifted an amused eyebrow. “Why are you whispering?”

“Because it doesn’t sound so real that way?”

Harry’s eyebrows knotted together. “You don’t  _want_  it to be real?”

Alex’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “No, no. That’s not what I meant. It’s just that it’s almost unreal that  _my_  daughter could be a princess. Not that it’s a bad thing.”

Harry bit his lip and leaned back against the table behind him, crossing his arms over his chest. “You do know that your fiancé is a Prince, right?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Harry…”

“And that soon enough you’ll technically be one too?”

And Alex’s entire thought process drew to a halt. “Wait. What? I thought I was going to be a Duchess.”

“You will be,” Harry nodded. “You’ll automatically take my highest ranking title, which will at that time be the Duke of Sussex. But technically, although you won’t be referred to as such, you’ll also be the Princess Henry of Wales.”

And suddenly Alex burst out laughing. “Oh my God,” she breathed between giggles, clapping her hand over her mouth.

“What’s so funny?” Harry asked, although he was amused at her reaction.

“Nothing,” Alex said, shaking her head as she tried to keep her laughter under control. “It’s just that it’s so silly. When I think of myself being any kind of Princess, it’s so silly. It’s just a title, it’s not who I am. I just let it build up bigger in my head though when it came to Emma. I know it’s utterly ridiculous…”

“I love you, Alexandra Morgan,” Harry interrupted, his tone reverent and making Alex’s lips tilt into a soft smile.

She tilted her head to the side. “Yeah? And why is that?”

“Because you’ve taken everything that comes with my life so well over the past two years, but you’ve never been afraid to say it right out loud when something isn’t so easy for you to deal with. Because you’re strong enough to do those things.”

Alex sighed and then she moved to Harry, tipping her lips to his for a kiss. “I love you too,  _Prince_  Harry of Wales.”

He chuckled and kissed her softly. “When do you want to talk to Emma?”

“How about now?” Alex offered. “She’s done with her homework and is playing with Gus in your garden. We can pull her in.”

Harry took a deep breath, kissed her once more, and then nodded. “Okay, let’s talk to her.”

**********

It would become quite the tradition over the years in Harry and Alex’s household for important conversations or talks that needed to be had to take place in their kitchen over bowls of ice cream. It had started the night Emma had asked Harry if she could call him Daddy, and it continued again when Harry and Alex sat Emma down to have the conversation which would most likely impact her in a bigger way than any other in her life.

“Okay Emma,” Harry started, even though his stomach fluttered nervously. “You know in a couple of days your mum and I are going to announce that we are going to get married.”

“Yeeeeeees,” Emma drawled, well aware how many more days she had before she had to stop keeping the secret.

“Okay,” Harry chuckled, his eyes finding Alex’s with humor for a moment before he turned back to Emma. “Well, when that happens there will be an announcement that goes out all over the world and there will be a big TV interview.”

“Wait.” Emma’s eyes widened slightly. “Do I have to be on TV?”

“No,” Alex moved to assure her. “It will just be me and Harry.”

“Okay,” Emma said with a bit of relief. That would make me nervous.”

“It makes me nervous too, Em,” Alex said with a soft smile.

“Really? Why?” Emma asked with a bit of surprise.

Alex glanced to Harry for a moment. He gave her an encouraging smile and she turned back to her daughter. “Well, they are going to ask questions that Harry and I have never had to talk about with anyone other than our friends and family until now.”

“What kinds of questions?”

“Questions about me and Harry; about our life together and our life with you. They will want to know about my life before Harry as well and will probably ask questions about your dad. It makes me very nervous to tell the whole world those things.”

“Oh…” Emma murmured. Her bottom lip pulled between her teeth and Harry smiled, knowing her brain was working over the situation. “What will they want to know about me?”

Harry spoke up, wanting to make assurances to his little girl. “I don’t think they’ll pry too much; they know that there are strict boundaries when it comes to children. But they will probably want to know how well you and I get along, what type of relationship we have, that type of thing.”

“Well that doesn’t seem so hard,” Emma giggled. “You love me.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed, his head tipping back. He reached over to ruffle her hair, amused as always at her sass. “I do. And I’m incredibly proud to have both you and your mum and I can’t  _wait_  to tell them that. But they might also ask some things that I don’t know the answers to yet, and that’s why we wanted to talk to you. We need your help in making some decisions.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “My help?”

“Yep,” Alex nodded. She reached down and tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her daughter’s ear. “Baby, I know you asked Harry if you could call him Daddy…”

Emma smiled and turned a sweet glance to Harry, who beamed back at her before she turned back to Alex. “He told you?”

“Of course he did,” she smiled. “And it made me so happy.”

“Me too,” Emma grinned.

“Me three,” Harry chimed in, bringing laughs from both of his girls that warmed his heart.

Alex let the laughter move the room and settle before she took a deep breath and continued, “Emma, Harry and I have talked quite a bit about this and I’ve already told him it’s what I want, but we need to ask you too. Harry would like to officially adopt you as his daughter.”

It took several seconds for Emma to fully process the information, to be sure that she had actually heard correctly. In those seconds Harry didn’t breathe and he wasn’t quite sure his heart even kept beating while he waited for Emma to say something.

And then finally she turned from Alex and to Harry, her big blue eyes finding his, and she broke the silence in the room.

“Really?” she whispered and Harry almost cried at the hope in her voice and on her face.

He nodded slowly. “More than anything in the entire world.”

Emma’s face immediately split into a grin at the reference to what she had told him the night before and at the knowledge that he officially wanted to be her father. And just like Harry did the night before, Emma moved from her stool and into his arms for a crushing hug.

Alex sat back and watching the two of them, swiping at the tears in her eyes, loving that she was witnessing this beautiful moment.

Harry squeezed Emma tight and kissed the side of her head. “I take that as a yes, Em?”

Emma giggled and nodded against Harry’s chest before she pulled back and looked up at his face with a smile. “Duhhhhh.”

Harry laughed and tickled her sides, bringing another giggle from her before he stood and set her back on her stool. Then he took a step around her stool to Alex and his eyes met hers, emotion flying between them. He reached out and his fingers cupped her cheek for a moment before he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

“Hey!” Emma squeaked. “You are supposed to warn me before you do the kissing stuff!”

Alex giggled against Harry’s lips, accepting one more sweet kiss from him before he pulled away, a wide smile on his handsome face.

“Sorry Em,” Harry said, turning to ruffle her hair. He stayed where he was, choosing to stand by Alex so Emma could look at them both as they continued to the talk.

“I’m not sorry,” Alex teased with a wink at her daughter. “But I’ll do my best to remember next time.”

“Ooookay,” Emma rolled her eyes.

“Alright,” Harry chuckled. As much as he wanted to bask in the love and the fun that this moment was creating, they still needed to cover one more important topic. “Okay Emma, I can honestly say I’m thrilled with your decision, but we’ve got one more for you to think about and this one may be a little harder.”

Emma’s smile faded just a bit and she tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“Baby,” Alex said softly, sweetly as she reached out for Emma’s hand. “When Harry and I get married, we want to have more children…” She trailed off when Emma’s entire face brightened and her eyes went wide. “Hang on,” Alex chuckled, trying to ward off the inevitable excitement about a baby brother or sister. “The thing is, because Harry is a Prince, and children we will have will be princes or princesses as well.”

“So I would have a little brother or sister that is a prince or princess?” Emma asked brightly.

“Yes,” Harry nodded. “But, when I was making plans to ask your mum to marry me, I thought about that a lot. I went and spoke to my granny about it. I told her how much you mean to me and how I would never, ever see you any differently than any other children me and your mum have.” He stopped and smiled when Emma blushed a bit. Then he moved a bit closer to her and crouched down so he was looking up at her, feeling like it would be less intimidating. He didn’t want her to feel any kind of pressure. “Emma, my Gran offered to make a new rule that would make you a Princess as soon as your mum and I are married.”

And Emma’s mouth dropped. “Are you joking with me right now?” she whispered, her eyes moving quickly from Harry to Alex and then back again.

“No,” Harry shook his head, his eyes radiating sincerity. “I would never.”

“Emma,” Alex called her daughter’s attention. “When Harry first asked me about this, I told him this was your decision alone. It’s a big change. You would become a member of the Royal family.”

“And that’s not always easy,” Harry continued where Alex left off. “It’s not like you see in Disney movies. Yes, there are many advantages but you do give up a lot in life. There may be times where you wish you were normal. I don’t want you to give up the chance you have to be normal without seriously thinking about it.”

Emma blinked several times. Her mouth opened and closed twice and she looked back and forth between Alex and Harry several times before she finally found the words she wanted to say.

“When you adopt me, I’ll be your daughter, right?” she whispered, her nerves evident.

“You already are, Emma,” Harry assured. “But legally…officially, yes you will be.”

“And if you would have been my daddy when I was born, I would have automatically been a princess?”

“Yes,” Harry nodded.

“Then that’s what I want,” Emma said softly. “I don’t think it’s right to decide not to be a princess because it might be hard. Lots of things are hard and you can’t get out of them before they happen.”

Alex couldn’t help the smile that pulled at her lips. She couldn’t help but beam at how proud she was of how smart and wise and calm her seven year old sounded. She squeezed Emma’s hand in hers and when her daughter’s big blue eyes – so much like hers – swung up to her she couldn’t help the tears that sprung to her eyes. “Emma Rose, are you sure?”

“Yep,” Emma nodded, already set firmly in her decision. “I’ve made up my mind. So now can we talk about brothers and sisters? I want a lot of them.”

“Ha!” Harry shouted his laughter as he stood and pulled Emma into a tight hug and then held an arm out for Alex, wrapping it around her and bringing her in. “Don’t worry Em, you definitely aren’t the only one.”

Alex smiled wide and nodded in agreement, completely in love with her family. “Definitely not.”


	71. Chapter Seventy One

**The day before the Announcement**

“I’m coming!” Alex called out as she hurried into the foyer of Harry’s home at Kensington, towards the knocking on the front door and, after flipping the lock, she opened it with a wide smile to Charlotte, standing on Harry’s front porch alongside a tall, willowy, sharply dressed blonde who was holding a rather large garment bag. “Good afternoon, ladies.”

“Alex,” Charlotte grinned, stepping forward to kiss Alex’s cheeks and hug her tightly before pulling back and turning to the tall blonde beside her. “Alexandra Morgan, this is Anna Lyons; your stylist. Anna, this is Alex.”

Even though she had known her new stylist would be arriving with Charlotte, the actuality of it washed over Alex and her smile went shy for just a brief moment. It was a barely visible reaction to the fact that she was someone would not only have a stylist, but that one was hand-picked for her - carefully and with much discussion – by the palace. But she recovered quickly from her momentary slide into the strangeness of the life she was stepping into and her smile pulled wide and welcoming.

“Anna,” she greeted warmly, extending her hand to the woman. “It’s so good to meet you.”

“You as well, Miss Morgan,” Anna replied in a voice that was much softer and sweeter than Alex had expected.

“Please, call me Alex,” she chuckled and waved a hand in the air. “And please come in.” She stepped to the side and ushered the two women in before shutting the door behind them. “Can I get you ladies something to drink before we head upstairs?”

“Just water would be fine,” Anna said with a smile as she adjusted the garment bag in her hands.

Charlotte snorted and shook her head. “Water? No no. This is a champagne occasion. Don’t you think, Alex?”

Alex grinned at Charlotte and then turned to Anna with a wink. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

*********

“Did you find Harry dashing and utterly charming right away or did it take a few minutes for it to sink in?”

Alex pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at the man sitting cross-legged opposite her on the big bed in his room. Charlotte had left a list of potential interview questions with them and they had agreed to go over them and get some basics down before the big interview the next day. Once Emma was asleep Harry had grabbed a bottle of wine, two glasses and then they had crawled into bed to read the questions to each other, although Harry only goal seemed to be how to make the questions as hilariously ridiculous as possible.

“I’m sorry, by dashing and utterly charming did you mean cocky and arrogant?” she deadpanned, her eyes brows raised.

“Ouch,” he laughed, shaking his head. “Don’t say that tomorrow, love.”

“I absolutely will if you don’t ask me a real question from that list.”

“Okay,” Harry cleared his throat as he scanned down the list of questions. His lips pulled up into a smirk and he looked up to Alex, his eyes dancing. “Ready?”

Alex rolled her eyes and it made Harry laugh. “Come on Wales, be serious.”

His smile grew wider and he took a sip of his wine. “I  _am_  being serious.”

Alex lifted a brow. “What’s the question?”

He grinned. “Do the two of you plan to have children? Any idea of how many you would want?”

Alex’s eyes narrowed even as her lips twitched up into a smile. “It doesn’t say that.”

“It does!” Harry laughed. He turned the paper around to her and pointed at the question. “Will and Kate were asked about kids. I don’t doubt that we will be either.”

“This is all your fault, you know,” she teased, her eyes dancing.

“My fault?” His eyes widened and he pointed a finger at his chest.

“Sure,” Alex shrugged taking a sip of her wine. “What was it that you said in that interview…that you’ve longed for kids since you were very young?”

“I said that.” He wasn’t even a little bit ashamed. “I also said that I was looking for the right person and…” He leaned closer and his voice dropped, “I’ve found her.”

“You did,” Alex nodded, her eyes growing soft.

“And now she won’t talk about how many children she would like to have with me…”

“Hey now,” Alex shook her head, a smile pulling at her lips. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t talk about it…I would love to talk about it…”

Harry’s eyes held hers for a long moment, heat and emotion passing between them before he took a deep breath and turned, setting his wine glass on his nightstand before turning back to her. “Alright then,” his pulled her hand into his and kissed her fingers. “I know we’re planning to have children; that part of the question I can answer.” He kissed her palm and smiled against her skin. “So how many will it be? Two? Four? Six?”

“Okay, okay,” Alex stopped him with a chuckle. “Let’s not get carried away here.” She leaned over Harry and placed her wine glass next to his. Then, sitting back up straight she turned sweet, hopeful eyes to him.

“After I had Emma, I never really thought that I’d have more children. It wasn’t that I didn’t  _want_  more, because I do love kids and I adore being a mom; I just never thought…” Her eyes filled with tears and she squeezed his hand. “I never thought that kind of love would be in my life again. I never thought I would get married again. I wasn’t against it; I just didn’t think it was in the cards for me. I thought it was just be me and Emma and that was fine. But then you came along…” She smiled through her tears when Harry’s eyes softened and his thumb rubbed softly across the back of her hand. “And you just changed  _everything_.”

“Alexandra…” His voice was gruff.

“You did,” she nodded and laughed; a happy, sweet sound that warmed every inch of Harry’s body. “And all of the sudden I saw those things again. A husband, a family, and lots of little red hair babies running around…”

Harry’s eyebrows lifted hopefully. “Lots?”

Alex shifted closer to him and moved her hands to his chest. She turned her eyes up to his. “Well ‘lots’ is a relative term, and if it were feasible I would have told you to keep going past six, or eight, or…”

Harry chuckled and his arms moved around her, pulling her tighter against him and over his lap, completely wrapped up in their conversation. “So what are you thinking love? Three or four?”

“Hmmm…” Alex settled her legs on either side of him and moved her hands around his neck. “I would love an even four, including Emma.”

“I do like even numbers,” Harry grinned.

“So do I.” Alex’s giggle moved into a sigh as Harry’s lips moved to her neck.

“So the only question left here is…can we get started right now?”

Her shoulders shook with soft laughter. “Sure. If you don’t mind me walking down the aisle with a big belly.”

“I really don’t mind at all,” he breathed and his mouth opened up over her neck, his tongue slipping out to tease at her sensitive skin as her head tipped back, the feeling of him taking over everything else.

“Ohhh…but I think everyone else might…”

Harry chuckled into the curve over her neck and then he pulled back and looked up at her, all flushed cheeks and heavy eyes. “How about we just practice then?”

“Definitely,” she nodded, her eyes dancing. “Lots and lots of practice.”

Then, with a wicked grin Harry moved, flipping her over, her back landing on the mattress. A fit of giggles left her lips as he moved in over her, the list of questions all but forgotten.

***********

**Announcement Day**

When Alex’s eyes blinked open on the morning of the announcement, her very first thought was that – judging by the lack of light coming through the curtains – it was too early to wake up. But as soon as she shut her eyes she knew that there was no way on earth that she was going to be able to get back to sleep. She was too excited; too anxious about the day.

Her eyes slid back open and she turned over, deciding that if she was up then Harry should be up with her. Her smile pulled wide when her eyes found him; he was already awake and watching her, leaning up on his elbow, his head propped up in his hand.

“You’re awake,” she murmured, her body moving closer to his under the covers.

“I am,” he nodded. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him.

“How long have you been awake?”

“Not long. Just a few minutes.”

Alex settled against him, loving the warmth and comfort and ease that came with him. “What time is it?”

He nuzzled his nose into her hair and inhaled her familiar scent. “About six. The troops will start arriving in about an hour.”

“The troops?” Alex laughed, pulling back to look at him.

“I mean, did you see all those crazy weapons that your stylist had yesterday?”

Her lips twitched. “You mean…curling irons?”

“Yes. Weapons,” he nodded, a look of mock seriousness taking over his face.

Alex couldn’t help the giggle that slipped from her lips and she couldn’t help the way they turned into a soft sigh when Harry leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. “Whatever shall we do with our one hour, Harry?” she murmured, pressing herself against him suggestively.

He smiled against her lips and then pulled back slightly. “As much as I love the way your brain is working this morning, you’ll have to put that thought on hold.” He chuckled and her pout and shook his head. “Only for a few minutes baby. I have something I want to give you.”

Alex’s brows pulled together. “Give me? Like a present?”

“Exactly like a present,” he winked as he untangled himself from her arms and turned to his nightstand and opened the drawer.

“Wales, every time you give me presents it makes me cry,” she said as she watched him pull out a slim rectangular box from the drawer.

“Which is exactly why I’m doing this before you start getting your makeup done.” His smile was cheeky and it made Alex’s smile grow bigger. He held the velvet box out to her and nodded towards it. “Here, open it. I can’t explain it until you do.”

He watched as Alex bit her lip and then, looking slightly nervous, she took the box from his fingers and flipped the top with soft hands. Her lips turned up into a smile and her eyes rose to his. “It’s beautiful Harry.”

He took a deep, steadying breath, trying to keep his own emotions in check. He swallowed at the lump in his throat and then he said three words that instantly made Alex want to cry.

“It was my mother’s.”

Her eyes flew wide and her fingers shook as they moved to her lips. “Harry…”

He reached for the box and with gentle fingers he pulled the timeless Cartier watch from it. “When she died, Will and I both got to choose something of hers. I chose her engagement ring and Will chose her watch. But…” His smile grew softer as he went through his memories. “When Will told me he was going to propose to Kate, I offered him the ring. I just felt…I don’t know…” He chuckled a bit and watched as she bit her lip, trying to keep herself from unraveling. “It made sense for Kate to wear the ring. She will be the Princess of Wales and then Queen someday. Mum would love that she has it.”

“Of course,” Alex nodded, completely overwhelmed with this moment, with the information he was sharing, with this monumental gift he was giving her.

“So…” Harry continued as he reached for her hand. His fingers stroked over hers softly before he moved to lay the watch over her wrist. “When I told Will that I was going to ask you to marry me, he gave me the watch.” He fastened the clasp on the band and then ran his fingers over the face of the watch before his eyes lifted to hers, finding the light blue depths filled with tears. His own emotions surged and he struggled to speak. When he finally did, it came out hoarse and low. “And now, I’m giving it to you.”

Alex held his gaze for a long moment before she blinked, tears spilling from her eyes as she looked down at the beautiful time piece on her wrist. It was stunning really; a classic piece that would always be in style. But that wasn’t why she instantly loved it. It was the history of it that took her breath away; that was sending her emotions into chaos. It had belonged to a woman the world would never forget and the mother that Harry had adored and loved so deeply. And now he was giving it to her and she felt so incredibly loved in that moment.

“Harry…” she finally breathed. She swiped tears from her cheeks as she her gaze moved up to meet his again. “I don’t even…it’s…” She laughed a bit and shook her head at her inability to form a sentence. “I don’t know how to thank you for this.”

“Well, that’s easy, love,” he murmured, moving closer and lifting his hands to her face, cupping her cheeks with soft fingers. “You can stand by my side today as we tell the world that we plan to spend the rest of our lives together.”

“You’re right,” she smiled, blinking at fresh tears. “That’s incredibly easy.”

“God I love you,” Harry whispered. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers and the passion surged between them instantly, heightened by the emotions they were both feeling, by everything this day meant to them. “Alexandra…”

“Yes?” she breathed against his lips as her arms moved to wrap around his neck.

“We’ve got another hour before…”

“Make love to me, Henry,” she interrupted, her mind already right where his was. Her eyes opened to his, full of love and need. “I want you to love me like only you can.”

Harry groaned and tugged her lips back to his. He shifted, moving her back onto the bed and covering her body with his.

This was their last hour before it all started to roll towards the chaos that was bound to erupt. They were absolutely determined to spend it wrapped up in each other.

And so they did.

***********

It wasn’t until Alex was sitting in front of the mirror in the spare room the stylist team had commandeered when it hit her; just what was about to happen. The day had been a whirlwind of people and paperwork and notes and hairsprays and tools and creams and lint rollers and finally…she was alone for just a moment.

Charlotte had come and gone, dropping off a last bit of notes before she returned to take them to Buckhouse. Matt had breezed by in his carefree way, scooping Emma up to take her for the night. The impeccable stylist that Charlotte had introduced her to had just stepped out to find Alex’s shoes, which seemed to have gone missing.

And so Alex seized this single, solitary, quiet moment and looked at herself in the mirror. Was this really her life? Alexandra Emerson—sweet, shy Texas girl? Alexandra Morgan—wife and mother and so unexpectedly a widow?

She looked down at her hands, shaking slightly in her lap and she took a deep breath. When her eyes lifted back to her reflection, her heart thudded.

The Duchess of Sussex.

It had felt surreal all day; people dancing around her, catering to her, orchestrating this enormous moment in her life as though she were a mere player.

But there, in that seat, looking at herself, it had never ever been more real. Today she would step out in front of the world with Harry – warm, funny, loving, amazing Harry – and tell them all that they planned to start a life together. They would tell them all about how they met, they would talk about their daughter, they would pry into her marriage to John a bit; but at the end of it all, when the cameras stopped rolling and the footage was scurried off to be edited and aired, it would just be her and Harry and Emma.

Yes, she was going to be the Duchess of Sussex. But she would also still be all the things she always had been; the sweet, shy Texas girl, John’s widow, and the mother of a precious little girl. And she would always be those things – along with being Harry’s wife.

And really, at the heart of it all, that’s what she wanted, a life with the man she loved. The man who had captured her heart and held it so safe for all of this time, the man who had loved and protected both her and Emma from the very beginning, the man who her daughter now called ‘dad’.

She wanted a life with Harry. And today was a giant step towards getting everything she ever wanted.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and she blinked at her reflection, bringing her mind out of its haze before turning towards the door just as it cracked open.

“Am I allowed in yet?” Harry called out through the crack in the door, humor in his voice.

“Yes,” Alex laughed. She moved to stand from the chair, smoothing out her dress with her hands. And when Harry stepped through the door and his gaze fell to her, his smile pulled wide and his eyes went completely soft.

“Alexandra…you look…”

“Like a future Duchess?” she joked, biting her lip to keep from smiling.

“No,” he shook his head, his voice a bit gruff. He stepped forward and his hands moved to her waist. “Like my future wife.”

Alex’s lips tilted up and her cheeks flushed. “I was hoping you would say that.”

Harry’s chest rumbled with quiet laughter. “So that was a test?” he teased. His arms moved around her and pulled her close.

Her hands smoothed up the lapels of his blue suit coat and over his tie, her lips twitching at the tiny bunny rabbits on the silky material. Her fingers adjusted the knot gently and then she slid her eyes up to his, a playful smile on her lips. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, you passed with flying colors.”

“Nice,” Harry laughed, his eyes crinkling up at the sides in that way she loved. He held her gaze for a moment, his hands smoothed over her back, and then his face grew a bit more serious. “You doing okay love? Anything you want to go over?”

Alex shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m fine. I’m prepared. I’m more than ready to tell the world.”

“Well…” The corners of his lips tugged up. “I’m not sure you’re entirely ready.”

Alex’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

Harry’s hands moved to cup her face and he leaned down and brushed her lips with his, careful not to mess her makeup. Then he pulled back from her just a touch and whispered. “You don’t have shoes on love. It’s entirely up to you, but I’m fairly certain you don’t want to do this in your stockings.”

A burst of laughter left Alex’s lips and she pulled back from Harry, slapping him lightly on the chest. “Anna went to find them. Although now I’m half tempted to go without them.”

Harry shrugged. “Fine by me. Shoes or no shoes, I’m still going to marry you.”

“Good to know,” Alex smiled and just then the door opened to the room and Anna stepped in, Alex’s shoes firmly clasped in her hands.

“Found them!” she called out as she bustled in on a mission, failing to notice at first that Alex was no longer alone in the room. “Oh!” she gasped when she lifted her eyes and she took in Harry’s presence. “I’m sorry, I had no idea you were in here. I can just…” She waved her hand towards the door, and moved to step out of the room again.

“No no,” Harry smiled. “I was just teasing Alex about her shoes and you’ve got them, so I’m sure she appreciates that you are here.”

Anna visibly relaxed and a small smile tilted her lips as she stepped to Alex and handed her the nude pumps they had selected.

“It was actually about my lack of shoes,” Alex giggled. “Which we’ve now corrected. And…” Her smile flashed wide as she stood straight and tall, feeling beautiful and proud, with only a hint of nerves peeking through. “I think we are ready.”

“One more thing,” Anna said, holding up a finger to stall them for a moment. She turned and reached into one of her many cases and pulled out a small plastic baggy. “Here is extra lipstick and gloss, as well as tiny bits of the base and powder I used on you, just in case. Although, if this one…” She tossed a smirk and a teasing glance towards Harry as she handed Alex the bag. “Would keep his lips to himself, you probably wouldn’t need it.”

Harry snorted and Alex couldn’t help the loud, happy laugh that fell from her lips. “Never gonna happen,” she said with a wink to Anna. “But I will do my best to make sure he doesn’t completely mess me up.”

*************

They slid into the waiting Range Rover bound for the short trip to St. James Palace right on time. And, wanting to keep normality about themselves as they moved closer and closer to what was going to be a roller coaster ride, Alex immediately slid over to the middle of the seat, right next to Harry. And with a smile he put his arm around her and tucked her into his side.

They were only a few minutes away from St. James when Harry’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

“It’s Charlotte,” he informed Alex before he pulled the phone to his ear. A quick, business-like conversation and one bright smile from Harry later, he pulled the phone from his ear and slid it into his pocket before turning to Alex. He took a deep breath and reached for her hand.

“The official announced has been released by Clarence House,” he said softly, his eyes bright and happy. “The world knows love.”

Alex felt the breath suck out of her and she blinked several times in quick succession, working her best to stem the emotion somewhere other than the seemingly inevitable tears. She couldn’t cry, not right now. Anna would kill her.

“Hey, are you okay?” Harry asked, his face pulling into a look of concern. His thumb rubbed the back of her hand tenderly.

She nodded, biting her lip as she looked down at where his hand held hers, at the beautiful diamond ring he had slipped on her finger two weeks earlier, at the priceless watch he had placed on her wrist just that morning. She sucked in a deep, steadying breath and raised her eyes to his, miraculously tear free.

“I’ve never been more okay in my life, Harry.”

“You know, when you say things like that…” he murmured, his eyes soft as his head tipped to the side. “It makes it really hard not to kiss you.”

Alex’s head tipped back with soft laughter and she squeezed his hand. “I can’t help it.”

“Good,” he grinned. He glanced up as the Range Rover slowed and prepared to make a turn. The familiar gates of St. James Palace came into view and he turned back to her. “We’re here. Are you ready for this?”

And there was no hesitation – not even a single second – before she answered loud and clear and proud, “Yes.”

And as they stepped from the vehicle to greet Charlotte, various other staff, and Charles and Camilla, as they stepped into St. James Palace, as they took each step closer towards the room where the press with their cameras and flashbulbs awaited them, as the stepped up to the doors and Charlotte briefed them on several small, final details before the doors opened, she was. She was so incredibly ready.

And when the doors were pushed open, she tucked her hand into his arm, looked up at him and held his warm, protective, loving gaze for several long seconds.

“Come on, love,” he lowered his head and whispered.

“I’m already there,” she whispered back, squeezing his arm through the sleeve of his jacket.

And they stepped through the doors together.

And the flashbulbs went crazy, taking the whole world with them.


	72. Chapter Seventy Two

When the first pictures and video started to filter out from the photocall at St. James Palace, they reaction was swift and Alex and Harry’s smiling faces were just everywhere.

The pictures were poured over, dissected, analyzed, and discussed. Alex’s choice of dress was mostly approved of and the fact that she went with a British designer appeased even the worst of critics. The ring was mooned over and it took zero time to figure out that the earrings she wore – earring she had worn publicly for quite a while – bore the same design and were obviously a matched set. And of course, many, many words were devoted to the fact that she wore Diana’s Cartier watch.

However, the piece of that day that would get the most attention, that would be watched millions and millions of times and talked about for years was still to come.

**********

When Harry and Alex stepped from the room, away from the journalists with their recorders and flashing cameras, Alex was positively sure that she was going to have permanent white spots in her vision. But that didn’t dampen the smile on her face. And it certainly didn’t stop her from letting Harry pull her right to him as soon as the door closed firmly behind them, despite the fact that there were numerous staff moving busily around them as they kept up with the craziness of the day.

“You did amazing,” Harry whispered, his hands sliding to her face and tilting her head back for him.

Alex shrugged her shoulders and winked as she leaned into him. “I was alright.”

Harry’s lips twitched with humor and then he tilted his head over hers and pressed his lips to hers, soft and sweet and loving before he lifted just enough to look at her, his eyes searching hers. “You doing okay?”

She blinked several times, still seeing the white lights, and then she nodded. “Other than the fact that I may have permanent eye damage, I’m doing just fine.”

Harry chuckled and bent to kiss her one more time. “The flashes will fade shortly, love.”

“Sure,” she laughed as Harry pulled away, although he reached for his hand and tucked it into his, wanting to keep the connection with her. He turned towards Charlotte, who was waiting with her assistant and another staff member that Harry recognized from the Clarence House press office. 

He lifted an eyebrow. “You’re being decided un-pushy today.”

Charlotte smirked and moved to them. “It’s because I work for Alex now too and I actually like her.” Harry rolled his eyes as Charlotte moved kiss Alex’s cheeks and give her a hug. “You look beautiful. And you did fantastic.”

“Thank you,” Alex beamed as she hugged her friend back.

“And what am I? Chopped liver?” Harry asked in mock offense.

“See,” Charlotte narrowed her eyes at him. “There is a reason I like Alex better.”

“Okay, okay.” Alex rolled her eyes at the two of them. “Charlotte, where do you need us to be right now?”

“Oh yes, I like your attitude,” Charlotte said with a pointed look to Harry. But before he could shoot back at her, she continued, going over the next step in their day. “Tom Bradby is waiting in the drawing room. They’ve got the cameras ready, so we just need to get microphones on both of you. Did you go over the list of potential questions?”

Alex blushed and a cheeky grin spread across Harry’s face.

“We started to…” Alex offered.

“And just when you were becoming my favorite,” Charlotte sighed. “I don’t even want to know what he did to distract you.” She jabbed her thumb in Harry’s direction. “Anyway, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You watched Will and Kate’s, right?”

Alex nodded. “I sure did.”

“Great; and you know it’s the same interviewer. Tom is great and you’ll feel at ease with him,” Charlotte assured her and Harry nodded his agreement. “So let’s go get you guys ready.”

*********

Charlotte was right, Alex did feel at ease with Tom Bradby. He was friendly and warm and assured Alex that this was a ‘get to know you’ type of interview and his intent was not to make her or Harry uncomfortable in any way. And although Alex already knew those things, it was nice to hear it straight from Tom’s mouth, especially since this was her first personal interaction with someone from the media.

Harry and Alex were each outfitted with microphones and then were directed to one of sofas that had been arranged facing a single chair, a camera, and lights that weren’t turned on yet. They sat as Tom went over a few things with Charlotte and Alex turned wide eyes up to Harry.

“Just…pinch me if I start to say something ridiculous,” she whispered.

Harry smiled softly and leaned in closer. He covered her hand with his and ran his thumb slowly over the soft skin on the back of it. “Hey…you’ll be fine. I love you, Alexandra.”

“I love you too,” she responded, her lips tugging up at the corners.

“And…” he continued, leaning in even closer. “I promise to pinch you later anyway.”

Alex’s eyes flashed wide. “Shhhh…” She shook her head and because she knew if she kept looking at her handsome fiancé with that smirk of a smile on his face she was going to laugh, she turned her eyes from him and focused on Tom Bradby, who was just moving into his seat.

Tom turned a wide smile to them both. “I think we are ready to go.”

“Great,” Harry nodded. “I think we are ready as well.” He squeezed Alex’s hand once more and though she expected him to move his hand from hers, he stayed there, offering her his silent support and steadiness and Alex was so incredibly grateful.

Someone dimmed the lights in the room and the bright lights behind the camera came on. Both Harry and Alex blinked and adjusted to it. And then, with a nod from Tom and a deep breath from both Alex and Harry, the interview began.

“Well first,” Tom began, a smile on his face. “I’d like to say congratulations to you both.” He paused while Harry and Alex both smiled and thanked him before he moved into his first question. “Let’s start with the question everyone is bound to have. Harry when and where did you propose? How did you do it? And Alex, what did you say?”

Harry’s smile pulled wide and he glanced to Alex, their eyes meeting for a moment, a flash of excitement at being able to tell the story, to say the words without worrying about who could overhear them. “Well, it was about two weeks ago on Alex’s birthday. Along with some help from Emma, I planned a little something for her and I proposed at home, in private. It went really well…” Turns to Alex, lifts his eyebrows. “Right?”

Alex laughed and nodded. “I said yes, so of course it did. It was really very special…incredibly romantic and thoughtful.”

“So your daughter was involved then?” Tom asked, looking directly to Alex.

“Yes, she was. And very excited to be,” Alex confirmed with a smile, although she had to fight back the urge to not want to talk about her daughter on camera. She had built up that defense over the previous two years and now she had to make changes to the rules. But she pushed the urge to the side, knowing that she had to allow some information.

“And did Harry have a ring?”

“He did,” Alex grinned as Harry lifted his hand that covered hers and covered the ring, knowing that they would want a shot of it with the camera.

“Can you tell us a bit about it?” Tom asked, leaning in to look at Alex’s hand; even he couldn’t help himself.

Harry chuckled and reached for her hand, holding it up with his for Tom and for the camera. “Ah well, I’m not so great with the technical terms,” he joked. “But it’s something I had made especially for her. I’ve been told the stone is a diamond and let’s hope that it actually is or I’m bound to be in a ton of trouble.”

Alex turned her head to look at Harry, narrowed her eyes at him playfully, and then she couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s really so beautiful.” She smiled wide at Harry before turning back to Tom and to the cameras. “He did an excellent job.”

“Well, that’s certainly a ringing endorsement,” Tom quipped, bringing a laugh from both Harry and Alex at the pun. “Now tell us,” he continued. “Did you kind of always know you wanted to marry each other? Was it a recent decision? When did you both realize you wanted to spend your lives together?”

Harry’s eyes were bright as he turned to Alex, his brain working over how he wanted to answer the question. She gave him a soft, somewhat teasing smile and he grinned back at her.

“I think,” Harry began, turning back towards Tom. “We had a connection right away and as time moved on and she didn’t run away screaming with the circus that my life can be…” He stopped and chuckled when Alex clucked at him and shook her head. “We just knew very early on that we wanted to be together. Of course, we had our struggles as a couple and we worked hard to get through them, but we made it through and so…I mean, yes. We knew quite a while back we wanted to spend our lives together.” He lifted his eyebrows to Alex and she nodded her agreement.

“Alex,” Tom turned, addressing her. “Harry just mentioned, although in a joking manner, the ways in which being a royal can be somewhat…intense. I assume he meant in terms of the press and things like that. Did those things ever turn you away, especially when your face was splashed across the newspapers?”

“Turn me away?” Alex repeated, a small smile on her face. “It’s not fun, the paparazzi and the articles and the way they go after you, but I mean…” She stopped for a moment, trying to think of how she wanted to phrase what she wanted to say. “I was aware from the beginning what they could and would do. I don’t read what they write about me or Harry, I make sure my daughter remains safe and nothing they print could put her into danger, and I surround myself with a really wonderful group of family and friends, both mine and Harry’s. It really helps to make the negative things smaller, to matter so much less. So, no…it never turned me away.”

“Obviously you do have a very close group of people around you, including you parents who still live in Texas. Let’s talk about them for a moment, or more specifically…Harry, did you ask Alex’s dad for permission before you proposed?” Tom asked, a bit of a grin on his face at moving the conversation to this topic.

Harry laughed, his eyes crinkling up at the sides, and he nodded. “I did speak to Mr. Emerson and Mrs. Emerson and asked for their blessing, which they gave. Much to my relief.” Harry wiped his brow and mock relief, blew out a gust of air from between his lips, and Alex’s lips twitched, her head shaking slightly as she tried not to give in to the giggles that were threatening.

Tom chuckled and pressed on, his gaze switching to Alex for the moment. “Alex, what did your mum say?”

She couldn’t help the wide, happy smile that spread across her face at the question, at the memory of her mother’s reaction. “When I talked to her and told her…she was just incredibly excited. They really think the world of Harry and they were both thrilled.”

 “Thrilled and very clear that she expected me to help give her more grandchildren,” Harry added on, his eyes dancing and his grin as cheeky as could be.

And this time Alex couldn’t help it, a breath of laughter pushed through her lips and she turned wide eyes to Harry who – caught up in the spirit of everything – winked right at her, making her laugh even more.

“It’s very clear that you two are very in love and at ease with each other,” Tom said, his voice genuine as he broke away from interviewer mode for a moment before he continued, “And that’s actually a great segway into my next question. I think we’ve just gotten our answer, but would the two of you like to have children?”

Harry turned back to Alex, a moment of seriousness falling over them. Through all of their discussion the previous night over what they wanted, how many children they wanted to have, they had never actually discussed how to answer that question in the interview. But as his blue eyes met hers, when he saw the happiness that shined from them, he knew exactly how to answer. He took a deep breath and then turned to Tom and in the moment that would be talked about beyond all others, that would inspire the biggest reaction of any footage from that day; he reached for Alex’s hand again, squeezed it softly and said, “Well, we already have the one. But I think…” He glanced back to her with a soft smile. “We’d definitely like to expand our family.”

Alex held his eyes for a brief moment, a moment where she wanted nothing more to kiss the lips off of his face. But because she couldn’t do that right then, she turned back towards Tom and nodded, her lips twisting up a bit just before she spoke. “I think that’s probably a shock to no one, but yes, we would love more children.”

Tom couldn’t believe how amazing the interview was going. Harry was notoriously closed off about his personal life, and while he knew that this was the one time he would be more open than normal, he and Alex were really showing the world just exactly how in love they were. And although he may have been a friend to the prince, he was also a journalist, and as such he decided to take a risk and press a bit further.

“You just mentioned that together you have one child. Harry, you obviously have great affection for Alex’s daughter. People are bound to ask, are you planning to adopt her? Any plans for her to be a titled member of the Royal Family?”

Alex blinked, startled at the question and looked to Harry, who seemed to have a similar reaction. He glanced at her with a reassuring smile.

“I…” he halted for a moment and adjusted on the couch, sitting up straight and smoothing his tie, exuding just how serious he found the topic to be. “Alex, Emma, and I have discussed that privately and for right now, it will remain a private matter. The important thing I think right now is that I love Emma tremendously and she is a fantastic little girl.”

“Fair enough,” Tom nodded and wisely, knowing he had pulled more from Harry than he ever thought he would be lucky enough to get, he moved away from that line of questioning. “Let’s move back to beginning of your relationship for a moment. When did you first set eyes on each other and what did you think?”

And just like that, the interview moved from serious to light and easy again as both of their minds drifted back to the beginning, to their instant attraction and the way they couldn’t have resisted it even if they had tried. Harry turned towards Alex, lifting his eyebrows and smirking a bit, motioning for her to take the question first. Her lips quirked up, knowing he was absolutely dying to see what she would say.

“Well, the first time we met was when he first came to visit Healing Families Through Friends and get a feel for the organization,” she began, her voice soft as she ran over it in her mind, remembered what it was like to connect with Harry that day, how it had completely taken her by surprise. “It was definitely a business meeting. But…” she glanced at him and her eyes danced a bit. “I found that he was so friendly and attentive to those he talked to. He really cared what everyone had to say. I thought he was an extremely genuine person.”

Harry grinned at her answer and he winked at her before turning towards Tom, his tone light and humorous as he added, “And devastatingly handsome of course.”

Alex rolled her eyes slightly and chuckled. “Well, that goes without saying.”

Tom laughed lightly and then turned to Harry. “And Harry, what did you think of Alex?”

And in a moment that showed the world exactly how Harry felt about Alex, where he showed the way he had reacted to her from the very beginning, his face completely lit up. “I just…liked her immediately. She had – and still does – this calm sort of air about her. I automatically felt relaxed in her presence. And for me, that’s something that doesn’t happen often, if ever.” He glanced to Alex and his heart swelled with the way she looked at him, as if she saw herself through his eyes. It made him want to cry and laugh at the same time.

Tom smiled, warmed by Harry’s response. “And did you start seeing each other right away?”

Alex and Harry looked at each other laughed a little bit, almost like a private joke was passing between them.

“It wasn’t very long after that, no,” Harry answered with a chuckle.

“So you’re seeing each other for a short time, privately, and Harry famously gets deployed. How did that affect your relationship?”

Alex took in a deep breath; she had known this question would be coming and she knew where it would lead. She looked to Harry and he nodded at her, letting her know he was okay if she took the question. “Well, as you know, Emma’s father – my husband – was an Apache helicopter pilot who died in combat. So when Harry got deployed, it brought a lot of memories back for me; things that I thought I would never have to go through again. It was really very difficult.”

“If I can add to that,” Harry said once he was sure Alex was done. “I think…I was told I would probably never get deployed again and then I did. Our relationship was still new but moving towards serious and we were faced with not only being apart for quite a while, but also Alex had to go through something all over again that ended tragically for her previously. But, I have to tell you that she was an incredible support system for me. She’s incredibly strong, much stronger than I.”

“I don’t know about that,” Alex said with a soft laugh and a shake of her head.

“I do,” Harry said firmly. His hand closed over hers again and he squeezed her fingers gently, silently telling her how great she was doing.

“It’s very obvious that you think the world of each other,” Tom commented. “However, if we could, let’s take this opportunity to address the fact that Alex…you were married previously and have a child from that relationship. Of course you know there are those who find that to be a negative thing. What do you have to say about that?”

Harry’s eyes swung to her, ready to come on the defensive if she wanted him to. But she wasn’t at all afraid of the question. It had made her nervous when she contemplated how to answer it ahead of time, but once the moment came, she found she had no qualms regarding the subject. She sat up straight and smiled, ready to take on the question.

“I’m going to be honest here. I just don’t know how anyone can view a happy marriage and the wonderful child that came from it to be negative. I understand that people will judge me given the family I am marrying into, but really, I did love my husband and so much good came from our marriage, including my daughter. I will  _never_  apologize or for that.”

A look of pride that couldn’t be missed by anyone flashed onto Harry’s face. He loved how she addressed the question head on and didn’t try to appeal to those who may not agree with her marrying Harry because of her previous marital status and the fact that she was a single mother. She was proud of who she was and Harry had never been more proud of her.

He adjusted slightly and cleared his throat. “And I’d like to say…personally, it has never been an issue that Alex was married. It has never been an issue for me or anyone within my family. Part of who she is comes from that part of her past. I respect and admire that she came out of it so strong and that she created something so positive from it. And I think…” he looked over at her smiled softly. “I think that’s all either of us really have to say on that issue.”

Tom nodded, knowing that was his cue to not press further on the issue and he respected that. “I think we can all take something important away from that. Now, moving on to lighter topics. During William and Kate’s interview, he famously talked about trying to impress Kate with his cooking. Alex, did Harry do the same for you?”

Alex couldn’t help the burst of laughter that pushed through her lips, and it only got worse when Harry turned to her, his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face. He shook his head as she fought to get her giggles under control.

Tom laughed at the silent banter between the two of them. “Really now? That bad?”

Alex shook her head, her smile wide but her laughter under control. “Aw no. Harry is generally so busy that stopping to cook a big meal isn’t really something he does, or has ever really had time to learn. Of course he always wants to help if I do cook at home and so I’ll trust him with boiling the water or…”

Harry groaned. “Okay, okay we get it. No, I’m a terrible cook. Alex is wonderful though and she does let me help out without too much angst involved.”

“Brave woman,” Tom quipped, bringing and chuckle from the lovely couple on the couch in front of him. “Now I suppose a lot of people are going to wonder, the first meeting with the families, again, not necessarily your average meeting. Alex, what was your first impression of the family?”

Alex smiled wide. “So very accepting and warm. I was nervous to meet Harry’s father but he’s really the kindest man. And the rest of his family too; they are incredibly lovely people.”

“And meeting the grandmother, the Queen, again not like your average meeting with a grandmother, when did you meet her were you nervous about that too?”

“I think…” Alex began, turning to look at Harry as she considered how to answer the question. He smiled encouragingly and she turned back to tome. “I think we will keep the details of when and where private as it is a very special moment for me, but she is lovely. It was very easy and relaxed and I was incredibly grateful.”

“And Emma has met them too?” Tom pressed on.

Harry nodded, his smile pulling wide. “Yes, of course. They all adore her.”

“I’m sure they do,” Tom smiled and glanced down at his notes before continuing. “Alex, you are obviously going to enter this family, the most famous royal family in the world. Harry’s mother was this massive iconic figure. The most famous figure of our age, is that worrying? Is that intimidating? Do you think about that a lot both of you, you particularly Alex, obviously?”

Alex sucked in a breath and adjusted in her seat, sitting up a bit straighter to take on the question. “I look forward to my work as a royal, to paving my own path and a path with Harry. I wouldn’t say it’s worrying, although the thought of constant comparisons can be concerning. I just…would hope that – not only with myself but with Catherine as well – people can look past the obvious comparisons. I don’t think the legacy Diana left was to emulate her, I think the legacy she left was to make your own way, to create your own legacy. And that’s what I would love to be able to do.”

Harry nodded his agreement and smiled at her, warm and proud, before turning to Tom. “And Alex has already done amazing work with families of soldiers killed in action. I think she’ll do wonderful as she continues to support that cause as well as others. And she’s absolutely right…my mother didn’t want people to necessarily emulate her, she just wanted them to realize their own importance, to follow their own path. I can honestly say that Alex has done both of those things already with great strength, and will continue to do so.”

Alex’s eyes slid to his and a fleet, although noticeable moment passed between them, soft and sweet, before Tom moved forward.

“Tell us, Alex. How are you feeling about leaving your organization? Was it a hard decision for you?” He was almost gentle with the question, as though he knew how much HFTF meant to her.

Alex blinked a couple of times and her fingers tightened on Harry’s. For a brief moment she wasn’t sure she could talk about it without tearing up, but because this was a happy occasion, and because she didn’t want anyone to think she wasn’t doing exactly what she wanted to do, she pulled a smile, blinked back the tears, and said, “I knew…through conversations Harry and I have had, we decided that when we got engaged, I would leave HFTF. The truth is that I cannot work as a royal and continue to lead Healing Families Through Friends, but that doesn’t mean my involvement with the program will end. A very dear friend of mine is taking over the organization for me, and she’s terribly brilliant, so I’m excited to see where she takes it.”

“Excellent,” Tom said, nodding his head. “Well, I can say that I definitely see the love and affection between the two of you. You look very happy and excited; ready to take this next step. I do have one more question for Harry before we’re done here…” He turned to Harry and leaned in a bit. “You’ve taken on some images from the press that weren’t always flattering, but now this…engaged, family man, and looking very thrilled about it. Was this the true Harry all along?”

“Ha!” Harry laughed, his head tipping back slightly. He turned to look at Alex, his lips twitching as he took in her amused expression as she waited for him to speak. He squeezed her hand and then pulled it over to him, resting their hands on his leg and toying with her fingers as he looked back towards Tom. “I mean, there was a time in my life where getting married and having children seemed far away and I certainly had my fun, with not so great results sometimes. But…having Alex and Emma and our slightly crazy dog Gus feels like where I’m supposed to be. I don’t know if that means that’s the true mean, but it is absolutely the happiest me there has been.”

Tom grinned, knowing Harry had nailed the final question and that this interview was going to go on the books as one of the top moments of his career. He almost couldn’t wait to get the footage edited and aired. The world was going to be captured by these two and he knew it. “Well,” he spoke, sitting up straight and folding his notes in half, ready to close out the interview. “Thank you very much for talking to us. You two look very happy and in love and excited. Good luck.”

“Thank you,” Alex and Harry both said in unison, bright smiles on their faces.

And then the light behind the camera flashed off and the softer lights of the room came back on. Suddenly everything was moving around them again. Tom bid them good-bye and the cameraman quickly went to work taking the camera down while Charlotte went over some quick things with Tom on the other side of the room.

“Whew…” Alex breathed, her eyes flashing wide as she sat back, relaxing back into the couch.

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Harry grinned. He pulled her hand up to his lips for a kiss, smiling against her skin. His eyes flashed love and a little bit of heat and Alex couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’ve got hours before we can do that, Wales,” She said in a low voice, making sure no one could hear her.

“I can make a little time,” he countered, moving just a touch closer to her on the couch.

Her lips twisted. “Not as much time as I want,” Alex countered, bringing a laughing groan from him.

“That’s it,” he announced with a laugh just as everyone but Charlotte stepped from the room. “Charlotte, the rest of our afternoon can be re-arranged right?”

“You’re insane,” she snorted, scrolling through something on her phone before she looked back at them. “You’re having dinner with Charles, Camilla, Kate, and Will in a little over an hour…”

“See,” Harry lifted an eyebrow to Alex who could only shake her head, knowing Harry was going to get nowhere. “Over an hour. That’s enough time.”

“Oh Jesus,” Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Maybe you could not try to plan out sex when I’m in the room. Besides, that’s not a free hour. Matt’s on his way up with Emma.”

“For what?” Alex asked. “I thought she was staying the night with you guys. She was so excited.”

“She is,” Charlotte nodded with a smile; she was actually excited herself. She adored Emma and she adored Matt even more when she watched him with his niece. “But the engagement is official now so…”

“Security,” Harry finished, the realization dawning on him.

“Do you not read anything I give you?” Charlotte huffed. “This was on the itinerary. Matt’s on his way up with Emma because both her and Alex have been assigned security, effective now.”

Harry turned to Alex with a crooked smile and a shrug. “You’ve got protection officers now.”

Alex shook her head and chuckled. “That’s so weird.”

“Yes well…” Harry laughed as he leaned to kiss her. “Welcome to royal life, darling.”


	73. Chapter Seventy Three

With all of the excitement and the amazing things that came with the engagement and the announcement of it, unfortunately there was one thing that Alex had to do that was harder on her than any of the other changes that came with becoming the next royal bride.

Although she had for all intents and purposes finished her role at HFTF just before the engagement announcement, her actual last day in the office was the day after. It was the day she cleaned out her office and turned it over to Susannah. It was the day she let go of all that she had built there, the day she turned it over to someone else and let it become something that helped give them strength in life.

It was a hard day.

Of course, there were happy parts in the day to go along with the tough ones. The small, intimate party that Mia and Susannah arranged that afternoon as a farewell for her brought so many smiles to her face she couldn’t have counted them if she tried.

She got to say good-bye to so many of the people who were currently seeking help through HFTF and people who had come in the past. She was touched beyond words at the things so many of them said to her; how she had helped them, how they were doing, and how truly happy they were for her.

Her eyes were already red rimmed from the tears that had come from all of their kind words when Harry showed up, smile on his face as he hugged and kissed her and then stuck right with her as she continued to talk to everyone, his face showing more and more pride as the afternoon turned into evening.

And when the party wound down and Alex had to say good-bye to her staff; to Sarah and Duncan and Susannah and even to Mia – who would be joining her as her assistant in just six weeks – Alex did her level best not to dissolve into a pile of tears. She truly loved all of these people like family; they were her family. And even though she would see them all again soon, the thought of not seeing them every day broke her heart.

But she put a brave smile on, gave everyone hugs and exchanged low, sweet good-byes, and then with her box of stuff firmly in Harry’s arms, she stepped out of the door and into the chilly night with him; slipping into the warm car that was waiting to take them back to Kensington Palace.

And as she watched the building disappear behind them, her heart hurt so badly that she could barely stand it.

***************

“Alex?”

She turned towards Harry, who was moving through the front door of his home behind her. He shut it and set her box down by the door as she set her bag on the round table in the foyer and kicked off her shoes. “Hmmm?”

He took a few steps toward her, his eyebrows raised. “Are you okay? You’ve barely said a word since we left.”

“Of course I’m alright,” she quickly assured him, though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long week.”

His head tilted, he took a step closer, and he watched her defenses rise. He watched her tense up and cross her arms over her chest, her body’s natural way of telling him not to pry even though there was no way he was going to drop it.

“Alexandra, please don’t…” he began softly, but was interrupted when Emma came flying around the corner from the kitchen, a wide, happy grin on her face. Kate trailed behind her, holding Henry on her hip.

Alex turned towards her daughter with a wide smile, grateful for the interruption. “Hey Em!” she chuckled as Emma threw her arms around her waist. “Did you and Miss Kate have fun?” She looked up and smiled at Kate, who smiled back as she handed Henry over to Harry, who never missed an opportunity to cuddle with his nephew.

“We did!” Emma nodded. “We played with Henry and tried to teach him new words and she said that I can call her Aunt Kate now.”

“She did?” Harry grinned, turning his attention to his sister-in-law for just a moment.

Kate winked at him and then turned back to Alex and Emma. “I certainly did. But it comes with conditions.”

“Conditions?” Alex laughed. “Like what?”

“I have to promise to come stay at her house sometimes so that she can spoil me like aunts are supposed to spoil their nieces. Right Aunt Kate?” Emma said, bringing a round of laughter from the adults.

“Right!” Kate nodded, winking at Emma and giving her a thumbs up.

“I think that can be arranged,” Alex laughed.

Kate grinned and clapped her hands together. “Fantastic. Now, unfortunately, I do have to get home. It’s Henry’s bedtime and I’d like to avoid a cranky sixteen month old.”

They all exchanged goodbyes as Kate took Henry back and both Harry and Alex made sure to give the chubby little boy sweet snuggles and kisses, loving his sweet baby laughs as they did so. And then Kate was gone, making her way back to her apartment with her son in tow. And although Harry was dying to talk to Alex, to understand why she was closing him out, it seemed it was going to have to wait. Emma had homework to finish and then it was time for a bath and then bed. Gus needed to be walked, fed, and played with. And Harry had pressing work in his office that he couldn’t ignore, phone calls he had to make before the day was over.

It wasn’t until later in the evening that the house finally settled. Harry had finished up his work and, taking over for Alex after bath time, he had tucked Emma into bed. And the first thing he thought of as he stepped from Emma’s room was Alex, of how he needed to know what was on her mind, of why she had been so withdrawn.

He found her in the living room, curled up on the sofa with a snoring Gus next to her. She was watching something on the television, although he could see that she wasn’t really paying attention.

“Hey,” Harry said softly, drawing her attention to him. A small smile moved across her lips when she turned her gaze to his and she reached for the remote, flipping off the TV as he moved to sit next to her. Gus stirred at the jostling movement on the couch and with a look at Harry that clearly stated how he felt about being disturbed, he rose and jumped from the couch, moving over to his bed on the floor and flopping down onto it with a huff.

“Spoiled pup,” Harry laughed with a shake of his head before he turned his attention back to Alex. Their eyes met and he smiled at her, soft and sweet as he settled into the couch and closer to her. “What’s wrong baby?” he asked softly, reaching for her hands and pulling it into his. “What happened at the going away party?”

And before Alex could even get a word out, her lip trembled and her eyes welled up and a small sob escaped her mouth.

“Hey…” Harry breathed, his eyes going wide. “Come here.” He pulled her into his arms and wrapped them around her, holding her tight as she began to cry in earnest. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face in his neck.

He let her cry it out against him. His hands smoothed up and down her back and he whispered soothing words in her ear, trying to comfort her the best he could. When she finally stopped, when her quiet sobs became just small hiccups of air, he felt her body relax against his and she pulled her face from his neck, looking up at him with puffy, red-rimmed eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered with a sniffle.

Harry turned to reach for a tissue from the end table next to the couch and then turned back to hand it to her. “Don’t be sorry, love. I’m just worried about you.”

“You shouldn’t be worried,” Alex sighed as she wiped the tears from her face.

Harry’s eyebrows lifted. “Are you sure? Because the second we left HFTF tonight, you went quiet and withdrew completely and now you’re crying. And it’s not at all the same type of crying that was going on while we were there. I’m a little worried, Alex. I’m worried that you’re not happy with your decision to leave your organization…”

“No,” Alex cut him off with a firm shake of her head. Her hands moved to his cheek and she pulled eyes to hers. “I’m happy with my decision. I’m so incredibly happy I’m marrying you. Please don’t ever doubt that.”

Harry smiled softly and reached up, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “Then why are you so upset?”

Alex took a deep breath and then let it out, trying to find the words. “Harry, when I created HFTF, it came from a place of so much emotion, from something that impacted my life in such a huge way. It’s…hard for me to let go of that.”

"Oh baby, I'm sorry," Harry murmured. "I should have realized."

Alex laughed lightly and shook her head. "No. I should have said something. I felt ridiculous. I mean, look at me...I have everything I could ever want. I have a beautiful, sweet daughter and a fiancé who loves me so much..."

"Hey..." He cut her off. His hands moved to her face and he cupped her cheeks, his thumbs running softly over her skin. "You're more than allowed to be upset. You are leaving the huge chunk of your life behind to step into  _my_  life and you're doing it without question."

"I know," she sighed. "But..."

"No buts Alexandra Mae. If you are sad or upset I want to know about it. I want to do what I can to help you. Whether it just listening or...whatever you need...don't worry you are being ridiculous. I don’t doubt that this will probably be hard on you"

Alex held his eyes with hers for a long moment and she saw just how much he meant what he said, how much he really wanted to be there for her. And finally she sighed and let her body relax against his. Her arms moved over his shoulders and a smile moved to her face.

"Thank you, Harry Wales," she said softly as his arms moved around her. "I love you."

"I love you too," he murmured as he leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips.

It was meant to be a sweet kiss; something gentle and loving in the wake of Alex’s sadness and Harry’s anxiety over it. But when Harry went to lift his lips from her, Alex was nowhere near ready to let go of him.

Her hands slid up into his hair and she held him to her, not letting his lips go, not wanting his mouth anywhere but joined with hers. She felt his momentary surprise, felt him smile against her lips, and just like that, his intentions for that kiss were turned.

His arms tightened around her waist and she adjusted around him, moving her legs so that she was straddling his lap. His mouth opened under hers and his tongue tipped out, teasing her lips open and then sliding inside of her mouth, bringing a moan from deep inside of her that made his hands tighten on her, sliding down to her ass and pulling her closer; tighter.

“Harry,” she gasped into his mouth as warmth seeped through her entire body. She was always amazed at how fast she wanted him, how the moment he pulled her into his arms it was like lighting a fire in her belly and she had to have it. Right then. It was as simple as that.

And Harry was no different.

“I want to make love to you,” he breathed as his mouth left hers only to begin a slow, hot journey down her jawline to the soft skin of her neck.

“Yes,” she sighed as her fingers tugged in his mess of red hair. “Yes, Harry…”

He groaned and then because he needed her just as badly as she needed him, he moved into action. With Alex held firmly in his arms, he rose from the couch and went straight for the stairs, wanting nothing more than to get the beautiful, sweet, warm, giggling woman in his arms into his bed.

And in the end that day wasn’t about the sadness that came for Alex when she left HFTF. It was about leaving one era of her life behind for another. It was about moving forward. It was about embracing the change. It was about knowing that she loved her new path in life just as much as she did her old one.

And maybe it was a little about the incredibly sexy red-headed man who took her to his bed and made sure she was well loved, well into the night.

*********

“Are you two settled in for the night?”

“Yes,” Alex said, balancing her phone between her cheek and her shoulder as she spread out blankets on the floor of her apartment. They were due to move out officially the following day and she had wanted to spend one last night with her daughter in the apartment, in the place where it had been just the two of them for so long; so they had decided on a campout in their living room, complete with any Disney movie Emma wanted to watch. “The Pizza is on its way and Mona gave me the ice cream you sent over with her for us,” she continued with a smile, loving the thought he put into the little things for her.

“She did?” Harry chuckled through the phone. “And who says it was from me?”

“Are you telling me that there is someone else in my life that would fly over Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream from the states for me and Emma?”

“Ha! You do realize that you could literally place one call to my office and yes, someone would do exactly that?”

Alex laughed and shook her head. “That’s insane, Harry.”

“It’s just how our world works, baby.” He grinned, picturing the look on her face.

“Yeah yeah,” she smirked. “Okay, I need to finish setting up and then Emma and I are going to start. Do you want to talk to her?”

“Of course!”

“Alright,” Alex giggled. “I’ll hand the phone over. I love you, Harry.”

“I love you too, baby,” Harry answered and then Alex pulled the phone from her ear with a big smile and held it out for Emma.

“It’s…it’s your dad, Em.”

Emma dropped the pillow she had in her hand and rushed over to Alex, her smile about a foot wide as she took the phone from her mum. “Hi Daddy!”

Alex couldn’t help the way her heart beat fast when Emma said those words, at how easy they seem to flow from her mouth. After she had asked Harry if she could call him daddy and after they had told Emma that he wanted to adopt her, she had moved into calling him her dad as if it were second nature.

A knock at the door jolted Alex from watching Emma talk to Harry and she left her daughter chatting animatedly on the phone and went to answer it. She looked through the peephole and then flipped the locks, smiling at one of her POs as they stood there with the pizza.

“Now Patrick, how badly did you scare the delivery guy?” she teased as he held out the pizza box for her. It was extra-large and topped with extra cheese and pepperoni; they fully intended to pig out.

“Not too badly, ma’am,” he answered with a slight smile. “I think the generous tip you instructed me to give him took any fear away.”

“I thought it might,” Alex laughed. “Thank you. I’ll let you and Mona know when we are turning in for the night.” As they weren’t on palace grounds, one of the POs would have to be in the apartment with them while they were sleeping and one would keep watch at the door. It was a strange arrangement, but Alex understood it.

“Excellent,” Patrick nodded, and then pulled the door closed behind him.

Balancing the pizza box in one arm, Alex flipped the locks on the door and then made her way back into the living room, finding Emma just hanging up the phone with Harry.

“Did you have a good talk?” Alex asked, moving to put the pizza box on the coffee table.

“Yes!” Emma giggled. “He’s so funny. And he said that on Sunday while you’re at lunch with Granny we can start painting my new room!”

“Did he now?” Alex grinned. “Well that sounds fun. What color are you going to paint it?”

“Pink! Duh Mum!”

“Oh of course,” Alex laughed as she plucked two paper plates from the table and passed one to Emma. “How silly of me. I should have known better.”

“You really should,” Emma nodded seriously and it made both of them giggle as they each pulled a slice of pizza onto their plate. Alex handed Emma a napkin and then they both settled into the giant pallet of blankets and pillows they had made on the floor. All of the furniture had been wrapped up to protect it when the movers came and pushed to the side, so the entire floor area was theirs for the evening.

“So what movie did you pick, Em?” Alex asked as she picked up the remote and pressed play for the DVD player.

“The Little Mermaid,” Emma said around a mouthful of pizza, the stringy cheese hanging adorably from her mouth.

“Ah. Always a favorite,” Alex nodded and then took a bite of her own slice.

“It’s the first movie we watched with Daddy,” Emma answered, very matter of fact.

Alex’s lips pulled into a wide smile and she turned her gaze to Emma. “That was my very first date with him.”

“I know, Mummy,” Emma’s little blonde head bobbed and she reached for her can of soda. “Now shhhh. The movie is starting!”

“Sorry,” Alex laughed and Emma giggled and together they settled in for one of their favorite movies.

**********

Three hours, two Disney movies, and way too much pizza and ice cream later, the night was winding down. Emma was coming down from her soda and ice cream induced high and Alex couldn’t deny that her eyes were heavy as well. It had been a long week, one of the biggest weeks of their lives, and she was looking forward to snuggling up in the mountain of pillows and blankets with her daughter for their last night in the apartment.

Alex had put the rest of the pizza away – they would undoubtedly have it for breakfast the next morning. She had brought their ice cream dishes into the kitchen and washed them and put them out to dry so they would be ready to pack up the next morning and put in a box with the rest of the dishes. She had let the PO officers know that they were settling in for the night and they had taken their places. And now she was snuggling up next to Emma in the dark, quiet living room, and it really was like they were two teenagers at a slumber party; telling little stories and jokes and giggling at each other.

Alex would never be able to explain just how much she cherished these moments.

“Hey Em,” she said softly after they finished another fit of giggles. She reached out from under her blanket and tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her daughter’s ear. “I have a question for you.”

“Okay,” Emma nodded and smiled up at her mum.

“When Harry and I get married, I want you to be in the wedding…”

“Really?” Emma’s eyes flew wide and her grin got so big Alex genuinely thought her daughter’s face might split into two. “I was hoping I would be!”

“Of course you will be,” Alex laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know your role would traditionally be flower girl, but I was hoping you might want to do something else.”

“Like what? Would I still get to wear a dress and pretty shoes?”

“Yes, silly goose! And you’ll have an even bigger part in the wedding, the most important part for me.”

“Okay Mummy are you going to tell me what it is or not? Because this is  _torture_!” Emma sighed dramatically.

“I want you to be my Maid of Honor, Emma Rose. Will you do that for me?”

Emma blinked and then she climbed out from under her blanket and wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck, hugging her tightly and making Alex tear up. “I love you, Mummy,” she whispered into Alex’s hair and Alex had to swallow at the lump of emotion in her throat. “I’ll be your Maid of Honor.”

“Thank you, Emma. I’m so glad,” Alex whispered, squeezing her daughter tighter for a moment. “I love you too, baby. And you’ll make a wonderful Maid of Honor.”

They stayed just like that for a few moments, hugging each other tightly and eventually Alex just pulled her own blanket up around them both, not passing up a single opportunity to cuddle up with her daughter.

Emma turned to her side and away from Alex and Alex wrapped an arm around her, her eyes getting heavy and starting to close almost instantly. Emma was always such a comfort to her and it seemed to be exactly what she needed right then.

They settled and quieted and Alex was just seconds away from sleep, when suddenly Emma stirred and her voice broke the silence in the room.

“Mum?”

“Hmmm?”

“Umm…what does a Maid of Honor do?”

And Alex couldn’t help but dissolve into a fit of giggles.

***********

Harry clapped his hands together as he pushed open the door to the apartment, the sound seeming to echo off of the now empty walls. “Alex! Baby…the truck is closed up and the movers are ready to go,” he called as he moved from the entry to find her. “It’s time to…” He trailed off when he found her. She was sitting cross legged in the middle of the hallway that ran between Emma’s bedroom and hers and when her eyes swung to him, they were filled with tears. He immediately knelt down beside her, brushed a piece of hair from her face and then in a soft voice he asked, “Hey…are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she smiled, making an effort to blink back the tears, to breathe through it as Harry moved to sit beside her on the floor.

“Now, I’m not sure I believe that,” he smiled, although she could see the hint of worry in his eyes. He reached for one of her hands and pulled it into his lap and other hand moved to her face and he brushed a tear from her face with his thumb. “Why are you crying, Alex?”

Her eyes held his for a moment, a moment where she couldn’t believe just how much she loved him, and then finally she took a deep breath, her eyes swept around the empty hall, and then they turned back to him. “It’s just…this was my home…for a long time,” she began, the emotion clear in her voice. “This is where John and I spent our short time together. This is where I found out about Emma. This is where I brought Emma home to…where so many memories of her are…”

“Alex…”

“This is where we had our first date,” she continued with a soft smile, a few more tears sliding down her cheeks as she kept pulling the memories up. Harry’s lips turned up with hers and he pulled her hand to his lips, kissing her palm as she turned to fully face him. “This is where we had our first tea party with Emma, this is where we first made love, where we fell in love, where you proposed…and I just…”

“Do you want to keep it?”

“What?” Alex couldn’t help the surprised laugh the pushed from her lips.

He nodded, his eyes serious. “We can keep it, Alex. I don’t know what we would do with it. If you just…wanted to hold on to it…”

“Harry…” she shook her head and giggled, wiping at the last of her tears. “You hold on to pictures, to mementos. You don’t hang on to entire apartments.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed and then looked at her, biting his lip slightly. “I mean. You’ve met my family right? We  _do_  hang on to entire apartments. We hang on to entire estates.”

She looked around again. She took it all in; she imprinted every single dent in the wall and scratch in the floor in her memory again. She catalogued everything that had happened there; how much her life had changed over the years in this one, single, solitary space.

And then turned her gaze back to Harry, smiled wide, and took a deep, steadying breath. “No. I don’t want to hang on to it. I just wanted to pay my respects to all that happened here.” She stood up then and looked down on where he still sat, smiling up at her, his handsome face full of love. She squeezed his hand where it still held hers. “And now I want to go home. Take us home, Harry.”


	74. Chapter Seventy Four

Life after the engagement announcement got incredibly busy. Alex had been worried about that; worried that not being at HFTF, not having a place to go to everyday would leave her feeling bored or even worse, useless. However, nothing was further from the truth.

The wedding planning began in earnest, with the date being set and the venue being chosen and announced. They would be married in the middle of May at Westminster Abbey.

That had been a surreal experience in itself, visiting the venues that were up for selection – St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Both were incredibly beautiful churches with so much history behind them, but in the end they had selected the Abbey, wanting the more intimate atmosphere it provided. And although she would never say it to anyone but Harry, she was glad that it hadn’t been insisted upon that the wedding be anywhere else. She thought St. Paul’s was gorgeous of course, but something about the Abbey really struck a chord within her and she knew it was really the perfect place to marry Harry.

Based on a glowing recommendation from Kate, Alex hired the same wedding planner her future sister-in-law had used, and the ever efficient Melanie Walker – who insisted that Alex call her Mel – immediately had lists and lists of things for Alex to go over, decisions that had to start being made.

Before they knew it, the weather had turned cold and it was the middle of November. Their annual trip to Texas for Thanksgiving was the following week and they were all so excited to go. And there was one event that occurred the week before their vacation that only served to up the level of excitement in the soon-to-be-Sussex household.

In the second week of November, little Mia Grace Tindall made her appearance into the world. Once the new mother and father were home and settled, Harry and Alex took advantage of a free weekday and took a drive out into the country to visit and to meet the new addition to the family

They cooed and cuddled the tiny, perfect, beautiful little bundle and Alex laughed when Harry joked that it was going to come to blows if she didn’t stop hogging all the time with sweet little Mia. But the truth was that Harry loved watching Alex cradling Mia up against her, his eyes loving over her as she kissed the sleeping baby’s soft forehead and inhaled that new baby smell. It made his heart swell and it made his lips pull into a wide smile; the knowledge that it wasn’t too long before they could start trying for another one of their own.

And when it was time to go, to let the new parents and new baby get some rest, no one was at all surprised when Zara almost had to pry her daughter from Harry’s arms.

“Get your own, Wales,” Mike joked.

And when Harry’s puppy dog eyes turned to her, Alex couldn’t help but laugh. “Easy there, buddy. One thing at a time.”

A light chuckle went around the room, but as soon as they had said their goodbyes and stepped out of the door of Mike and Zara’s home and to the waiting car, Harry’s arm slipped around Alex’s waist from behind, his lips dipped close to her ear, and he whispered, “How about some practice then?”

Alex grinned and then slid warm, teasing eyes up to her fiancé. “Practice makes perfect, Harry.”

************

The trip to Texas was easy and uneventful, but the excitement among the group was high. This was the last time Alex would be home before she and Harry got married and she was looking forward to cherishing her time there. Harry always loved spending time in Texas with the Emersons, and couldn’t wait to be in their company again. Emma was, of course, beside herself with excitement to see her Mimi and Poppy and she could barely sit still for the entire plane ride in.

Matt and Charlotte were coming as well, of course. This being the first time Charlotte had seen Donna and Mike since her breakup and subsequent reunion with Matt a few months before, she was very much looking forward to it and to thanking Donna in person for the role she had played in getting Matt to London and back to her. She would forever be grateful for the open minds and big hearts of the Emerson family.

Once they landed at the airport, they collected their luggage, the security detail secured the cars that they would be using for the week, and they made their way towards the house.

It was hours later, after they had arrived, after Mike and Donna had welcomed them in with open arms, warm smile, and lots of hugs, that they all sat around in the kitchen chatting and catching up. The topic had inevitably turned to Harry and Alex’s upcoming wedding, with Alex praising all of the hard work Charlotte had been doing to get things moving on the technical side and Charlotte rolling her eyes and telling her it was her  _job._

“I actually have another, rather large, request in regards to the wedding,” Alex said with a smile and a soft laugh.

“Rather large?” Charlotte smirked and raised her eyebrows as she took a sip from her water bottle. “This whole wedding is ‘rather large’ Alex, I’m not sure there are any small requests.”

“Well, this one is a bit more…personal,” Alex replied. Her gaze slid to Harry for a moment and she saw him smiling, waiting for Charlotte’s reaction to what Alex intended to ask.

Charlotte caught the look between the two of them and her eyes narrowed. “Alright Alex, spit it out. Whenever you two do that look it makes me nervous.”

Alex laughed and shook her head. “Don’t be nervous. I just wanted…” She stopped, took a deep breath, and sat up straighter on her stool. “You know Emma is going to be my maid of honor?”

“Of course,” Charlotte nodded. “And what an adorable maid of honor she’ll be.”

“She will,” Alex nodded. “And I think you’d make a beautiful bridesmaid.”

With the way that Charlotte and Matt reacted to Alex’s statement, you would have thought she dropped a bomb in the room. Charlotte’s eyes flashed wide and nervous and then flew to Matt who standing at across the breakfast bar from her. Their eyes locked for several seconds, unspoken communication flying between them and something about the way the silence hit, the way that a low undercurrent of tension developed between Matt and Charlotte drew the attention of both Donna and Mike to them as well.

“What’s going on?” Harry chuckled a bit nervously, biting his bottom lip as he looked between the two of them. “This feels odd to say, but why does Charlotte look like she’s going to cry?”

The silence went on for a few more seconds and then finally Matt sighed, a soft chuckle leaving his lips. He smiled wide at Charlotte and then waved his hand. “Go ahead.”

“Go ahead what?” Alex asked, her forehead crinkled with concern. “Charlotte, if you don’t want to, I’ll completely understand…”

“No no,” Charlotte rushed to assure her, leaning forward to place her hand over her friend’s where it rested on the dark marble of the breakfast bar. “Alex, I’m so happy that you’re asking. You have no idea how much…” She shook her head and blinked back the tears that were threatening to come. And then, she took a deep breath and then she spoke the words that leveled the entire room. “It’s just that by the time June comes around, I’m going be about as big as a house and I’m not entirely sure you want a lady with a big ol belly waddling down the aisle in front of you.”

And it went completely silent; like everyone in the room forgot how to breathe. All eyes focused right on Charlotte and it was almost like everyone in the room was waiting on someone else to speak, someone else to ask the specific words that would confirm what Charlotte had just laid out. And finally, Alex couldn’t take it anymore.

“Are you…” Her eyes welled up and her fingers pressed to her lips as she glanced from Charlotte to Matt and back again. “Charlotte, are you pregnant?”

Charlotte’s eyes slid to Matt’s and the softest, sweetest smile tilted her lips as she nodded and confirmed the news, “Yes. We’re pregnant.”

And chaos erupted right there in that kitchen. The noise level shot from dead silence to almost overwhelming as soon as Charlotte’s words were out of her mouth. There were squeals and hoots and hollers and Emma, who had been down the hall in the living room, came running into the kitchen wondering what the commotion was all about. And when she was told the news she joined the rest of the people in the kitchen in the excitement, jumping up and down and clapping her hands together in excitement.

Both Charlotte and Matt were enveloped into hug after hug; Donna, Mike, Alex, Harry, and Emma all wanted a turn with each of them. They offered words of congratulation, of excitement, of support and it was no surprise to anyone when both Alex and Donna had to reach for tissues, their emotions getting the better of them.

But when the excitement calmed a bit, when the noise level dropped a bit, Donna clapped her hands together excitedly and grinned, turning towards Charlotte – now with Matt by her side. She wrapped the mother of her future grandchild in another tight hug and then pulled back, smiling wide. “Alright, tell me everything,” she said, leaning forward on the counter, ready to take it all in. “When did you find out? How far along are you? Have you thought of any names yet?”

Laughter moved throughout the room at Donna’s onslaught of questions, but every one of them would be lying if they said they didn’t want to know the answers to those questions just as much as Donna did.

“We literally found out two days ago, Mom,” Matt laughed. “We’re still kind of processing it ourselves.”

“Wow,” Alex breathed, her eyes wide. “You just found out? So that would make you what? Four, five weeks along?”

“Right about that,” Charlotte nodded. “I haven’t even been to the doctor yet but we took like…ten tests to be sure and they all said the same thing. I actually think Matt might have plans to frame them all and hang them in his office.”

Matt grinned at the loud laughs from the people in the room and shook his head. “What can I say?”

“Harry would do the same thing,” Alex smirked, turning a teasing glance to her fiance.

“Harry  _will_  do the same thing…eventually,” he corrected with a wink.

“You guys are all going to kill Donna if you keep talking like that,” Mike chimed in as he handed his wife another tissue.

“Don’t you dare make them stop!” Donna laughed as she wiped her eyes with the tissue. “We want to encourage grandchildren around here, husband.”

“I have a question!” Emma piped up from where she sat on the counter, Harry having lifted her up there so she would be on the level of the adults and feel included.

“Go for it, Bug,” Matt encouraged.

“This baby will be my cousin, right?”

“It will,” Charlotte answered, a smile on her face.

“Does that mean…you’ll be my Aunt Charlotte?” Emma asked with a hopeful smile, almost sending Harry to the ground with the memory of how she asked him if she could call him Daddy.

“Oh come on, Emma,” Charlotte grinned. “Even if there was no baby, I would still want to be your Aunt Charlotte.”

“Cool!” Emma cheered, clapping her hands together. “Now I have an Aunt Kate  _and_  an Aunt Charlotte.”

“Well I am so lucky to be in that club,” Charlotte winked at Emma, thinking she was utterly adorable.

“You really are,” Emma said seriously.

And the whole room burst into laughter again.

***********

“I wanted to ask you something,” Matt said softly as he sat with Alex later that evening, looking out over the lake behind the house. In contrast to the previous year, the weather that week was chilly, but thanks to warm coats and several alcoholic beverages, both Matt and Alex were comfortable as they stretched out on pool loungers.

“Parenting tips?” Alex tossed out with a grin.

“Ha!” Matt laughed, his head tipping back into the cushion of the lounge chair. “Believe me, I’ll probably need some of those too.” He turned to look at her and Alex could help the way her heart warmed at the utter happiness on her brother’s face. “But actually, I just wanted to run something by you.”

“Alright,” Alex nodded, sensing the seriousness in Matt’s words. “What’s up?”

Matt took a deep breath and then turned his head towards her, his eyes serious as they met hers. “I want to ask Charlotte to marry me, but I just want to make sure that it won’t take away from…”

“Matt!” Alex squealed as she sat up straight and reached over to him, slapping him on the chest. “Don’t you dare hesitate because of me. Of course it doesn’t take away from…God, Matt…” Alex sighed and pressed her hand to her chest. “It makes it so much better.”

His eyebrows lifted and he smiled. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Alex nodded. “Just…I hope you’re not asking her because of the baby or because you’ll both be involved in the wedding and you’re worried what people…”

“I bought the ring months ago, Alex. Right after I moved to London.” Matt interrupted in a soft voice and Alex immediately teared up.

“You did?”

“I planned to marry her from the very second that she was back in my arms when I went to her in London. I just…there isn’t anybody for me but her. I can’t live without her." He stopped and took a deep breath, his mind working over what he wanted to say. "I had been trying to find the right time to ask. I kind of put my plan on the backburner when you and Harry got engaged…”

“Matt…” Alex sighed. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know,” he nodded. “I had planned on talking to you soon and making sure you were okay with it. But now…” He smiled wide and Alex swore she saw the sheen of tears in his eyes. “I don’t want to wait any longer. I can’t wait any longer.”

“Wow…” Alex breathed, swiping at the tears in her own eyes with her fingers. “I can’t believe this. You’re going to be a daddy and Charlotte’s going to be a mommy.”

“Well, being as she’s British and we live in England she’ll probably be a mummy,” Matt quipped, chuckling to himself as he took a sip of his drink.

“I’m a mummy,” Alex grinned.

“Yes you are,” Matt nodded with a soft smile, settling back into his chair.

“Hey Matt,” Alex called, her voice soft and gentle as she called out to him.

“Yeah?” he turned his head towards her, the smile that seemed to be permanent these days in place on his face.

“I’m really proud of you.”

Matt groaned. “I know what you’re doing; I can read you like a book. You’re not going to make me cry, little sister.”

“Damn it!” Alex laughed, slapping her hand against the fabric of the lounger and bringing more laughter from Matt. “I had to try.”

"Of course you did," Matt chuckled. "I would expect no less."

*************

“You’re going to be an aunt.”

Alex grinned at Harry in the mirror of the bathroom as he moved his arms around her from behind. She had just finished brushing her teeth and washing her face and he thought she looked beautiful; fresh faced and incredibly happy.

“I am,” she nodded. She set down her washcloth and turned around to face him, her hands running up his arms, her lips pulled wider as her fingers danced over his wide shoulders and then curled her arms around his neck. “And look at you…” Her eyes danced as she leaned closer to him. “You’re just getting new titles all over the place, Uncle Harry.”

“New  _titles_?”

“Well, maybe Uncle Harry has been yours for a while,” Alex shrugged. “But let’s see…there is fiancé…” she giggled when Harry’s grin pulled wider. “And then in a few short months you'll get to be...husband.”

“Oh…I like that title,” his voice dropped and he took a half step forward, his arms tightening around her as his hips pressed her into the counter.

“Yeah? More than...Duke of Sussex?” she teased him as her hands slid up into his hair.

He leaned in closer, his lips quirked up, and then his head dipped, bypassing her lips altogether and moving straight to her neck, right where to that sensitive spot where he could feel her pulse beneath her skin. “So much more,” he breathed against her skin.

“Ohhh…” Her head tipped back slightly, allowing him better access, and Harry wasted no time moving in further and drawing another deeper, longer moan from her. “How about…” She took a deep breath. “How about the recently acquired title of...Daddy?”

Harry’s lips stopped their journey south, and he couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips as he shook his head against her neck. “We really have the most bizarre dirty talk sometimes, Alex.”

She giggled out into the bathroom and he lifted his head from her neck, his eyes dancing with humor as they met hers. “It’s not my fault that’s what gets you going, Captain.”

He smirked. “You’re what gets me going, Alexandra.” His lips curled up at the sides and Alex recognized the smile immediately. She felt her entire body flush; felt the warmth spread through her and pool right at her center.

“Oh God,” she breathed, her own smile pulling up. “I love when you get that look.”

“Oh yeah?” Harry murmured. His hands moved to her hips and his fingers pushed up under her pajama top, the hot skin of his fingers meeting the smooth skin of her stomach making her gasp. “And what look is that?”

*M*

Alex’s lip pulled into her teeth as his hands moved higher, pushing her top up with them. “That look that says you’re about to…ohhh…” Her eyes grew heavy when his hands moved up over her breasts, warm and rough as he pulled them into his palms. “That looks that says you are about to do something amazing to my body.”

“Ah,” Harry nodded. His eyes had grown dark and hazy and Alex could feel the anticipation humming through her. His hands stroked over her breasts, his thumbs moving to strum over her pert nipples. His hips pushed harder against hers and her eyes flashed when she felt him, hard and pressing right against her. “Well, Alexandra,” he whispered, his lips tilting closer to hers. “You are absolutely right.”

His hands left her breasts only to push her shirt up, her arms lifting from around his neck to let him pull it off, and then her hands were back on him, hungry and pushing into his hair just as his lips covered hers in a searing kiss. With a moan, Alex’s lips parted for him and his tongue sank into her mouth, finding hers with a groan and running hot strokes against it.

And then his mouth moved from hers and he slid a hand up to her neck, cradling her head as he kissed hotly down her jaw and to the other side of her neck. His tongue lapped out against her, his slight stubble rubbed against her, and she couldn’t help the sigh of a moan that fell from her lips.

“Jesus Alex,” Harry groaned, his lips making their way across her collarbone. “You taste so fucking good.”

“Ohhh…are we going for a different kind of dirty talk now?”

He grinned against her skin. “A little bit of dirty talk, a little bit of…” His eyes flashed up to hers as he bent and captured a hard nipple in between his lips and Alex groaned, her head tipping back as he worked his lips around her. “And then maybe a little bit of…” His hands slid down her sides and to her hips. His fingers moved into her sleep shorts and he watched her with dark eyes as pushed them down over her hips and thighs.

“Oh God…” Alex breathed, her eyes flashing heat and her chest flushing pink when Harry dropped to his knees and pulled her shorts the rest of the way off, tossing them to the side and leaving her standing there in only a pair of sexy white lace panties.

His hands were quick to return to her, his long fingers wrapping around her thighs, nudging them apart as he moved in closer. “Maybe a little bit of this…” he whispered huskily as he leaned forward and pressed his lips right over her lace covered sex.

“Oh fuck!” Alex cried out. Her hands reached out, desperately needing something to hold on to, one gripping onto the counter behind her and the other shoving her hand into his mess of red hair. His lips kissed her, warm and soft, and then his tongue tipped out against her and Alex’s knees went weak.

“Mmm…” Harry moaned against her. He loved her reaction to him. His hands gripped tighter to her thighs as he lapped against her, wetting her already soaked panties.

“Oh my God, Harry…” The sensation was intense. The lace between his tongue and her created an unbelievably hot friction. Her hips arched out, asking – begging – for more.

“I love it when you moan my name,” Harry groaned as he pulled back to adjust, to give her what she wanted. His fingers looped around her panties and he pulled them aside, exposing her center to him. His eyes flashed up to hers and with a grin and a look of determined lust that almost sent Alex to the ground, he moved back in. His tongue slid out against her, running up her center as he savored it all; the taste of her, the sounds that pulled from her lips, the way her body moved in reaction to him. He watched the way her lip pulled between her teeth, the way her chest rose and fell with the gulps of air she took.

“Harry…” she moaned out, her fingers tightening in his hair. She almost couldn’t stand it, the way he was loving her.

And then suddenly, in a move she never expected, Harry moved, pulling away from her and rising to his feet. Her eyes flew open but before she could ask him what her was doing, his mouth was on hers. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly against him as his tongue pushed into in between her lips.

Harry kissed her hard and deep, knowing she could taste herself on him, wanting her to know how good he thought she tasted, how it was one of his most favorite things in the world. And when she moaned out into his mouth he knew she understood, that it made her want him even more.

He pulled back from her, leaving her breathless and flushed and a bit scattered.

“Harry…what was…” she shook her head, not even sure she remembered where her train of thought was going.

“That was a preview,” he replied, his smile so smug that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to slap him or jump him.

“A preview?”

“Oh yes,” he grinned. His hands slid down her body, moving down her sides to her thighs, wrapping his fingers around them and lifting her, loving her gasp as he pulled her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around him. “Come on Alex, you don’t really think I’m done with you, do you?”

“God I hope not,” Alex breathed, her body already arching towards him, her arms tightening around him.

He chuckled and then tightened his hold on her and turned, moving them from the bathroom and out into the softer light of Alex’s childhood bedroom. “Are you sure you want the full deal, Alex?” he teased as he came to the bed and knelt, laying her back onto it and moving in above her. “The preview wasn’t enough?”

“So much talking when there are better things that delicious mouth of yours could be doing,” she bantered back, cocking her eyebrow at him suggestively.

“Oh-ho!” he laughed and shook his head and then he leaned forward to press his lips against her neck. “So sassy.”

Alex moaned out, moving her hands up into his hair and pressing him closer as he moved from her neck to the swell of her chest. “Please Harry...”

He groaned, his own desires heightening with the way she said his name, the way she begged him to love her. He lifted up, smiling as she moaned at the loss of him and at the adorable little pout on her lips. “Shhhh…” he whispered. “I’m right here, love.”

And he was. He wasn’t going anywhere. He quickly divested himself of his own clothes, his eyes never leaving hers as he stood from the bed to push his boxers off of his legs and then knelt in front of the bed, in front of her.

“God damn, Alexandra,” he murmured as his eyes traveled down her body. “You’re so fucking gorgeous it hurts.

She flushed at his words and then rose up on her elbows. She watched him as his fingers reached for her panties, curling into the lace at her hips and tugging them down over her hips, down her legs, and tossing them off to the side without a second thought before he moved in. His hands brought heat and desire as he ran them down her legs and then, wrapping his long fingers around her slim calves, he lifted her legs over his shoulders and leaned in closer.

“Oh my God…” Alex gasped as his breath warmed her again, as the anticipation of his amazing month and tongue back on her coursed through her body. And then his head dipped and his tongue tipped out against her and Alex’s mind faded altogether.

It wasn’t teasing, the way he moved against her. It was purposeful, thorough, determined. The tease was over. He had given her that in the bathroom and now he had one goal in mind, one intention as his tongue flicked over her again and again, as he brought his fingers to her core and slid one inside of her.

He wanted to send her flying over the edge. He wanted her to cry out his name. He wanted her legs to clench around his head. And most of all, he wanted to feel the pulses of her body as she came apart around him.

And within moments he had brought her there, within moments her hands were clenching in his hair, her thighs tightened and trembled around his head, and her breaths were heavy and fast as her release approached. And then, with a flick of his tongue and a stroke of his fingers, she came apart, crying his name out hoarsely into the room as the waves of her orgasm washed over her.

She barely had time to catch her breath before Harry was moving up and over her. His big, strong body covered her and he lifted her, moving her back onto the bed and moving between her still quivering thighs. And then, with one long, deep stroke he entered her just as his mouth covered hers, catching her gasp of surprise.

“Fuck,” Harry groaned against her lips. “Jesus Christ, Alex. You’re so wet…”

He pulled out and pushed back in, slow and intense and Alex felt like all of her nerves were on fire. She almost couldn’t handle it; the slow, deliberate motions. It was too much and she was way too sensitive to deal with that right then.

“Harry,” she gasped, her eyes pulling open and her fingers shoving into his hair, tugging his face to hers. His eyes were just as wild as she knew hers was and it only made the fire – the need – inside of her worse. “Please…” she whimpered. “Please…”

“Please what, baby?” he asked as he pulled out and pushed back in again, watching the intensity pass across her flushed face. “Tell me what you want, Alexandra.”

“Fuck me, Harry,” she demanded in a hoarse, needy voice. “Please fuck me. I want you…fast and…”

With a groan his mouth covered hers; that was all it took from her. If she wanted him to fuck her, he was going to fuck her.

He adjusted around her quickly, moving one hand up into her hair, cupping her head gently. The other hand slid down her body to her hip and, gripping her tightly, he began to move over her.

“Oh fuck,” Alex cried out, her lips tearing from his and her head tilting back into the mattress. “Yes…yes, Harry!”

He moaned and dropped his face into her neck as he pounded himself into her body. He wasn’t sure he could hold on. She was too hot, too wet, too sexy and he could already feel his end approaching much too fast.

“Alex,” he panted as he lifted his face from her neck and tilted her face to his. “I can’t…you feel too good…”

Alex whimpered and wrapped her legs around him, a shudder ripping through her body as he sank deeper, as he hit something deeper inside of her. “Oh God. Please don’t stop,” she panted, bringing a groan deep from within him.

His jaw clenched and he brought forward every single ounce of willpower and self-control and he pressed on. He pounded into her harder, faster. His mouth covered hers and he thrust his tongue into her mouth, stroking hers in time with the strokes he was making into her body. “Come on, Alex,” he commanded in a strangled voice. His lips pulled from her and eyes found and locked with hers. “Baby, I’m not going to make it.”

Her hands moved up into his hair and she held him to her, his forehead to hers, his eyes to hers. She shook her head just slightly and her lips tilted up. “You…oh God…” Her eyes closed briefly before flashing back up to his. “You don’t have to…”

“Alex…”

“Come with me, Harry,” she gasped, her eyes flashing wide and her body tensing around his. “Come with me, baby.”

“Oh God,” Harry groaned. He smashed his lips against hers, thrust hard into her, and just as he thought he couldn’t hang on one more second, she cried out his name against his lips and exploded around him, bringing him with her over the edge with a wild, animalistic groan.

*EM*

“Oh my God,” Alex breathed as they came down, when she finally felt like she could open her eyes and see straight again. “You really were planning to do amazing things to my body.”

A groan of a laugh left Harry lips, his breath blowing against her neck. “Well, you did amazing things to mine as well,” he chuckled, lifting from her neck to look at her. She was flushed and slightly sweaty and utterly gorgeous.

“Oh, I know,” Alex giggled as her hands moved up into his slightly damp hair. “We’re all sweaty, Wales.”

“We are,” he agreed as he lifted from her, kissing her softly before he moved back, pulling from her body with a soft groan and sitting back on his heels.

“I think we need a shower,” Alex said, her eyebrow raised suggestively.

“Jesus Christ,” Harry shook his head, but his eyes had already sparked with the idea. “You’re going to kill me, Alex.”

“Ah well, you’d die a happy man…”

He watched her as she moved from the bed and back to the bathroom they had so recently left and when she tossed him a look over her shoulder there was no way he wasn’t going to follow her; he’d follow her anywhere.

****************

The week in Texas passed quickly. They were busy, planning lots of activities for their week that kept them moving, but they had so much fun that no one would have thought to complain.

They went to the zoo again, Emma’s favorite pastime. The spent a night at the dance hall, and everyone was surprised with Charlotte didn’t even complain once that she couldn’t drink. She was just fine with that. They even went out to the drive in movie theater about forty five minutes from Mike and Donna’s house one night, something Harry and Charlotte had both never done but enjoyed immensely.

Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful, with all of the kids around and the warm, family feeling that came with those types of gatherings in the kind of family that the Emerson’s had. Of course, Alex and Matt’s cousins had all kinds of questions of the wedding and what they should wear and where they should stay and Alex was quick to assure them that their accommodations would be taken care of and closer to the date, she would all make sure they were clothed properly.

It was a wonderful week that everyone enjoyed immensely. And when it was over, when they were packing up to go, all of them wished they could stay a little longer, that they didn’t have to go just yet.

But they did, they had to get back to London. They were busy and all of their lives were taking off in new and incredible ways. But that didn’t mean Alex didn’t cry a little bit when she had to hug Mike and Donna goodbye. That didn’t mean that Matt didn’t get a little choked up himself, having to say goodbye to his parents who he used to see on a daily basis. And that didn’t mean that both Harry and Charlotte wished the Emersons didn’t live so far away; they both felt like part of the family. And they were.

But finally, with a few tears shed and the reminders that they’d all see each other in a month’s time at Christmas, they finally got into the cars and headed off back to the airport.

Back to London.

***********

“That was an easy flight,” Harry commented as their plane taxied on the runway at Heathrow. He smiled over at Alex and reached for his phone, sliding it from his pocket and pressing the button to turn it on.

“It was,” Alex nodded as she helped Emma pack up the stuff she had taken out during the flight. “I’m glad to be back, but I’ll miss Texas.”

“Me too,” Emma joined in. “Mimi and Poppy’s house is so much fun.”

“It really is,” Alex agreed with a wink and a smile to her daughter. “You’ll go back this summer though and guess what?”

“What?” Emma responded, intrigued.

“You’ll be a Princess by then.”

Emma’s eyes widened and then she sighed dramatically. “Sometimes it just doesn’t seem real.”

Alex couldn’t help the peal of laughter that left her lips. “It really doesn’t,” she agreed. She turned towards Harry, wondering if he had heard what Emma said, but when she saw the look on his face as he scrolled through his phone and she felt the tiniest, unexplainable feeling of uneasiness creep up on her. “Harry? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said, his brow furrowing further before he looked up at her. “Well, I mean nothing that I know of. But I have a text message from my father – he wants me to call him as soon as we get back to KP. He said it’s urgent.”

“Do you want to call him now?” she asked, not wanting him to have to worry.

“No.” He shook his head and then his lips pulled into a reassuring smile as he slid his phone back in his pocket. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Probably just something I forgot to do before we left.”

***********

“Is Emma settled?” Harry asked, looking up to Alex as she walked into his office.

“Crashed right out,” Alex nodded. She chuckled as she moved around his desk and leaned back against it, looking down on him. “She hit the bed and was gone. That’s what she gets for staying up for the entire plane ride.”

“And miss the chance for ten uninterrupted hours of Disney movies? I don’t think so,” Harry laughed.

“Ah, true,” she smiled down at him. “Did you call your father?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. His lips turned down a little bit and Alex felt that tiny little shiver of alarm again.

“Did he tell you what is going on?”

“No,” he replied quietly. “Actually he’s on his way over here from Clarence House.”

“He’s coming here?” Alex’s brow furrowed. “It can’t be over something minor like you forgetting to do something. Not if he’s coming over here in person.” Her lip pulled between her teeth and her eyes flashed wide. “Oh God…they aren’t…do you think you’re being deployed?”

“No,” he shook his head with a soft smile. “Not right now. We just announced the engagement and excitement is high…they won’t send me right now. I’d be way too much of a target. But…” he sighed and leaned forward a bit in his chair. “I just…have a feeling it’s not good.”

“You didn’t take a trip to Vegas that I’m unaware of, did you?” Alex joked, trying to lighten the moment; not only for Harry but for herself as well.

“Ha!” He laughed, his eyes crinkling up at the sides in that way she loved. “No love. No nude Harry scandals today.”

“Good,” she said with a smile as she leaned forward to kiss him. “But the day isn’t over yet. We can have our own, private nude Harry scandal later,” she murmured against his lips.

“God, I love you and that dirty mind of yours,” he groaned out. His hands moved up to her face, cupping her cheeks as he prepared to deepen the kiss. But just as his tongue tipped out to her lips, the phone on his desk rang out sharply, the extension from the security gate flashing on the screen.

“That would be your father,” Alex said quietly, pulling back from him.

Harry sighed, pressed his lips to hers one more time, and then moved away from her to reach for the phone. “This is Harry…yes, thank you. We’re expecting him.” He set the phone down in its cradle and then turned back to Alex as he stood and held his hand out for her. “Ready, love?”

She smiled and slipped her hand into his, walking close to him as they move out of his office and down to the foyer. Dropping her hand, Harry moved to open the door just as his father came up the walk.

“Dad,” Harry smiled in greeting to his father, leaning in to kiss his cheeks.

“Son,” Charles returned in his soft, deep voice. He turned to Alex with a smile and even though she tried, she couldn’t get a read on him. His face was friendly and businesslike; a lifetime’s worth of hiding emotions resulting in the perfect poker face. “Alexandra,” he greeted her with an affectionate smile, pulling her close and kissing her cheeks as well.

“It’s wonderful to see you, Charles,” Alex said. “How are you?”

“I’m well, thank you,” he said. “How was your trip to Texas? And where is my newest grandchild? You didn’t leave her in the states did you?”

Alex blinked in confusion, a brief moment of silence passing before she realized that Charles was talking about Emma. She glanced quickly at Harry, the sweet smile on his face mirroring her own. “She’s taking a nap,” Alex said, her smile pulling a bit higher. “She didn’t sleep on the plane.”

“Ah, of course,” Charles chuckled warmly. “As much as I regret not being able to see her, it’s better that I have just you two anyway. Harry,” he turned, addressing his son quickly before either of them could ask questions. “Shall we step into your office?”

“Yes of course,” Harry nodded. He stood aside, letting Charles lead the way and following close behind with Alex. When they stepped into the room, he shut the door behind them, his hand falling on Alex’s back, staying close. “Would you like a drink, Dad?” he asked, pointing to the small liquor cabinet in the office.

“No thank you,” Charles shook his head. “I’d rather just get right to this, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure,” Harry replied, his eyes going a touch wide at his father’s tone as it switched from friendly to serious and he felt Alex tense next to him. He nodded at the seating area and they moved toward it. “I have to say Dad, this is all making Alex and I a touch nervous,” he said as Alex sat down on the leather couch and he moved in next to her, taking his hand in his and squeezing it tight, letting her know he knew she was nervous and so was he. It was all too weird, too sudden.

Charles’ gaze remained serious as he took a seat in one of the chairs across from his son and soon to be daughter-in-law. “I’m not going to beat around the bush here. Today my office received a call from our inside guy at the Sunday Express…”

And Alex felt all the hair on the back of her neck stand up. It was a story, and because it was the Express it would be somewhat reliable.

“Okay,” Harry replied cautiously. “And what did they say?”

“They are going to run a story tomorrow and you two will be at the center of it. It seems as if…” He took a deep breath and as much as he didn’t want to, he continued. “Alexandra, the Sunday Express is going to run a story claiming that your husband is still alive.”

“What?!” Alex gasped, feeling like all the air was being sucked from her body. Harry’s arms immediately went around her, holding her shaking body to his, even as the shock of the impending story knocked him speechless. “But…how can they do that? How can they say he’s alive? He’s  _not_. He died over eight years ago. I would know if my husband were still alive!”

“Alexandra,” Charles said softly, his eyes full of sympathy. “They have an interview.”

“An interview?” Harry’s voice was quiet, almost deadly as he shot the question at his father.

“Yes,” Charles nodded. “An interview with a man who says he is John Morgan – a man who says he is your husband, Alexandra…and apparently it’s credible enough for them to run with it. And they are. They're going to run with it and at this point...all signs point to that the story is true.”

And Alex and Harry’s entire world flipped on its head in an instant.


	75. Chapter Seventy Five

Alex was in shock.

It was all too much. It made her head spin, it made her stomach roll, and it felt like the earth was simply going to fall out from under her feet.

She clutched her arms her middle and folded herself around them, her eyes tightly closed as she tried in vain to process the words that Charles had told her. She tried to understand, to wrap her brain around the possibility, the apparently very  _real_ possibility that her husband was still alive.

“Oh God,” she moaned, feeling the bile rise in her throat. She shook her head against it, not wanting to lose it right then; needing to keep it together, needing to get all of the information before she allowed herself to sink, to fall into the uncertainty.

“Alexandra,” Harry’s voice was shaky but soft in her ear, his hands gentle on her back and as they smoothed hair from her face. “Are you…”

“No!” she cried, pressing her eyes shut tighter for a moment, pushing the tears gathered inside of them out before she lifted her head to look at him. “I’m not okay,” she shook her head wildly. “I don’t understand. I don’t…” She turned her gaze towards Charles. “I don’t understand. What…does he look…” She whimpered as she trailed off, not knowing how to ask the questions she wanted to ask.

Charles’ eyes were soft and full of sympathy for the young woman in front of him and for his son, who looked just as lost as she did. He hated that he had to be the one to bring this news to them. But he knew that she would have questions and he had the information, and he didn’t want them to hear it from anyone else.

He reached inside of his pocket, pulled out several printed pages, and held them out towards Harry. “This is the story for tomorrow; complete with the pictures they are going to run. My inside guy sent them over.”

Harry’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed at the papers but he reached out and took them anyway, unfolding them slowly and scanning. Alex turned her head the other way, not bearing to be able to look, to see pictures of the man she had once loved, the father of her child, the man she had mourned so fiercely, apparently turning his back on everything he had once been and going to the press to sell a story.

Harry took a deep breath and swallowed as he scanned through, picking up the important information. He stopped and cleared his throat, glancing up at Charles before turning back to the papers. His fingers flexed on Alex’s back and he pulled her closer as he began to read from the papers.

“ _Mr. Morgan’s tale is a surprising and heartbreaking one. Shot down in his Apache in Afghanistan in 2008, he was badly injured and badly burned. He was taken to a military hospital for treatment of his injuries. The burns over most of his body, including his face, were so incredibly severe that he was kept in a medically induced coma for almost a month._

_Here lies the sad twist of faith. When Mr. Morgan awoke, he had no memory of what happened…or of who he was. He was suffering not only from painful injuries, but also from amnesia._

_And the name on his ID bracelet in the military hospital was not that of John Morgan, but of Paul David Wilson._

_Paul Wilson, another soldier from Mr. Morgan’s unit, had been brought into the hospital on the same day, within hours of Mr. Morgan, also suffering from severe burns on most of his body._

_Mr. Morgan had no idea that he had been not only the victim of enemy fire, but of an identity mix-up as well.”_

Alex sat there, her eyes focused off in the distance as she listened to the words, as she heard the story that sounded crazy but plausible. And when Harry finished, when his voice shook and the papers shook in his hands, Alex couldn’t handle the intense emotions that were flooding her body, the way that a million questions flew through her head but felt like they were each jabbing at her, needing answers, needing to know how she was going to handle this potential upheaval of her life. Her body simply couldn’t deal with it all.

“I…” She stood suddenly, swaying a bit on her feet as both Harry and Charles rose, ready to reach out to steady her. “No,” she shook her head, brushing them away. “I’m going to…I’m going to be sick,” she managed to choke out before she went running from the room towards the bathroom, and as soon as she made it retched into the toilet, her entire body shaking with the sobs that didn’t seem like they would ever stop.

***********

Harry felt like a fog had settled over him. The type of fog that happens in the early morning where you can barely see five feet in front of you; when everything is hazy and surreal and completely eerie. When Charles took his leave, knowing Harry needed to go to Alex, the words he spoke to Harry that assured him that no matter what they would still protect Alex and Emma’s interests – that this changed nothing about how important they were to the family – seemed far away; muffled.

His entire world was coming crashing down around him. This family that he had been so lucky to become a part of, the woman that was everything to him, the little girl that he loved and adored so much – that had only recently begun to call him Daddy…it was all about to potentially come unraveled at the seams.

He wasn’t sure how his feet took him to her; he didn’t really remember walking to the bathroom where she was, but when he found her his heart fell to his feet. Her back was up against the wall directly across from the toilet and she was curled up in a ball, her arms hugging her legs to her and her forehead resting on her knees.

His need to take care of her, to make sure that she was okay took over and he reached into the cabinet for a washcloth and ran it under the cold water from the tap for a moment before squeezing out the excess water and then moving over to her.

“Alex,” his voice was hoarse but soft as he moved in next to her slowly on the floor. “Baby…” He reached up and brushed her hair from around her face and she tipped her head back to look at him, bringing an immediate lump to his throat. Her eyes were red and streaks and streaks of dried tears rand down her face. “Here,” he soothed, tilting her into his arms and handing her the washcloth. She nodded and took it, placing it gratefully over her hot face and eyes as she leaned into him.

“I don’t know…” she whispered as she pressed the cool cloth to her face. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Well,” Harry took a deep breath and made a valiant attempt to gather his own scattered brain. “The man who went to the paper with the story was badly burned. There are picture comparisons in the pages my dad gave me, but you can’t tell anything. Our lawyers are going to of course, require a DNA test before he comes anywhere near you or Emma.”

“Oh God. Emma…” Alex’s face twisted and she pressed the cloth to her eyes again as quiet sobs began to leave her lips. “How the hell do I even…and Molly…” she cried, leaning into Harry further as tears began to gather in his own eyes. “I have to tell Molly. I have to tell her this. She can’t find out with the papers tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Harry nodded. He sniffed and swiped at his eyes. “Of course. We can go to her or send for her to come here. Whatever you want.”

“And I need to have someone watch Emma,” she continued on, her voice taking on an almost frantic tone as she sat up a bit. “How long will the DNA tests take?” she asked him, turning her big, wild blue eyes to him.

“Just twenty four hours,” Harry offered, blinking a bit at the way she went from broken and sobbing to frantic and planning in just seconds.

“Okay,” she nodded. “I’m going to keep her out of school tomorrow. And maybe Kate can watch her tonight? I think it’s better if she isn’t here. She’ll know right away something is wrong. Is Kate even in town? Is she at her parents or does she have an engagement tomorrow?”

“I…I don’t know,” Harry stammered out, rushing to keep up with his fiancée. “Alex, just hold on for a second,” he pleaded softly, trying to get her to calm down. She was spiraling quickly and he knew it. And as much as he was spiraling himself, his concern at that moment was for her; for her well-being.

“I can’t,” she shook her head, moving a bit away from him. “I have to get it together. I have to get Emma situated and go tell Molly and then I…I need to think…I…”

“What do you need to think about?” Harry prodded, wanting to help her, wanting to try to take some of the stress from her brain.

Alex pulled further away from him and stood up, pacing as she let the thoughts fall from her brain. “Jesus, what if this is John, Harry? What does this mean? Would I even still be married? What would I do if I was? What…”

“What do you mean what would you do if you were still married?” Harry interrupted, his brain choosing that particular information to zero in on. “Are you…do you mean that you don’t know if you would go back to John or stay with me?”

“I don’t know!” Alex cried out, throwing her hands in the air. “I don’t know anything! This is so…fucked up,” she shook her head as she wiped her eyes again, failing to notice that Harry’s face had gone completely white, that he was looking at her with complete and utter fear in his eyes. “I can’t do this right now, Harry,” she continued, taking a deep breath and pulling herself up straight. “I can’t. I need to go call Kate and then them I’m going to see Molly. That’s all I know right now.”

And then she turned from the room to focus on the next task, to do one thing at a time, to try to get through the next twenty four hours without losing her mind, never realizing that the man she was leaving there on the bathroom floor was already losing his.

***********

When Harry picked himself up off the floor the fog that had settled over him had grown even thicker.

_She didn’t know._

He had listened to her say those words, he had watched as she said them, but he still couldn’t believe she did. She didn’t know if she would go back to John or stay with him if this guy turned out to be her supposedly dead husband.

How was he supposed to move on, to go through the next twenty four hours not knowing? How was he supposed to continue to function knowing that his family could be pulled out from under him; that Alex could take Emma and leave him?

It never occurred to Harry that Alex wasn’t thinking clearly when he asked that question. It never occurred to him that she wouldn’t leave him for a man who went to the media with this kind of revelation before his own family. It never occurred to him that, just as he would never leave her for anything, she would never leave him for anything.

Instead, he was filled with an intense kind of sadness, with an ache that threatened to bring him back down on the bathroom floor and not let him move until he had some answers for the situation.

But just like Alex, he had to find some way to function. He had to move from the bathroom and just…do something.

He ran the cold water and splashed it on his face, letting it cool him down a little bit, letting it wash the tears from his face. He took deep breath after deep breath until he was able to stand up straight, to at least appear a little bit normal. And finally, he turned and stepped from the bathroom and back out into the insane day they were living.

He immediately heard Alex talking and he moved towards her, towards the sound of her voice. He found her in the living room just as she pulled the phone from her ear and turned, having heard him come in.

“That was Kate,” she told him, her voice businesslike. “She’s home and she said she would be more than happy to take Emma for the night. I suppose your father let Will and her in on the news because…” She shook her head and took a deep, shuddering breath. “At least I didn’t have to explain it to her.”

“Alex…” Harry said softly, stepping forward, wanting to try and talk to her, to try to understand the things she had said to him.

“I can’t do this right now Harry,” she shook her head, her eyes going wide. “And it’s not because of you or because I don’t want to talk to you, I do. I do. But I  _cannot_  lose it and if I sit down and go over the ‘what ifs’ right now with you, I’m going to lose it.”

He nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat, knowing it was right to push her, not right then. “Okay. I get it.”

“Thank you,” she sighed. She closed her eyes for a moment and rubbed them before raking her fingers through her hair. “Listen, I have to go tell Molly. She has to know before this gets out.”

“Okay,” Harry nodded. “We can get Emma to Will and Kate’s and then we can go to Molly’s.”

“Actually,” she said softly. “I feel like I should do this alone. I feel like…I don’t know. This is going to be so hard for her to hear and her and I went through so much together with his death…please understand,” she pleaded with Harry at his look of surprise.

“It’s fine,” he murmured, his eyes casting down, his heart hurting more by the minute at the way she was keeping him at bay. “I’ll just…get Emma to Kate’s once she wakes up from her nap.”

“Thank you,” Alex breathed. “That helps. I’m not sure I would be able to remain in one piece with her. Thank you so much.”

“Sure,” he replied, watching as she gathered her purse from the coffee table and slipped her phone inside. She moved over to him and her eyes were swimming with tears when she looked up to him.

“Thank you, Harry. For being…you. I love you,” she whispered as she leaned up to kiss him, their lips pressing softly together for a brief moment before she was gone, moving quickly from the living room, through the foyer, and out into the waiting car.

“I love you too,” he sighed as the door shut behind her. He stood there for a long moment, not really knowing what else to do.

His eyes shifted around him, around the living room he stood in. It was as much hers now as it was his. Her blanket was draped over the back of the couch along with one of Emma’s princess blankets. The pictures on the shelves in the room were a mixture of ones he had, of his family and friends, of pictures she had brought with her, and of pictures they had taken together and framed. The DVDs lined up next to the TV were no longer just of his favorite TV shows and action movies, but included Alex’s favorites and Emma’s impressive Disney collection as well.

He moved from room to room just like that, looking around him, taking in the changes that these two amazing, wonderful ladies has brought to his life. The drawings Emma had done that were stuck to his fridge with magnets. The tiny pairs of shoes that sat next to his uniform boots in the foyer next to the door. The playhouse in his garden that he had put in for Emma two summers before. He moved slowly up the stairs and a small smile tilted his lips when he saw Gus – in all his spoiled glory – curled up and snoring in front of the slightly open door of Emma’s room.

“Guard dog, are you?” Harry chuckled, leaning down to scratch the dog behind his ears. And when he lifted his head he spotted Emma in her bed and his heart lurched.

She was spread out, arms above her head, her long, wild blonde hair sticking out in every direction on her pillow. He stepped over Gus and moved into the room, taking care to be quiet, not wanting to wake up his sleeping girl. His eyes traveled around the room, remembering how it was once his guest room, done in dark colors with a large, wooden bed made for the comfort of whoever was staying in there; whether it was a visiting friend or family member. You would have hardly known it by the way it looked now; not with the light pink walls and the beautiful bedroom set Emma had picked out. Not with the tea party table or the collection of silver and gold plastic tiaras lined up proudly on one of her shelves.

And certainly not with the adorable eight year old little girl fast asleep, looking so comfortable and peaceful under her pink princess sheets.

And that’s where Harry stopped the tour of his home. Instead he sat down in the big, plush chair in the corner of Emma’s room and he didn’t stop the tears as they rolled down his cheeks. He let them come and he stayed right there, wanting to be near her, as near to her as possible without disturbing her.

Because he didn’t know if he would have much more time left with her, and he wasn’t going to waste any of it.

****************

The next eighteen hours were some of the hardest that Harry or Alex had ever lived through.

For Alex, hearing the news had shattered everything she thought she knew, everything she had worked so hard to move past and recover from in the past eight years. It left her scattered and scared; scared of having to deal with the reality that her husband was alive, that Emma’s father was alive and that somehow she would have to explain that to her, and scared that the memories she had of John – the wonderful, sweet, loving memories she had of him – weren’t really who he was. That’s how she wanted to remember him and she hated that if he was alive, he obviously wasn’t that person anymore.

Telling Molly had been its own special brand of torture. She was devastated to hear that if her son was alive, that he hadn’t come to her, that he had apparently stayed away for eight years. Much like Alex, it didn’t connect with any of the memories she had of him and it broke her heart.

By the time Alex got home, Harry had long ago gotten Emma up and over to Kate’s, barely keeping it together as he did so. He had come back to the cottage and gone straight to his office, holding vigil at his computer and by his phone, just in case the DNA results came in early.

And that where Alex found him when she came in, bleary eyed as he sat and scanned his emails, a glass of scotch in his hand.

“Hi,” she called softly from the doorway, wincing as his red eyes turned up to hers.

“Hi,” he called back hoarsely, his eyes flickering as he took in her swollen eyes and her red nose. “How’s Molly?”

“Fucking terrible,” she sighed, rubbing at her eyes. “That was…so hard, Harry. And I’m just…” She shook her head as he stood and made his way over to her. “Every time I think I can’t cry anymore there are more tears and I’m so exhausted…”

“I know,” he nodded as he moved to stand in front of her, reaching out to swipe a tear from her cheek. “Why don’t you try and get some sleep?”

“I don’t know if I can,” she murmured. “I don’t know if I can sleep.”

“Listen,” he said softly. “I still have that prescription for those sleeping pills from when I was having PTSD. I’ll understand if you don’t want to take one, but…”

“I think I’m going to take you up on that actually,” she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. “I need to sleep. I need to not walk around in a fog tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Harry nodded. “Come on then. I’ll get them for you and we’ll get some sleep.”

It was quiet as they went upstairs together, as they readied for bed. Harry was still so unsure and Alex was too beaten down by it all to realize that he could barely look her in the eye.

He did however, want the same thing he had wanted with Emma, to spend as much time near her as possible. Even though he wouldn’t take one of the sleeping pills and even though he knew he wouldn’t sleep a wink, he dressed for bed and climbed in with her. He pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her and within minutes he felt her breathing even out and he knew she was asleep.

But still he stayed, with his arms wrapped tightly around her. He wasn’t going to let her go now. Not while he still had the choice not to. And so he held her close all night and, just like he already knew would happen, he didn’t sleep a single second.

The next morning was tense and quiet. Neither of them spoke much – because neither of them could without breaking down. But finally, after the most agonizing day that either of them could remember, the call they were waiting for  _finally_  came as evening fell.

And everything inside both Harry and Alex came to a complete standstill as Harry picked up the phone and waited for the answer.

*************

“It’s not John?” Alex breathed, her eyes wide and her entire body shaking with the emotion of it all as she repeated Harry’s words. “Was he…who is he?”

“He’s exactly who he said they mixed up John with,” Harry said. He watched as it all passed over her, as she shook slightly, as tears appeared in her eyes and as much as he wanted to hold her, to pull her to him and wrap his arms so tightly around her and never let her go, he couldn’t. He was still upset, still angry over her apparent uncertainty when they had been told about the news story two days before. “Lieutenant Paul Wilson. The story is the same as he told it as if he was John – the only difference lies in the fact that Paul Wilson lived and John Morgan didn’t.”

Alex sank into the sofa behind her, her body almost too weak from the anxiety and stress of the last two days to stay standing. She had to sit to absorb the information, to let it really sink in that her whole world wasn’t going to come crashing down around her, that her husband had been and still was the amazing and kind mind she thought him to be, that her future and her family wasn’t being threatened. She looked up to Harry as the tears spilled over her eyes. “Is it wrong that I’m just…incredibly relieved?”

Although Harry couldn’t have known it in the moment and would only realize it later, that’s the exact moment that he let the fear and the sadness and the anger that had gripped his entire brain for almost twenty four hours finally take over. Instead of going to her and wrapping himself around her, of telling her how grateful he was that Emma and her were still his, he stood there, across the room from her, and threw his second chance right to the ground.

“Relieved that John isn’t alive or relieved that you don’t have to choose between me and him?”

Alex’s eyes snapped to his, full of confusion. She blinked a few times, trying to determine if he really said that. “What?” she finally said; her throat was tight and her voice came out as barely more than a whisper.

He shook his head and leaned back against his desk and every cell in Alex’s body knew that something was wrong; that this was  _not_  how this should be going. He should be coming to her. He should be pulling her into his arms and they should be letting this news wash over them together. He should be telling her how much he loved her and how glad he was that their family wasn’t facing a terrible uncertainty anymore.

“When I asked you if you would go back to him if the story was true, if that really was John, you said you didn’t know, Alex,” he said, his voice tense, his eyes hard. “You said you  _didn’t know_.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “Are you…wait. Harry, are you mad at me?”

He stood straight up and a sigh moved through him as he ran his hands through his hair. “I’m…I don’t…shit, Alex. You didn’t know…”

“Stop that,” she cried out, her voice breaking as she did. She stood and went to him, her hands moving his arms, up his shoulders to his neck, to his face – trying to pull his eyes to hers. “Harry Wales, you stop that. You know that isn’t true.”

“Do I?” His voice was quiet but she felt the undercurrent of anger in it. His hands moved to her wrists and wrapped around them and his eyes moved to hers, hot and angry and sad, though his hands were gentle on her. “Because I don’t think I do.”

“Please stop,” she begged, her fingers tightening on his face. “You know I wouldn’t leave you. I was out of my mind. Someone had just told me that it was very possible that my husband was still alive eight years after he supposedly died, that he was going to the  _press_  and selling his story, telling the entire  _world_ , instead of doing it privately. My mind was so crazy that I could barely form a sentence…‘I don’t know’ didn’t mean…”

“Enough,” Harry bit out, his hands pulling hers away from him as he stepped back from her. “I just spent twenty four hours thinking I lost everything, Alex,” he choked out. “And I know you did too and I’m not…” He shook his head and took another step away, her heart breaking wide open as he did so. “The difference is if this had been true, you would have had a choice. I wouldn’t have. But if I did, Alexandra…if I had to choose between anything in the world or you and Emma…I would choose you and Emma. No hesitation.”

“Harry!” she yelled, trying to get through to him, trying to make him listen. “That’s not fair! Please listen…”

He held up his hand and shook his head, taking another step away from her. “You didn’t know, Alex. You  _didn’t know_.” And then he turned from her and took three steps, opened the door of his office, and even as he heard Alex begin to sob behind him, he walked out of the room, down the hall…

And out of their home and into the night.


	76. Chapter Seventy Six

Harry wasn’t entirely sure how he ended up at Matt and Charlotte’s front door. He knew he must have directed his driver there, he knew that the London streets between Kensington Palace and the familiar townhouse that Charlotte had lived in for years must have passed through the windows of the Range Rover, but he really didn’t remember any of it. But even with his exhaustion and the haze that he was in, when he walked up the front steps and pressed the doorbell, he knew exactly why he was there.

He needed to talk to Matt. He needed to understand some things about who Alex had been before she met him, when she was John’s wife. He had questions that only someone who knew them together could answer and apart from Molly, Matt was the only person in the city of London who could answer those questions.

The doorbell had rung out inside of the house, followed by a few loud barks from Zuko – Matt’s dog who he had brought with him from Texas. Just a few moments later Harry heard shuffling and then the click of the lock as it slid open.

“Harry,” Matt said, surprise written all over his face to see his future brother-in-law there.

“Hey…sorry. Am I…is this a bad time?” Harry asked quietly, shoving his hands in his front pockets.

“Naw,” Matt shook his head and stood back, holding the door open. “Come on in.”

“Can my guy look around first?” Harry nodded his head toward Mark, his Protection Officer. Matt nodded and Mark swept in, doing a quick check of the house before moving back into the foyer and nodding to Harry, giving him the all clear. “Is Charlotte here?” Harry asked as he stepped inside the door.

“She’s just wrapping things up at work,” Matt replied. He shut the door behind Harry and then turned to him. “She was about to issue a press release when I last talked to her…”

“Ah,” Harry nodded. “So you’ve heard that it’s not John.”

“Yeah, she called me the moment she heard. Although, that makes me wonder a bit why you’re here…looking like shit…and not at home with my sister,” Matt said, his eyebrows raised in question.

Harry shuffled on his feet, his eyes casting down to the floor for a brief moment before he cleared his throat and swung his gaze back up to Matt’s. “I need some answers, Matt. And I think you’re the only person I can get them from.”

Matt crinkled his forehead in confusion. “Answers?”

“Can we…” Harry took a deep breath. “Can we maybe sit somewhere and talk about this?”

“Sure,” Matt nodded, curious and a little worried about what was going on. “We can use my office. It’s not fully set up – but I’ve got two comfortable chairs and whiskey.”

“Sounds good,” Harry agreed, moving to follow Matt up the stairs. Zuko bounded up after them, his favorite tennis ball in his mouth as he trotted in front of them down the hall to Matt’s office.

“What happened to the floors?” Harry asked, peering down at the scratches that lined the long hallway.

“That,” Matt laughed. “Is from this…” He plucked the tennis ball from Zuko’s mouth and chunked it through the open door to the office, sending Zuko flying and skidding down the hall, his nails dragging along the floor as her went.

“Oh shit,” Harry chuckled with a shake of his head as he watched Zuko bound back over with the ball. “And Charlotte hasn’t killed you yet?”

Matt grinned as he moved to pull out two glasses and the whiskey. He poured them each a glass and then, moving around the few boxes that were still waiting to be unpacked, he handed Harry one of the glasses. “Who do you think started throwing that fucking ball for him?” he chuckled as they settled back into the large, comfortable leather chairs across from each other.

 “Of course,” Harry nodded and smirked, pulling his glass of whiskey to his lips for a drink.

Matt watched him, observing Harry growing solemn. It was like watching a dark cloud settle over him; the little humor he’d had moments before completely disappearing.

“What’s going on, Wales?”

“I need to know about Alex’s relationship with John,” Harry said quietly.

Matt’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Her relationship with John? Any reason you can’t ask her yourself?”

Harry bit his lip and his forehead furrowed in thought before he finally sighed back into his chair. “When my father told us yesterday about the news story, Alex just…lost it. She was beside herself.”

“I know,” Matt nodded. “I talked to her.”

“I know.” Harry took another sip of his drink and then continued. “I wasn’t…let’s just say I didn’t take it well either. She was so upset and I was trying to comfort her, to assure her that we would figure it out. She just had so many what-ifs running through her mind; including the thought that if it were actually John, she might still be legally married to him.”

Matt swallowed hard, feeling the emotional punch of that in his gut and know it must have hit both Harry and Alex a hundred times as hard as it hit him. “Well…I’m sure you could have found a way to take care of that if it were the case.”

“Sure,” Harry nodded. “That was my immediate thought. But Alex…her conviction wasn’t so strong. She said she didn’t know if she would stay with me or go back to John if it were truly him.”

Matt’s eyes widened a bit and he took a deep breath, trying to absorb Harry’s words. “I…I’m sorry, Harry,” he shook his head. “But that’s honestly really hard for me to believe. She actually said she would consider going back to John?”

“She said she didn’t know what she would do if she were still married to him. I asked her if that meant that she didn’t know who she would choose to be with…and the only answer she could come up with was ‘I don’t know.’”

There was a few beats of silence before Matt responded. He set his drink on the low table in front of him and leaned forward, pressing his hands together and meeting Harry’s gaze. “Listen, Harry,” he began in a quiet voice. “I…almost lost out on the woman I love because I got my head so caught up in something she did to actually stop and think about the reasons why she did it. I refused to listen to her, to talk to her…and I almost fucked it all up.”

“But I did listen,” Harry insisted. “She said…”

“You’ve got to stop harping on that one sentence she said in the middle of all of that,” Matt interrupted, his voice firm and bringing every single bit of Harry’s attention snapping to him. “You wanted to know about her relationship with John? He continued, raising an eyebrow. “What do you want to know?”

“I…did she love him?”

“Of course she did,” Matt nodded, his eyes open wide and honest. “And she always will; he gave her Emma. But they were young and…”

Harry groaned as he leaned back in his chair, scrubbing his hand over his face. “Jesus. What the hell am I doing? Am I really so spoiled that I…”

“Yes.”

“Sorry?”

“The question you aren’t asking,” Matt clarified. “She loves you more.”

“That’s not…”

“Yes, it is,” Matt cut him off. “Look man, she’s my sister. I know her better than almost anyone. She loves you more. He may have given her Emma, but she gave  _you_  Emma. She didn’t have to do that and she wouldn’t have for anyone else. And Harry, listen to me when I say this…”

“Okay…” Harry nodded for him to keep going.

“The way they loved each other, it was young and sweet and it was real. But the way you and Alex love each other is just…there is an intensity there that was never there with her and John. She was devastated when she lost him because she loved him and the time they had together was so short and that was hard for her to take, especially since she was pregnant. But if she ever lost you, I’m not sure she’d be able to move on like she did from him. I think a part of her would go with you; that’s how connected you two are. So don’t get caught up on what she said in those frantic moments. It’s not worth it, man.”

“Damn it,” Harry groaned. His eyes slid closed and he leaned his head back against the leather of the chair. He rubbed his hands over his face and then and set his drink on the table. “God, I…I’ve got to go home. Sorry to drink and run, Matt. But…”

“Nah,” Matt shook his head. He tossed back the rest of his drink and stood. “In this case, I’m absolutely okay with that.”

“Thanks man,” Harry smiled and reached out to shake Matt’s hand. “You’re a great friend.”

“I know,” Matt grinned.

Harry laughed, shook Matt’s hand one more time, and then took his leave.

He wanted –  _needed –_ to get home.

He just prayed Alex would still be there.

***********

It was quiet when he opened the door to his home – to their home. God he hoped he hadn’t ruined that; that this was still their home. He needed it to be. He needed her and he needed Emma and he couldn’t believe that he was so incredibly stupid.

“Alex?” he called out into the foyer, waiting for a moment to hear her shuffle in from the kitchen, or to hear her feet on the landing at the top of the stairs. But he didn’t, there was nothing. “Shit,” he breathed, his throat tightening and his eyes growing wet. “Please be here,” he whispered as he peeled his coat off and tossed his keys down haphazardly on the table in the foyer. He moved to the stairs, taking them two at a time. He moved quickly down the hall and pushed open the door to their room. She wasn’t there. The bed was still made and he knew she hadn’t even come in there. His panic rose and he had to force himself to take a deep breath as he turned and moved down to Emma’s room, pushing open her door on the off chance that Alex had decided to take refuge in there. “Damn it,” he swore when the room proved to be just as dark and empty as theirs had been.

He turned frantically and rushed back down the hall and down the stairs, swinging around as soon as he hit the marble of the entryway and going down the hallway towards his office. He pushed open the door and his entire body flooded with the most intense form of relief.

She was there. She was still there. She was curled up on the soft, leather sofa in his office, a throw blanket wrapped around her.

“You’re still here…” he breathed, his eyes wide and waiting as she turned her eyes up to his.

And his intense relief was quickly replaced by an intense, gut-wrenching form of heartbreak.

Her eyes were puffy and red, along with her nose and she looked…she looked so incredibly sad that it almost sent him to his knees.

And it was all his fault.

His own tears immediately burned his eyes and his throat got so tight that he wasn’t sure he could even take a breath as he looked down on her. He gulped for air and then he finally found the ability to choke out words.

"Oh God, Alex. I'm a fucking idiot."

She stared at him for just a moment, a moment where she blinked a few times and tried to decide which way she wanted to go. She could go for yelling and screaming. She could go for silence and shut him out. But in the end, she knew neither of those things were who she was; who they were. And so she sat up, she smudged at her eyes with the blanket, she sniffled, and then she nodded. "Yeah. You are."

He took a step forward, his eyes never leaving hers, praying that she kept talking to him, that she wouldn’t just stand up and walk past him. Lord knows he deserved it. "Do you want to kick my ass? I'll let you."

"No," she said softly with a shake of her head. “I just…” She trailed off and let out a large rush of air. “Okay. I want to kick your ass a little bit.”

And then…and then he saw that the corners of her lips tipped up just slightly. No one else would have seen it but him; but it was enough to tell him that she at least wasn’t going to walk out. She was still mad but in that way she had, she had slipped just enough humor in to the situation to diffuse it a bit, to calm them both down enough to think rationally. She was presenting him an opportunity, an opportunity to apologize, to try as best as he could to explain what the hell had happened a few hours before, and he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity. Not for anything.

He took a deep breath, ran his hands through his hair, and then he moved in. He slid in next to her on the couch and when his eyes met hers, there was no way he was going to be able to keep the tears away. He had hurt her; he could see it in her eyes. He had hurt her at a time when she all she needed from him was love.

“Alexandra, I’m…” He shook his head and reached for her face, wiping away a tear that was sliding slowly down her cheek. “Sorry doesn’t even begin to cover it. But, I am. I am so incredibly sorry, my darling. I am so sorry.”

“Why did you do that, Harry?” she whispered, her lips pulling in between her teeth as her eyes searched his. “Why did you say those things? You  _know_  that’s not true. You know there was never really any choice for me.”

“I was…I spent two days thinking my family was going to fall apart. I was going crazy thinking that if it was John, you were going to have to choose between him – between your husband, Emma’s father – and me. I was terrified you would leave and take our family with you.”

“You’re so stupid,” Alex shook her head, her eyes closing briefly before they flashed up to his again. “And I mean that in the most loving way possible, Henry. But if you really think…” She turned her body in and more towards his and sat up a bit straighter. “Listen to me. When your father told us, I was in shock.”

“I know, Alex. I…”

She held up a hand and shook her head, cutting him off. “Just listen. I was in shock. I couldn’t form a coherent thought. My entire brain was just…chaos. There were so many questions I instantly had for myself; if it was John, was I still married? How would I tell Emma? How was I going to tell Molly? Why the  _fuck_  was he going to the  _press_? So when you asked me that question, when you asked me what I would do…” She swiped at the tears that spilled as she spoke. “ _I don’t know_  didn’t mean that I didn’t know, it was just the answer to every other question that was spinning around me at that moment. And I hate that you didn’t stop to consider that. Because come on, Harry. You know the answer to that. The answer is you, Harry. Without question.”

“But he was your husband. He’s Emma’s father…” Harry whispered, trying to make her understand why he had been so scared.

“You’re right,” she nodded. She reached up for him, pulling his face in between her hands and his eyes closed at the feeling of her skin on his. “He was my husband. And he is Emma’s father. But Harry…look at me,” she commanded and he eyes pulled open to hers. “You are Emma’s father too. You know that. Come on, she calls you Daddy. She’s never addressed anyone like that personally. That’s so big I can’t even…”

“Alex…” he whispered, his lips tilting up in a soft smile.

“And you’re going to be my husband, Harry,” she continued. “You’re going to marry me in just a few short months and you better believe that nothing in this world can fucking stop that.”

Harry’s eyes held hers and he let it sink in. He let it sink in and he felt relief wash over his entire body. “Oh my God,” he breathed as his hands moved to her, running up her sides to her shoulders and then down her arms to her wrists, holding her as she held him. “I’m so sorry Alex. What can I do? What can I do to even attempt to make this up to you?”

Her voice was soft when she spoke. “Can you hold me?”

He blinked. “Hold you?”

“You know, wrap your arms around me and let me snuggle into you?” Alex said with a small smile, her lips pulling up at the corners. “I really, really need that. After all of this…I just need you to wrap yourself around me Harry.”

“I don’t deserve you sometimes,” he said, his voice full of so much love and warmth that she already felt better, she already felt herself relaxing a bit. And when he moved to her, when he pulled her into him and wrapped her arms around her she felt warmth seep back into her, all the way down into her bones.

“Where did you go?” she asked quietly as she nuzzled her head under his chin, loving the feel and smell of him after such a roller coaster couple of days.

Harry pulled her tighter and kissed the top of her head. “I went to Matt and Charlotte’s.”

“Really?” she pulled back to look up at him.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “You look surprised.”

“That you went to Charlotte for advice? Not at all,” she shook her head. “That she didn’t kick your ass all the way back over here…maybe a little bit.”

“Ha!” Harry shook his head. “I’m sure she would have, but I actually went to see Matt.”

Her lips tilted up into a smile. “You did?”

He shrugged. “He knows you better than anyone. He knew John.”

“Ahhh…” Alex nodded as understanding washed over her. “And he knew me and John together.”

“It helped, Alex.” His voice was quiet, but not apologetic. “It helped to see it from his point of view.”

“Hey…” Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “I’m not mad. Matt’s really great at that stuff. And you guys get along really well. I’m not happy you left, but I’m glad that’s where you went…if that makes any sense. And I’m glad it helped”

“Me too,” he smiled. He reached up, moving a hand to her face and brushing a piece of hair from her face. His other arm tightened around her and he pulled her closer, his intent clear. He wanted to kiss her. He really wanted to kiss her.

And Alex really, really wanted that. She did. But just as he tilted his head over hers, just before his lips covered hers, her eyes flashed wide and her hand moved to his chest, halting him.

"Oh my god. I can’t believe I almost forgot!” she exclaimed as she suddenly moved to untangle herself from his arms.

Harry blinked a couple of times, the surprise evident on his face. “What did you forget?” he chuckled.

“Look at what got delivered while you were out," Alex said softly. She sat forward and her fingers reached out for a large manila envelope on the low table in front of the couch. She turned to Harry and held the envelope out for him with a small smile and a bite to her lip.

"From the lawyers?" he asked with a chuckle, recognizing the familiar logo in the upper left hand corner. "What would they be sending over this late…" He trailed off and his eyes widened as realization dawned. There was only one thing that he had given instructions to be delivered the moment they were ready. His eyes flashed up to her. "The adoption papers?"

She nodded, her smile widening as he slid the envelope from her hands. "Ready to be signed."

"Wow," Harry shook his head, blinking a few times as he slid the stack of papers from the envelope. His eyes scanned through quickly, making sure all if the important points he and Alex had wanted were covered. "It's all here," he said with a nod. "So, once we sign and they file..."

"Emma will be your daughter," Alex said softly, her voice full of emotion.

"Our daughter," he corrected. Setting the papers to the side for the moment, his hands moved right to her, sliding up her arms, over her shoulders to her neck, cupping her face in his hands. "Our daughter, Alexandra."

"Our daughter," Alex echoed, blinking at the tears in her eyes. And for the first time in two days her tears weren’t from fear or sadness or shock; they were from happiness and love.

“I’m so sorry that I almost fucked this all up,” Harry apologized again. His thumbs ran softly over her cheeks, moving to brush the few tears that slipped from the corners of her eyes.

She rolled her eyes slightly and a small laugh pushed from her lips. “You’re so dramatic, Wales.”

His lips twitched. “Dramatic?”

"Come on, you didn't almost fuck everything up. Don't you get it? I love you. Even when you do stupid shit, I still love you."

"One of these days I'm going to realize that," he said, a soft smile forming on his lips.

"You really should," she nodded. "Because we’re going to have fights, Harry."

"I know…"

"We're going to have fights because we're both emotional and stubborn and you  _might_  be a little bit spoiled…"

"Easy…" He chuckled, narrowing his eyes playfully.

"So just…" she continued. “Don't walk out like that. I realize that this was different than a regular fight; but just please don't do that again. Okay?”

His eyes grew solemn, taking in the seriousness in her words. "Okay, I won't. I promise, Alex."

"Okay," she sighed, relaxing a bit. She turned her head and pressed a kiss into his palm and then her eyes turned back to his, her lips curled and she leaned forward, pressing her lips right to his.

"Mmmm..." Harry's lips smiled against hers and his hands slid into her hair, pulling her closer, so incredibly happy to finally be kissing her.

"I'm afraid you have a decision to make, Harry," she whispered against his lips, her eyes dancing as she opened them to his.

"A decision?" he chuckled even as he tried to pull her lips back to his.

"Mhhmm…" she nodded. “Do we sign the papers and then make love…or do we make love and then sign the papers?”

He grinned, loving the way she teased him, the way he knew that she already knew what would say. "I think we should sign the papers, Alexandra. So I can officially make love to the mother of my child."

"Oh! Smooth, Wales," she giggled as her eyes widened at her words.

"So much sass," he chuckled. He pressed his lips to hers once more and then stood, moving over to his desk to grab them each a pen. He handed one to her when he came back and then sat, reaching to pick up the envelope from the table. He slid the papers out and laid them out on the table in front of them.

"You ready?" He asked, his gaze finding hers as he took a deep breath.

She laughed and shook her head at him. "See what I mean? Dramatic."

"Of course," he chuckled, his lips twitching at her humor but her eyes watching her with all the love in the world as she bent forward and signed the first page and then pushed it over to him.

They moved through them all just like that, until all of the pages where sighed where the lawyers had marked for them to do so. And when they finished, the very first thing Harry did was to pull her into his arms and pull her mouth to his, kissing her deeply and passionately. His arms wrapped around her tightly and when he moved them back onto the couch, when he pulled her body beneath his and the lovemaking began, it wasn't about apologies or making up.

When he held her as close as he possibly could while he pushed himself slowly into her over and over again, it was about surviving a difficult test to their relationship and coming out stronger and with more understanding of each other on the other side.

When they both came apart together, moaning and groaning each other’s names in that hazy, sticky way that comes with a drive and passion like theirs, it was about knowing that they shared a love that many people weren’t as lucky as them to have; that neither of them had ever really thought could be theirs.

But it  _was_  theirs.

It always had been and it always would be.


	77. Chapter Seventy Seven

When Harry woke up the next morning after the story that Alex’s former husband was still alive had gone crashing to the ground, it felt like he had slept for days. He had gotten no sleep for two days and so it wouldn’t have surprised him if he had made up for it after him and Alex had finally gone to bed the night before. But judging by the light coming through the curtains, it seemed like it was probably just late morning and a quick glance to the alarm clock on his bedside table confirmed that for him.

Alex’s side of the bed was empty, the covers thrown back haphazardly. Her robe was missing from its usual spot – thrown over the chair nearest to the bed – and with a chuckle Harry rolled from the bed, pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, and left the room in search for her.

He found her in the kitchen with Emma and he couldn’t help the smile that broke over his face. Emma was home from her two nights spent at Will and Kate’s and was chattering on at Alex about all the things they had done together. Alex was listening while she worked on breakfast – pancakes by the look of it; smiling and laughing as Emma weaved her tales.

And his heart swelled as he watched the two of them quietly.

His family.

“Good morning, ladies,” he said with a wide smile as he stepped into the room. Both of their heads turned towards him and near identical grins appeared on their faces.

“Daddy!” Emma squealed. She hopped down from her stool and came running over to him. “I was waiting for you to get up!” she sang out as she flung herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. “I missed you!”

“Ah, my little girl, I missed you so much more,” he said as he squeezed her tight.

“Nu uh!” Emma giggled, pulling back to look at him.

“Uh huh!” Harry laughed. He pressed a quick kiss to her nose and then set her back on her feet. He moved to kiss Alex good morning; a soft, sweet kiss followed by a quick look of love between them, and then he turned back to Emma who was climbing back on her stool. “How was your visit with Uncle Will, Aunt Kate, and Henry?”

“Sooooo much fun,” Emma sighed. “Aunt Kate and I had a fashion show and she let me wear some of her really fancy dresses and Uncle Will was the judge. He’s really, really funny.”

“Oh no, Em,” Harry shook his head and laughed as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “We don’t ever tell Uncle Will that he’s funny.”

“Yeah, he told me you would say that,” Emma giggled, bringing a shout of laughter from Alex.

“Right,” Harry chuckled and rolled his eyes as he moved to sit on the stool next to Emma. “Of course he did.”

***************

“Mummy, what are we going to do today? Can we watch Frozen again?” Emma asked just as they were all finishing up breakfast.

“Sure Em,” Alex nodded. “But first, I was hoping we could go visit Granny.” Her eyes slid to Harry and he swallowed and nodded slowly. He knew she was about to tell Emma about what had happened over the past couple of days.

“Okay,” Emma nodded, her eyes lighting up. “We can watch Frozen with Granny!”

“Actually,” Alex took a deep breath and Harry’s heart broke all over again as he watched the smile on her face waver. “Baby, we’re going to Granny’s because something happened this weekend and she’s been sad. Actually, Harry and I were sad as well.”

“Sad?” Emma asked quietly, concern crossing her face. “Why?”

“Well…” Alex began, already blinking at the tears in her eyes. “The day we got back from Texas, a news story came out and it seemed that…” She stopped and swallowed, finding it harder than she thought to say the words to her daughter. She turned to Harry with wide eyes and he offered her a soft smile and reached out to cover her hand with his before he turned back to Emma.

“Someone was claiming to be your father, Emma,” Harry finished for Alex, his voice low and soft. “Your real father. He was saying that he was your father and that he had never died.”

“I don’t understand,” Emma said, everything about her looking startled; confused. Her eyes flashed from Harry to Alex. “My dad is still alive? He didn’t want me?”

“Oh baby,” Alex whispered brokenly. She stood up and moved over to Emma’s chair, lifting her daughter from the chair and moving into it herself, pulling Emma onto her lap. “No. No Emma, that’s not it at all. Your dad is not alive. It was someone pretending to be him to get attention. He was lying.”

Emma’s lip pulled between her teeth and Harry fought his own tears as he saw tears appear in his daughter’s eyes.

“But why would he do that? That’s mean,” Emma whispered.

“It’s very mean,” Harry agreed in a soft voice. He leaned over and brushed a piece of hair from her face and her big blue eyes turned towards him. “The man who did this knew and worked with your father.  He was injured very badly at the same time that your dad died. He made up a story and said that he was really John Morgan and the Army made a mistake when they said he died.”

“Did he look like my dad?” Emma asked.

“No,” Alex shook her head. “But he was burned very badly on his face when he was injured and so it was almost impossible to tell. They had to do a blood test to find out he was lying.”

“And he made you and Daddy and Granny sad, didn’t he? When he lied and said he was my dad?” Emma asked. Her lips quivered and tears spilled from her eyes and Harry couldn’t help the anger that surged inside of him. This guy had caused so many tears in the lives of people he loved.

“He did,” Alex nodded. “That’s why we had you state at Will and Kate’s for a couple of days. It was sad and uncertain around here and we didn’t want you to worry.”

“What do you mean by uncertain, Mummy?”

“It means that because we weren’t sure if it was really your dad, we didn’t know what it would mean for all of the big things in our lives.”

“Like what?” Emma pressed and they both smiled at her curiosity.

“Like me and Harry getting married; or Harry being able to adopt you,” Alex said gently.

“It could have messed all that up?” Emma’s face scrunched up. “Harry might not have been able to be my Daddy?”

“Hey Emma,” Harry reached out and stroked her hair and brought her attention to him. “We just didn’t know and we didn’t want to make you sad too. And I don’t want you to be sad now, okay? Everything is fine. Your mum and I are still getting married and you, my little princess, are absolutely my daughter. As a matter-of-fact, the papers to make it official came in last night to be signed.”

“They did?” Emma’s face brightened. “Do I get to sign too?”

Harry’s eyes flashed to Alex’s and her eyes widened a bit, not knowing what to say. But Harry just grinned and leaned in to pinch Emma’s nose. “You know what? I think you do. Why don’t you go with your Mummy to your Granny’s and tonight when you get home, you can sign papers too.”

************

Harry tried to fight the anger off, he really did. He tried to tell himself that everything was okay, that he still had his family and that his life was still intact. But after Alex and Emma had left for Molly’s and Harry had allowed the conversation that they’d had with Emma that morning to run through his head, it became near impossible to not let it get to him.

The man who had tried to say he was John, Paul David Wilson, had caused so much heartache in the lives of three women he held so incredibly dear to him. Molly, Alex, and Emma had already been through enough over the years in regards to John’s death; they didn’t deserve any of what happened.

He knew he should let it pass. He knew he should just be happy that he wasn’t losing everything. He knew he should just let the Army investigators and mental health professionals and his lawyers handle Paul David Wilson from here on out.

But in the end, he also knew he couldn’t do that. And that’s why he finally gave up the internal battle. With firm resolution and a deep breath, he swiped the screen, scrolled through his contacts, found the number he was looking for, and dialed.

“Colonel Williams, yes sir Captain Wales here. Yes…yes sir, I need your help to set up a meeting. Yes…today if possible. With Paul David Wilson.”

*************

When Harry stepped into the room and Paul David Wilson came into view, he couldn’t help the anger that surged inside of him. He couldn’t help the way his fingers curled into fists at his sides and the way he jaw clenched at just the sight of the man who had sent his life and the life of the two people he loved most in the world into turmoil for two days. He took a deep breath as he stepped forward, trying to calm himself before he said anything to the man sitting at the table, a look of clear disdain and indifference on his disfigured face as he looked at Harry.

“Your Royal Highness,” Paul smirked, leaning back in his chair.

Harry’s eyes narrowed. He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and ran his hand over his tie, smoothing it down before he stepped forward again, moving up to the table. “It appears that you aren’t a bit contrite about what you tried to pull,” Harry said, his voice low and cold.

“Why should I be?” Paul scoffed. “It’s not like it did any harm.”

Harry’s face reddened and his eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’m sorry. Did you say it did no harm?”

“It didn’t even touch you,” Paul sneered. “Everyone feels so sorry for you. You – the Prince who has everything – they feel sorry for you. And here, locked up in a mental health ward because I dared to try to get a little something for myself after everything I’ve…”

Harry’s hands slammed down on the table, startling Paul, cutting off his words as his eyes flashed wide up to the imposing man who stood before him. “Let’s get one thing fucking clear, buddy,” Harry shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. “You think there was no harm done? You tried to take away my family. My  _family_. You think I have everything? It would all be  _nothing_  if I lost them. No harm done? Fuck. You.”

Paul swallowed hard, his Adam’s Apple bobbing in his throat. “It’s not like I was ever going to get away with it,” he chuckled nervously, trying in vain to lighten the situation.

But it only infuriated Harry that much more. He leaned further over the table, his cheeks flaming red and his breathing heavy with how hard he was holding back from clocking the asshole in front of him right in the jaw. “Then why the fuck did you do it? If you knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere, if you know in the end you’d be found out, why in the  _hell_  did you decide to put my family through that?”

“I don’t have to answer that,” Paul responded defensively, trying in vain to pull himself together, to gain some of kind of advantage in the conversation.

“No, you don’t,” Harry said quietly – too quietly. He stood up and slid his jacket off, a picture of calm on the outside as he hung it over the chair that sat on the side of the table he was on. But he was anything but calm on the inside. And as he loosened his tie and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt on his arms, he could sense the shift in the man sitting at the table, he could sense the fight leave him, he could sense him deflate.

And when his eyes lifted to him, he saw he was right.

“Fine!” Paul shouted, flinching even at his own voice, already scared that the tall, angry man in the room with him was preparing to wail on him. “I’m sorry! Is that what you wanted to hear from me?”

“You think that I came all the way down here for an apology?” Harry chuckled bitterly. “I don’t want a fucking apology, Wilson.”

“When what the hell are you doing here?” Paul yelled, frustrated and confused and more than a little mad that the Prince in front of him had gotten the best of him.

“I want to know why,” Harry said in a low voice as he lowered himself into the chair across from Paul. “I want to know why you did this.”

Paul’s eyes narrowed. “My lawyers…”

“I don’t give a shit about lawyers,” Harry cut him off. “I’m not here to try and wrangle information out of you for legal purposes. I have better things to do with my time than that. This is for my personal knowledge. “His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. “But if you choose not to talk, I can certainly assure you that whatever legal actions stem from all of this are much bigger than they probably would be otherwise.”

“Is that a threat?”

Harry’s voice was cold when he spoke, “It’s a  _promise_.”

Paul’s eyes narrowed and then with a sick, twisted smile he shook his head. “Fuck you.”

It took every ounce of willpower that Harry had not to reach out and clock Paul across the face. His jaw clenched and his hands flexed and he leaned forward, very aware that he couldn’t do anything about it if the asshole refused to talk except for what he had just promised to do, make his life a living hell through his lawyers.

And that’s exactly what he would do.

“I know you think you’re beating me at my own game here,” Harry finally said after a long, tense moment. “And that’s fine, you can think that. But your intentions are misguided. I suspect your initial purpose behind this had everything to do with getting attention for yourself and now – you smug piece of shit – I think you’re a bit satisfied that you think someone else is feeling as sad about life as you are.”

“You don’t know shit,” Paul laughed, although there was nothing good about the sound when it came from his mouth.

“I don’t know much,” Harry agreed quietly. “But I do know this; I’m a soldier. I’ve been to war, I’ve seen tragedy, and when I got home I hurt the people I loved the most because I didn’t deal with the pain. I’m sorry you obviously didn’t have people around you that loved you enough to help you do to get past that, but you don’t get to the hurt the people in my life who did that for me because of that. I hope you get the help you need in here,” Harry said as he moved from the chair and lifted his coat from it.

“That’s all you’ve got for me?” Paul asked, another round of chilling laughter leaving his lips as he watched Harry walk to the door.

“Well, if I gave you what I really wanted,” Harry turned with a cold smile. “I’d probably kill you. So consider this your lucky day.”

And with that, Harry was gone.

*************

The house was quiet when Harry got home. He knew Emma would have already gone to bed and he was sorry to have missed tucking her in and reading her a bedtime story and giving her the special papers he’d had drawn up for her to sign for the adoption, especially after the last three days had been. But he knew that he couldn't have been able to rest until he gone and given that asshole a piece of his mind.

Stopping to give Gus a quick scratch, he made his way through the house to the kitchen, intending to make himself a drink and then go find Alex.

But when he rounded the corner into the kitchen he stopped in his tracks, his entire body softening as he saw the lights on and saw his fiancée sitting at the breakfast bar. She was on her laptop, and whatever she was looking at she was really concentrating on it. There was a wine glass next to her with just a sip or two left, next to that sat an open package of cookies and it made him smile.

"You know," he said, stepping into the room and bringing her eyes swinging to him. "You can use my office."

"I know," she smiled, her attention pulled away from what she was doing and completely to him. "I just ended up in here because this is where the cookies were."

Harry's lips tilted up into a small smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Alex caught it right away.

"Wanna tell me where you've been, Harry?" she asked softly, her head tilting to the side.

"I went to...visit Paul Wilson," he said quietly, his jaw ticking as he said the name.

"Ahhhh..." Alex nodded slowly and then took a deep breath, sensing his lingering anger. "Why?"

"You know why."

Alex lifted a brow. "Why don't you tell me anyway?"

Harry ran his hand through his hair and then moved to rub the back of his neck. "I needed to take care of a few things with him."

"And did one of those things include putting your fist in his face?" Alex asked, her own anger rising to the surface for a moment.

“No,” Harry replied dryly, though his lips twitched and little bit of humor sparked in his eyes. “But that can absolutely be arranged if you’d like.”

“No,” she sighed. She reached for her glass of wine and took the last few sips down. “It won’t change anything.”

“I had to tell myself that very thing to keep from decking him,” Harry said, moving closer to her. His hands moved to her, running over her shoulders, down her arms, and resting on her hips.

“Want to hear a secret?” Alex asked softly as she reached out for his tie and ran it through her fingers.

“A secret?” his lips twitched. “Sure.”

“It’s kind of sexy.”

“Sexy?” Harry chuckled, his eyes widening a bit. “When I want to deck someone?”

“When you get angry in defense of me and Emma,” she corrected, her lips curving up at the sides. Her fingers traveled higher on his tie, she tugged him closer to her, and her voice dropped as she spoke, “You exude this raw…primal energy.”

“Alex,” he warned, his blood warming as he took in her words and the way she looked up at him with those wide, innocent blue eyes of hers.

“You do,” she nodded slow, ignoring his warning. “It reminds me of how powerful you are, of how much you can do, of all the things you can just make happen.” Her lip pulled between her teeth and she sighed. “It just…turns me on.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do to me,” Harry breathed. He was incredibly turned on by her words and by the way she was looking up at him, all sultry eyes and full, parted lips.

“Yes you do,” she said in a low voice. Her fingers inched up to the knot of his tie and she pulled him closer. “I want you to use your powers for good instead of evil.”

He grinned at her words and shook his head slowly. “You want to know all the things I can…make happen?”

“Mmmm…” she moaned lightly, her eyes sliding closed for a moment before flashing heat and lust back up to his. “I want that, Harry. Be powerful, show me what you can do, all the things you can make  _me_  do.”

“Jesus Christ,” Harry groaned. His hands tightened on her hips and he stepped closer, his head tilting over hers. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and then he leaned in further so his lips were right against her ear and he whispered, “Alexandra Mae, I’m going to give you a fifteen second head start to get upstairs…and then I’m coming after you.”

Alex’s eyes widened a bit and with a big smile and a squeal of delight she jumped from the stool. Harry stood back and she bolted from the room, leaving him standing there, smiling as he listened to her giggles as she ran through the house towards the stairs.

He could barely wait through the entire fifteen seconds before he went after her; not after the way she had driven him mad with the way she had spoken to him and looked at him and the promise of what was going to happen once he got behind closed doors with her.

And just as he heard her feet hit the landing at the top of the stairs he moved from the kitchen with a grin on his face, making it to the stairs and up them in record time. When he got to their room and pushed open the door, he didn’t think it was possible to be more turned on, to be any harder in his pants than he already was. But then he saw her; he saw her standing there in the middle of their room just her black lacy bra and panties, having shed the rest of her clothes already in the time it took him to get to the room. Her eyes were wide and her lip was pulled between her teeth and Harry almost lost it.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, to remind himself that she wanted this, that she had started this, and then he shut the door behind him. The sound of it clicking shut sounded loud in the silence of the room and somehow, it turned both of them on even more.

“Alexandra,” he said, his voice low and soft as he moved to her. He gathered her face in his hands and his eyes found hers. “I love you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she responded, her voice not much above a whisper.

“Good,” he breathed. His hands ran down her neck and to her shoulders, his thumbs running soft, erotic circles against her skin. “Now turn around and close your eyes.”

*M*

With eyes that were brimming excitement and a bite to her lips, Alex did as Harry asked and turned around slowly, facing away from him and closing her eyes. The sound of his jacket sliding from his shoulders and hitting the ground filled the air around her and heightened her arousal even more.

"Harry..." she whispered pleadingly. She was dying for him to touch her, to take her down into this pool of passion they shared.

"Shhh," he whispered in return. His hands moved to her, soft and slow as they smoothed over the skin of her shoulders to her neck, rubbing light circles against her skin. "I've got you, baby." He lifted her hair with one hand, pulled it to the side and over her shoulder, and then leaned in and pressed a hot kiss to the back of her neck. She moaned low and her knees went a bit weak and Harry couldn't help the smirk that tilted his lips. "Alex?" He called out to her.

"Hmm?"

"Do you trust me?"

Her eyes slid open and her breath came up shorter, heavier. She turned to look at him then, their eyes meeting hotly. "Yes," she replied without any hesitation, without having to think about it, without having to ask why.

"Good," he breathed, his eyes darkening. He leaned forward and captured her mouth, his tongue pushing in between her lips in a deep, hot kiss. His hands moved down her back to the clasp of her bra and he flicked it open. Alex sighed into his mouth when he pulled it from her body and when his hands moved back to her, when his palms made a few light passes over her breasts, she gasped, stunned at how hard and sensitive they were.

"No, please!" she cried out when his hands fell away from her body.

"Turn around, Alex," Harry commanded gently. "And close your eyes."

She whimpered but complied again, desperate to do anything that would make him touch her, to help relieve the ache within her.

"Don't worry, Alexandra, I'm going to touch you," he assured. "But first..." His hands were back on her then, firmer this time as he ran them from her shoulders and down her arms to her wrists. Then, surprising Alex and sending her flying further into the dark pool of desire, he pulled her hands behind her back, wrapped the length of his tie around her wrists several times and then knotted it, securing them firmly but gently at the small of her back.

Before she could react he was turning her around and pulling her body against his. His bare chest met hers - when had he even taken his shirt off? She had no idea. His hands shoved back into her hair and then he was kissing her.

His mouth opened over hers and his arms crashed around her, holding her close and tight as his mouth ravaged hers. It was heady, having him hold her and kiss her like that when she wasn't able to use her hands. She had no choice but to let him lead, to let him control everything about the moment.

When his mouth tore from hers she took a deep breath and opened her mouth to beg for me, to beg him to touch her. But no sooner had the words formed on her lips than his mouth was moving a hot, wet path down her neck to her chest and his hands were sliding around to her front.

"Oh God!" Alex moaned as his lips captured one nipple and his fingers captured the other. His tongue circled, his teeth scraped, and his fingers pinched and twisted. Alex squirmed against him as she desperately tried to get him to move lower, towards the heavy wetness between her thighs.

"Hold still, baby," he murmured, his lips lifting from hers and leaving a wet trail in their wake.

"I can’t," she shook her head as she looked down on him, her eyes wide and wild.

"You can't?" His smile was smug and if her hands were tied up she might have been tempted to slap it off his face.

"I'm too..." She whimpered. "I need..."

"You're too what?" He prodded. "Too turned on? Too wet?"

"Yes," she nodded and her hips arched towards him. "Yes..."

His cock surged in his pants and a harsh breath pulled from his lips. He leaned forward, captured a nipple between his teeth, and bit softly, bringing a cry from her. And then he was moving down, kissing and licking down her flat stomach until he reached the band of her panties. His hands slid to her hips and he moved to his knees and unable to help himself, he pulled her to him. He pressed a wet, open mouthed kiss over her and she jerked at the sensation and he groaned at just how wet she was, her panties soaked long before his tongue lapped out against her.

Her knees went weak and without her arms to balance herself or grab on to him, she was sure she was about to hit the floor. But he wasn’t going to let her go anywhere; his hands were steady at her hips, holding her up while he teased and tormented her with his amazing mouth.

“God Alex,” he groaned against her. “You’re so wet, baby. I love that I do this to you, that I have this effect on you.” He leaned back in and his tongue pressed firm against her, circling a delicious, mind-numbing pattern and even through the lace of her panties, Alex was pulled right to the edge.

“Oh! Harry...” she moaned. Her head tipped back and her thighs began to tremble and she was so close, so fucking close.

And then he stopped. His mouth lifted from her and Alex’s head snapped forward, her eyes wide and scattered.

“No!” she cried, struggling to control her erratic breaths. “You can’t do that to me…”

His lips turned up at the corners and he leaned in again. He pressed another warm, full kiss against her and then his mouth opened wider over her and he scraped his teeth over her lace covered sex just lightly. Alex jerked at the sensation, at how incredibly erotic it felt. And suddenly he pulling away from her again and she wanted to cry.

His fingers curled into the lace at her hips and he pulled, slowly sliding them down over her hips and her thighs until they were off and he tossed them to this side without a thought, his eyes focused solely on the beautiful, naked woman before him. Then he was rising to his feet, his hands trailing electricity along her body as he did, until she was looking up at him again.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his hands rubbing love and warmth into her arms. He knew he was being a bit rough and demanding and he only wanted to continue if that’s what she wanted – if she was still okay with everything they were doing.

“Yes,” Alex nodded slowly, her breathing labored and her eyes wide as she looked up at him.

“I’m very glad to hear that.” He held her eyes as he stepped back from her and reached for the button and zipper on his pants. He undid then quickly and pushed them down over his hips, watching as her eyes flickered down and her tongue tipped out against her lips when his cock sprang free, hard and standing at attention.

“You see something you like, Alexandra?” He wrapped his hand around his length and he ran a firm stroke over it. Her eyes flashed up to his and he almost lost it at the look in her eyes.

“You want me…” she said softly, he bottom lip pulling between her teeth.

 “I always want you…” he nodded as he stepped closer to her and pressed his body against hers. She groaned at the feel of him, hot and hard against her stomach. His hands slid to her waist and all of the sudden her was lifting her into his arms. She gasped in surprise but her legs moved instantly around his as he held her tight and turned them around toward the bed. “I can’t fucking get enough of you,” he continued, his voice rough and utterly sexy. He put a knee on the bed and moved them onto it, his eyes locked intensely with hers. “You’re so fucking sexy, Alex. The way you look at me, the way you talk to me, the way you just…let me tie you up like this and put your trust in me. I won’t ever get enough of you.”

His words made her ache with want, more than she already was. She whimpered and struggled against the tie wrapped around her wrists, her desire to be able to push him back on the bed and take him almost overwhelming her.

“Henry Charles,” she said slowly, her eyes narrowing even as her body arched towards his. “If you don’t fuck me right now…”

Harry couldn’t help the groan of a laugh that fell from his lips. He moved backwards, settling back onto the bed and situating her so that she was sitting up on her knees over his lap. “God, I love it when you talk dirty.”

“I love it when you give me what I want,” she responded, her eyes holding a silent dare.

Propelled by her words, he sat forward and wrapped an arm around her. His fingers found the knot he had tied in the tie and wrapped around it, pulling her arms tighter behind her. Then, with his other hand he reached between them and guided himself up to her, just barely pressing into her folds. He let out a harsh breath at the contact and she moaned, her fingers clenching at the material of the tie. She adjusted her knees, trying to take him in further, needing the fullness that came with him being inside of her.

“Stop,” he said low and firm, his hands moving to her hips and stalling her movement.

“Harry…please…” she whispered, shaking her head frantically. “Please let me…”

“Stay right there,” he commanded. “Don't go down any further…not until I tell you.”

“Harry Wales, you are being…mean and…”

He grinned and trailed one of his hands down her flat stomach to her hot, slick center. His fingers slid into the wetness, he found her swollen nub, and began to stroke her there slowly.

“Fuck!” she called out, her body shuddering at the feeling. He was driving her unbelievably mad. She was so worked up and so turned on that she knew it wasn’t going to take much to get her there. She knew it would only take just a few more passes of his thumb around her clit, just a bit more pressure…

And she couldn’t help herself, her need for release, her need for  _him_  took over and she let herself slip down on him, groaning at the fullness as he went further into her before he caught her, before his fingers pulled away from her pulsing center and caught her hips, stopping her just as she had taken almost half of him in.

“No!” she cried, her eyes pulling open to find his, pleading for more.

“Tsk tsk, Alexandra,” he breathed, although he was barely hanging onto control himself. She was so hot and it took everything he had not to thrust himself up inside of her. But she had asked for this. She had wanted him to be powerful and demanding and as he was with everything else, he was going to be thorough. Just as she had known he would be.

“I hate you…” she sighed, her lips parted to allow her heavy breaths in and out.

He shook his head and smiled softly. “You love me. You love this…”

“God,” she breathed when his fingers returned to her. And when she clenched at the feeling, at the pleasure of it all as it coursed through her damp, flushed body, she felt him pulse inside of her and she couldn’t help but laugh. “I really do."

He grinned up at her and their eyes met, sharing a moment of hot passion and the deep, intense love between them. Then, keeping the fingers of one had stroking at her center, his other hand slid up over her chest to her neck, sliding into her hair and tugging her down – bringing her hot lips right to his.

He kissed her deep and slow while he stroked at her. He pushed her to the edge and brought her back, only to do it again once more. But when her thighs started to shake from holding back, when her pleas and whimpers grew more intense, he knew he just simply couldn’t take it any longer. He had to be inside of her – as deep as he could be. She was so wet, so hot, and he just couldn’t resist her anymore.

He pulled his lips from hers just slightly, their heavy breaths mingling together. Her eyes were dark and heavy and clouded with lust. And with a deep breath in, he spoke, “Now, Alexandra.”

The primal cry of pleasure and relief that left her lips when she sank down on him nearly took him down. And when she began to rock on his lap, against his still stroking fingers he had to grit his teeth against everything in his body that was screaming for release.

“Alex…Alex…” he panted. His free arm moved around her and his fingers went straight for the knot, pulling at it. “Look at me.”

“Harry…I’m so close…please... _please_  don’t make me stop…” she begged, her eyes big pools of blue that he couldn’t have said no to in a million years.

“No…” he gasped, his fingers finally freeing the knot on the tie and freeing her wrists from their confines. She moaned and her arms immediately moved up and around his neck, her hands burying themselves in his hair. “Don’t stop, Alex…keep going, baby.”

And she did. Alex took control of the movement, the pace, the depth. She rocked fast and hard over him, cries and moans falling from her lips and groans falling from his as she did. It didn’t take long – they both knew that it wouldn’t. Harry’s fingers stroked her and his cock hit all the places inside of her that only he could reach. And before Alex could even gasp that she was about to come, it exploded inside of her so big and so hard that all she could do was throw her head back and close her eyes as she came undone, Harry following right after and pulsing everything he had up into her with a wild, animalistic groan.

*EM*

“Oh my God,” Alex sighed once her breathing returned to normal, once she was able to form words with her mouth again.

“I know,” Harry nodded against her the crook of her neck. He drew a deep breath and pulled up to look at her, his lips quirking up at the side as her took her in, all flushed cheeks, wild hair, and shining eyes. “Are you okay?”

“You know the answer to that,” she laughed. Her hands moved to her face and she held his cheeks while she pressed a warm kiss to his lips.

“Mmhmm,” he smiled against her lips and then as much as he didn’t want to, he shifted them and slid from her body as he moved them back onto the bed. He groaned and she moaned at the loss but he was quick to pull the covers up around them and tuck her into his side, cuddling her as close as possible. “Sorry I missed tucking in Emma tonight.”

“Ah, well…you’re going to have to read her two stories tomorrow to make up for it,” Alex said softly as she snuggled into his chest.

“I think I’ve got something better.” He kissed the top of her head and then smiled when she turned to look up at him.

“Better?”

“I had Charlotte draw up ‘papers’ for Emma to sign for her adoption. They aren’t legally binding or anything, but we told her she could sign and I wanted it to be something more than just making some place for her to sign on our papers that didn’t really mean anything to anyone.”

“Awww, Harry,” Alex sighed, everything about her falling even more in love in love with the handsome man who had her tucked up in his arms. “That’s amazing. I can’t wait to show her. Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” Harry nodded with a smile.

“I have an idea on how to do this with Emma,” Alex said a bit slyly. “Something she would absolutely love.”

Harry couldn’t help but feel a bit conspiratorial as he leaned in to listen to her, but only in the best way possible. And snuggled up together and with laughter and giggles passing between them, they came up with a plan.

*************

“This is a genius idea,” Harry grinned at Alex as he balanced a tray loaded full of breakfast items while navigating the stairs as they made their way up to Emma’s room.

Alex smiled wide and laughed lightly as she looked over at her fiance, looking adorable with a big feather wrapped around him and a plastic tiara on his head. “Well, there is a reason why you’re marrying me,” she said with a wink at they came to the stop of the stairs.

“Because you come up with genius ideas?”

“That and the fact that I look amazing in this tiara,” she teased, gesturing to the tiara balanced on her own head.

Harry laughed and shook his head. “Well, you were wearing one when I proposed.”

“This very one,” Alex grinned.

His smile grew softer. “And you’ll be wearing one when I marry you.”

“This very one?” she teased, although her eyes softened at the very thought of marrying him – with or without a tiara.

“Hmmm, I don’t think so love,” he chuckled as they reached Emma’s door. “You’ve got the papers?”

“Got ‘em,” she grinned, holding up the envelope holding the papers Harry had gotten drawn up for Emma to sign for the adoption – a symbolic gesture but an important one.

“Alright then, let’s go wake this princess up,” Harry said, excitement at their surprise for Emma written all over his face.

Alex pushed open the door quietly and they stepped into the room. It was still early and the light was just streaming through the curtains. Emma, as usual, was sprawled out under her covers, arms flung wide and wild blonde hair sticking out in every direction. Harry set the tray down quietly on Emma’s beside table and Alex slid the folder in next to it. Then, with wide grins they both moved in, jumping onto Emma’s bed.

“Emma! Wake up!” Alex sang out, reaching out to tickle her daughter just as her eyes snapped open in surprise.

“Good morning, Emma!” Harry called out, laughing as his fingers snaked out join Alex’s in tickling their daughter.

“Eeeee!” Emma squealed in surprise, giggles immediately falling from her lips at being woken up like this and at the fingers that tickled her. “Mummy! Daddy! You guys are craaaazy,” she giggled as she squirmed away from them. “Why are you wearing my tiaras and feather boas?”

Harry’s face brightened at her question and he reached out to ruffle her hair as she sat up in the bed. Alex moved to wrap her arms around Emma and cuddle her close while Harry stood from the bed to present their surprise.

“Well, Princess Emma, we decided we should all have breakfast in bed this morning – jammies and tiaras required. So…” He took a few steps and plucked one of Emma’s plastic tiaras from her shelf. “You are to wear this…” He handed the tiara off to Alex who put it on a delighted Emma’s head. “And this…” he pulled one of her feather boas from her play area and leaned over to place it over her shoulders.

“Breakfast in bed!” Emma clapped her hands in delight. “I must have done something good to deserve all this,” she said with a sigh and a smile.

“Ha!” Harry’s head tipped back with laughter. “Very good in fact,” Harry nodded as he slid onto the bed. “So tell me, Em…would you like to sign your adoption papers before or after breakfast?” he asked with a wink as he pulled the folder from the bedside table and held it up.

Emma’s entire face lit up and Alex winked at Harry, knowing that this was the absolute best idea for them to surprise her like this.

“I want to sign first!” Emma called out. “Please?”

“Absolutely,” Alex nodded with a laugh. “You sign, and then we all get to enjoy breakfast in bed. Sound good?”

“It sounds perfect!” Emma nodded, clapping her hands together.

Harry grinned and nodded his head in agreement. “Perfect.”

And it was.


	78. Chapter Seventy Eight

A/N: This is part one of Christmas :) Enjoy!

******************

The holiday season could not have come at a better time for the Wales household. Coming off of the near devastation the man who pretended to be Alex’s husband inflicted, it was wonderful for them all to have the warmth and cheer that Christmas brings.

In the middle of December, right as London was lit up with lights and a heavy snow had blanketed the ground, Alex’s first official engagement as Harry’s fiancée took place when they attended a charity gala for one of his favorite charities, Walking With the Wounded.

“You look beautiful,” Harry said, reaching over to squeeze her hand in his as they sat in the car on the way to the Grosvenor House hotel for the gala.

“Thank you,” she smiled up at him sweetly as her fingers linked with his. “Though that’s about the tenth time you’ve told me that, and while I’m not complaining, why don’t you tell me what you really want to say?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at how well she could read him. “Am I that obvious?”

“Yes,” she nodded, her lips curving into a soft smile.

He took a deep breath tugged her hand to his lips. “You seem a bit nervous,” he said, pressing a kiss to her hand and then tipping his head to the side.

“Of course I’m nervous,” she laughed lightly. “You’re so used to all of this…”

“The attention? The cameras?” His eyebrows rose. “So are you.”

“I’m used to paparazzi and keeping my mouth shut and just soldiering through it all until I get into private,” she corrected. “I’m not used to…actually being expected to smile and…” She laughed and shook her head. “To speak.”

“Alex…” he said, his face falling a bit at her words.

“No no,” she shook her head, her smile brightening as her fingers pulled at his. “That didn’t come out right. Sorry. It’s just…something different. But it’s something wonderful, because I’ll be there with you…officially.”

“Ah,” Harry nodded. “And you see, that’s why it’s different for me too, Alexandra. For the first time in my entire life, when I step out in front of those cameras, when I shake all of those hands, when I listen and talk to these people…the entire time I’m not alone. I’ve got you beside me, doing all of those things with me.”

Alex’s head tilted to the side and her lips pulled up at the corners. “Wow.”

“What?” he chuckled, amused at the look on her face.

“Do you remember when we were in the car right before we went public at Wimbledon?” she asked, her face growing a bit soft as she thought of it.

“Yes,” he drew the word out, wondering where she was going with it.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. “You were anxious about going in because it would be letting everyone in the world in on our relationship. After I talked you down, you told me I had this way of telling you to knock it the fuck off.”

“Ha!” Harry’s head tipped back with his laughter as he remembered. “Actually, love,” he said, turning sweet eyes back to her. “You said the knock it the fuck off bit.”

“Whatever,” Alex shrugged with a grin. “You knew what I meant. My point with that though is that you do the same thing for me, you know.”

“Yeah?” Harry looked a bit surprised before it inevitably gave way to smugness. “Well, don’t tell anyone that I can be sensible on occasion.”

“Aw, Harry…” Alex’s lips twisted. “You’re marrying me; everyone already knows how sensible you are.”

“Of course,” he chuckled and shook his head just as the car began to slow. He turned to glance out of the window and looked back to her. “Alright baby, we’re here. You okay? Ready to do this?”

“Absolutely,” she said, her smile pulling wide and bright, feeling much calmer knowing that he was excited about the two of them doing this together; that he would be right by her side all night.

And he was. He was right there with her all night. They worked as a team as they attended first a private welcome reception with the soldiers and other supporters of the charity before they moved on to the main gala benefit.

If Alex had been nervous, it had fallen away the moment she started to meet the men and women who had taken part in Walking With the Wounded expeditions, who’s stories were so incredibly inspiring. And Harry watched her with pride and a bit of wonder as she seemed to fall right into her element as she spoke with people at length.

Aside from the event that had brought them together so long ago, he had never really seen her work. Her work at HFTF had been incredibly private and of course he wasn’t privy to how she conducted herself when she was working with the men and women who came to her organization to help them recover from losing their loved ones in the line of duty. He had always known she had a special way about her, something that people opened up to, but to see it happen as she spoke to person after person was incredibly meaningful to him.

And when they settled back into the car later that evening, both tired but incredibly amped up from the evening, he felt as though a certain part of him had been completed, like a puzzle piece had been slipped quietly into place inside of him.

There was no doubt that he had found his partner in her, the person he would live with and work with for the rest of his life. 

**************

As had been the custom since Emma was a tiny baby, Alex’s parents made their way to London several days before Christmas. Unlike previous years however, this time they weren’t staying at a hotel, they were staying in Alex and Harry’s guest bedroom and Alex was absolutely thrilled to be able to do have them there; especially since this would be the last Christmas Day that she would spend solely with them.

Although Alex and Harry had considered arranging their Christmas plans as they had the previous year, with Alex and Emma coming up to Sandringham the day after Christmas to spend time with him and his family, ultimately a different plan was decided on.

Harry would leave for Sandringham on the 23rd, as he always did; while Alex and Emma would stay in London and spend time with her parents, Molly, and Matt and Charlotte. Then on the 27th, everyone – including Molly – would travel from London up to Highgrove where they were set to meet Charles and Camilla for the first time.

“We’re doing  _what_?!” Donna asked when Harry and Alex broke the news of the plan to them, once they had arrived and were comfortably settled in from their trip.

Alex giggled as Harry moved to assure Donna that it was not something to be worried about. “We just wanted you to meet before the wedding,” he said, a reassuring smile on his handsome face. “Papa is very much looking forward to it, as is Camilla. And since Will, Kate, and Henry are going to spend Christmas at the Middleton’s this year, I believe they are going to join us at Highgrove as well.”

“Careful Harry,” Mike snickered. “You don’t want to give her a heart attack before she actually meets your family.”

“Hey!” Donna laughed, reaching out to smack her husband’s arm. “I can be nervous about this. We’re talking about the future King and Queen of England – actually, two future Kings and Queens.”

“Three,” Harry called out, bringing a snort of laughter from Ale.

“I’m sorry?” Donna’s forehead furrowed in confusion.

“Henry,” Harry grinned, his eyes dancing with mischief. “My nephew is also going to be King someday.”

Both Alex and Mike burst into laughed and Donna narrowed her eyes at Harry, well aware that he was intentionally giving her a hard time.

“Don’t be nervous, Mimi,” Emma chimed in; looking up Donna from the book she had her nose buried in while she snuggled next to her Poppy on the couch. “Henry is just a baby, Uncle Will is really funny, and Grandpa Charles is so very nice. He’ll like you. And he always has candy in his pockets.”

 “Your granddaughter is absolutely right,” Alex smiled at Donna.

“Except for the part about Will being funny,” Harry said dryly, bringing another round of laughter from the group. “And Emma, don’t eat Papa’s pocket candy. I’m almost certain some of those pieces have been around since I was your age.”

Emma giggled and pulled a face just as a knock sounded out at the front door.

“That’ll be Matt and Charlotte,” Harry said, watching as Donna and Mike’s faces both lit up.

“Hello?” Matt called out into the house as he opened the front door and stepped in with Charlotte, having been given clearance by security to go on in per Harry’s instructions.

Donna appeared instantly from the living room into foyer, with Mike following right behind and they both moved to wrap Matt and Charlotte up in warm hugs. They had missed Matt quite a bit, not used to not having him around all the time and they were incredibly happy to see Charlotte and to dote on the mother of their newest grandchild-to-be.

“I’m sorry we weren’t here when you arrived,” Charlotte said with a smile as she pulled off her scarf and Matt helped her with her coat. They moved to step into the living room, greeting Harry, Alex, and Emma with hugs and kisses as well before they took a seat on one of the sofas. Mike and Donna settled back on the other with Emma while Harry slid into a comfy chair and Alex lowered herself to the floor at his feet. “We had an appointment we had to go to.”

 “What kind of appointment?” Donna asked, before her eyes flashed wide. “Wait. Was it a baby appointment?”

Matt chuckled, having known his mother would react exactly like that. “Yes, Mom. It was a baby appointment.”

“You did?!” Alex broke in, just as surprised as her parents at the news.

Charlotte shook her head at Alex, amused as always at the way excitement rolled through this family she had somehow become a part of. “We did,” she nodded as she reached for her purse and pulled out a small, wrapped present. “And then we stopped to get this for you.” She smiled as she leaned across the low coffee table and handed the package to Donna. “Merry Christmas…Mimi and Poppy.”

“I hope you aren’t handing her than thinking she’s going to wait until Christmas to open it,” Mike joked. “Especially if it has to do with the baby.”

“She can open it now,” Matt laughed. “Or you can…it doesn’t matter. It’s for both of you.”

“What is it?” Emma asked, intrigued as she leaned over Mike’s lap to see.

“I don’t know, Em,” Donna winked at her granddaughter. “Why don’t we open it and see?”

“Okay!” Emma nodded in excitement.

Donna peeled open the paper, a big smile lit up her face, and tears moved to her eyes. “What is it with my children trying to take me down today?” She sniffed at her tears as she peeled the paper all the way off and revealed a framed copy of Matt and Charlotte’s first ultrasound picture. She turned to Mike, her smile a mile wide as she handed it to him. “It’s our new grandbaby’s first photo.”

“Well, would you look at that,” Mike said softly, his fingers gentle as he took the frame from his wife.

And Alex couldn’t help herself; just as Donna stood from the couch to go hug Charlotte and Matt, she moved from her own spot on the floor to the couch where Mike still sat and she slid in next to him so she could look at the picture.

“Aww,” she sighed, her fingers reaching out to touch the frame. Her eyes rose to Matt and Charlotte as Harry moved to stand behind her so he could take a look as well. “So everything is good with Baby Emerson?”

“Everything is perfect,” Charlotte nodded, her lips pulling into a grin as she glanced to Matt and they exchanged an adoring look. “Our little one is coming along perfectly.”

“Okay, I don’t get it,” Emma said, her little brow furrowing in confusion at the picture. “I don’t see a baby. All I see is…blurry stuff.”

Alex couldn’t help the chuckle that fell from her lips as she leaned forward and pointed at the picture. “Do you see that tiny little spot right there?”

Emma squinted. “That?” she pointed to the tiny little black dot in the picture.

“Yep,” Alex nodded. “That’s the baby.”

“Are you sure Mummy? That doesn’t look like a baby.”

“It absolutely is,” Alex giggled along with the laughter that moved through the room. “I have a picture of you when you were this small too.”

Emma sighed and sat back with a shake of her little blonde head. “Well, I’m just going to have to see that to believe it.”

***********

“I can’t believe you are having your first fitting for your wedding dress in your living room,” Molly shook her head in amazement at Alex as they pushed furniture aside in Alex’s living room in anticipation of Alex’s designer.

Alex laughed as she stood up and looked around, satisfied that the area was clear enough. “Well, I can’t go to her. It will get out instantly and she’ll get mobbed. Plus, since it’s only three days until Christmas no one really expects me to be meeting with a dress designer right now, so the gates won’t be watched as much. As we get closer to the day it’ll get more cloak and dagger.”

“So tell me the truth, Alex,” Donna called out as she walked into the room holding a tray of snacks while Charlotte moved in right behind her with refreshments. “How many designers were begging to be the lucky one?”

Alex’s eyes widened as she remembered the slew of calls, lookbooks, and samples that had been sent her way. “It was…overwhelming. That was Mia’s first week with me too; when we had to wade through it all and narrow it down. Poor thing – having to deal with all of that while trying to learn how my life works now. But she did amazing.”

“She really did,” Charlotte agreed. She had been working with Mia, training her on certain things. She was smart, responsible, loyal, and she knew Alex incredibly well. Just like Charlotte had been and still was an asset to Harry, Mia would be a great asset to Alex. “At first I thought she might be shy or timid, but she really isn’t at all.”

Alex snorted. “You thought I was shy and timid at first too.”

“No,” Charlotte corrected, holding up her pointer finger. “I thought you were sweet; which you are.”

“So are you going to tell us or are you going to wait for them to show up and let us guess who they are?” Donna called up, bringing the conversation back around to the designer Alex chose.

Alex took a deep breath, her eyes travelling around the room to three of the women she loved most in the world. “I’ll tell you, of course. But, I have to say this first…” She smiled and pressed her hands together as she looked to all of them. “I trust all of you implicitly. None of you has ever breathed a single word about me to anyone and I know that seems trivial because it’s just a dress, but seriously, you can’t tell anyone. You can’t tell them you were present for a fitting, you can’t tell them you know who the designer is, you  _have_  to just…not talk about it at all if people ask. No one but you three, Emma, and Mia will know who it is. Not Harry, not Dad, not Matt…just you.”

“Oh we would never,” Molly said firmly, holding up her hand. “I swear.”

“I know,” Alex nodded, letting out a breath and relaxing a bit after saying her piece. As much as she knew they would never talk, she also knew that she had to say it, to relay how important it was that it would remain between them. “That’s why you’re all here. You wouldn’t be here if I didn’t know that.

“Alright then,” Charlotte said, raising her eyebrows. “Out with it. Who’d you choose?”

Alex’s took a deep breath and then her smile pulled wide. “Stewart Parvin.”

“Yes!” Charlotte immediately called out, throwing her hands in the air and making Alex laugh.

“Excellent choice, darling,” Molly added with a bright, proud smile.

Alex grinned and then turned towards Donna, who shrugged her shoulders with a slightly sheepish look. “I honestly don’t know who that is, but judging by Molly and Charlotte’s reactions I’m thinking that he’s a good designer.”

“He is,” Alex nodded with a laugh. “He’s a favorite of Harry’s granny and he also designed his cousin Zara’s dress.”

“And he has a Royal Warrant,” Charlotte added, very matter-of-fact.

“I have no idea what that is either, but it sounds official,” Donna quipped, bringing giggles from the other ladies. “Anyway, when will he be here?”

Alex glanced at her watch. “He’s coming with his assistant and they’ll be here in about fifteen minutes or so.”

“Well, I suppose I should go get my sleeping granddaughter up,” Donna said, clapping her hands together as she turned from the room and headed towards the stairs to go get Emma, who had been so worn out from the flurry of activities since her Mimi and Poppy arrived that she had voluntarily went to her room for a nap in the middle of the day. Alex was almost sure that was the first time that had ever happened.

“I’m going to go use the loo again,” Charlotte announced, wrinkling her nose. “I swear I thought the need to pee all the time wasn’t until later in pregnancy.”

“Everyone is different,” Alex giggled as Charlotte made a face at her and then moved off towards the downstairs bathroom. Then she turned and flopped onto one of the couches pushed against the wall, taking a moment of rest before all the craziness began again.

“Alex?” Molly’s voice was quiet as she slid in next to her on the couch.

Alex turned towards her with a smile. “Hmm?”

“I just wanted to thank you,” Molly said softly, her eyes growing a bit moist. “For including me today.”

Alex blinked, a bit surprised. “Why wouldn’t I include you? You’re…”

“I know, I know,” Molly laughed softly as she reached up to smudge at her damp eyes. “I’m Emma’s granny and we’ve always remained close…”

“Molly,” Alex interrupted, sitting up a bit straighter with a smile on her lips. “You know you’re more than just Emma’s granny or John’s mother. You’re my mother too.” She reached over and squeezed Molly’s hand with hers. “I love you, Molly, and I wouldn’t dream of leaving you out of any of this; not after everything you meant to me. You’ll be as much a part of this as my mom and dad; Harry and I will make sure.”

“I got lucky when my son married you,” Molly said, standing and moving to one of the pushed aside end tables for a tissue.

Alex blinked at her own tears, but a wide, happy smile moved across her face. “I did too. Incredibly lucky.”

**********

The dress fitting was a flurry of activity and fabric and lots of laughter. Stewart had brought sample pieces and they started off by mixing and matching different styles and materials to get a general idea of what Alex wanted for her dress.

Once they had some good ideas formulated they moved on to talking about Charlotte and Emma’s dresses, which Stewart would be designing as well. He was delighted in how much input Alex let Emma have in what she wanted her dress to look like and was very easygoing about working on something with Charlotte that would easily adapt to however large her baby bump was in May, while still creating something to her taste.

All in all, Alex was incredibly happy with how it went and excited to keep working with Stewart and his team.

But more than anything, she was so grateful that her mother and Molly had both been able to be there for the meeting. Having them there to offer their input and advice meant the world to her, as it did to them as well.

*************

“Okay, I’m exhausted,” Alex said with a quiet laugh as she dropped onto the couch in their living room. It had been a long day with the dress fittings and all of the craziness that usually came with her family being in town. She sighed as she relaxed into the soft cushions and kicked her shoes off. Emma was tucked into bed, her parents had retired for the evening, and now it was just her and Harry for the remainder of the evening.

Harry chuckled as he moved through the room, turning off all of the lights except for the Christmas lights, casting a warm, soft glow throughout the room. Then he moved to her, sliding in next to her on the couch and wrapping an arm around her, pulling her into her side. “It was a long day, huh?”

“Mhmm,” she nodded, closing her eyes as she tucked her legs under her and snuggled into his side. “But it was a fun day.”

He smiled to himself, glad she had enjoyed her time with her mother, Emma, Charlotte, and Molly. He leaned his head to the side and rested it on top of hers, both of them quiet as they enjoyed the peace and the soft glow of the room Alex had so meticulously decorated.

“Can I talk to you about something?” he finally spoke, his voice soft, not wanting to disturb the feeling in the room.

“Is it about how I don’t have a glass of wine in my hand right now? Because I’d like to talk about that too…”

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the side of her head, loving her humor. “If you let me talk to you about this I’ll get you all the wine you want.”

She giggled as she sat up and looked at him. “Okay, Wales. I’m listening.”

He shifted a bit, turning so that he could face her. “With everything that’s happening; the wedding, adopting Emma, I’ve been thinking about my career quite a bit…with whether or not I should continue to fly the Apache.”

“Oh wow…” Alex’s eyes flashed wide. “But Harry, you love flying the Apache.”

“I do,” he nodded, his lips pulling into a smile. “I do love it. But, I love you and Emma more.”

“Harry…”

“Alex,” he interrupted, his voice growing serious and pulling all of her attention snapping to him.  “I have to consider the very real possibility that if I keep flying the Apache, I could get deployed again.”

She sucked in a breath at his words and her lip pulled between her teeth. “I know…I’ve known that was a possibility, Harry. We’ve done it once. We could…”

“I have a family now, Alex,” he cut her off with a shake of his head. “I have two people here that my entire world revolves around, that I would  _anything_  to protect. How can I justify knowingly putting myself into harm’s way and leaving you two potentially alone without me?”

Alex blinked several times and swallowed hard, a bit stunned. She would have never expected this from Harry, not with the way he loved his job. “So you’re just going to…quit the Army?”

“No,” he smiled as he reached for her hand, pulling it over to his lap. “I’d be moving into a position here in London. It’s more of a desk job…”

“A desk job?” she asked, her eyes narrowing a bit. “You know you wouldn’t be happy in a desk job.”

“Just listen,” he chuckled, pulling her hand to his lips and pressing a warm kiss to her fingertips. “It’s more of a desk job, but it puts me in London full time; no more days and nights away during the week on base.”

Alex couldn’t help the way her lips pulled into a slow smile. “Okay, well I can’t deny how much I like the sound of that.”

“Me too,” he nodded, his smile matching hers.

“Alright,” Alex took a deep breath, amazed to find that a tiny part of her relaxed a bit at the thought that Harry wouldn’t get deployed again. “So what would this new job entail?”

He smiled and Alex couldn’t help but notice the spark of excitement in his eyes. “I’ll be coordinating major events involving the military in London,” he said. “Like Trooping of the Colour for example.”

“Oh wow,” Alex grinned, instantly understanding why this job change appealed to him. It was broader and bigger and a huge challenge; basically something Harry would be dying to sink his teeth into. “I think you’d really enjoy that.”

“I do to,” he replied, his own smile pulling wider. “When it was brought to me, it just seemed to make sense, Alex. I can be in London full time with you and Em and I can try something new, something I think I could be really great at.”

“And you’re sure you’re okay with giving up the Apache?” she asked, her eyebrows lifting with the questions. She wanted to be sure that he was doing this for himself and not for her.

He smirked. “I honestly didn’t think I’d have this much trouble getting you on board with this, love.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed, her head tilting back before she pulled up and looked at him with bright, happy eyes. “I’m on board,” she said as she shifted, moving to his lap and settling her legs on either side of his. “I just want you to give up something you love for me.”

His arms moved around her, hugging her against him. “And I appreciate that; more than you know. But let me ask you this. Why did you quit HFTF, Alex?”

“Because I couldn’t work there and marry…ahh,” she laughed, pointing a finger at him. “I see what you did there.”

“You’ve given up so much, baby,” he said, leaning up to kiss her lips softly. “What makes you think that I wouldn’t do the same for you?”

“I love you, Henry Wales,” she whispered against his lips, knowing that he would absolutely do anything for her that he could.

“I love you too,” he replied with a grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck and settled around him.

“Mhhmm,” she smiled, her eyes moving over the handsome face she loved so much. “What time do you have to leave for Sandringham in the morning?”

“Early,” he offered with a soft smile. “The car will be here at seven.”

“Ugh,” Alex groaned and her shoulders slumped. “I know I shouldn’t be such a brat about this, but I hate that we can’t spend Christmas together.”

“You’re not being a brat,” he chuckled, his arms tightening around her. “I’m not thrilled about it either.”

She sighed as she looked down on him and her fingers moved to play in the soft hair at the base of his neck. “I know you do.”

His lips pulled up at the corners and leaned up to kiss her again. “But the good news is that this is our very last Christmas apart. This time next year…”

“We’ll be married,” she finished for him, everything about her brightening as she said the words.

“And you’ll be cursing yourself for marrying me when you’re changing clothes for the fourth time on Christmas Day.”

Alex giggled and shook her head, smiling against his lips as they met hers again. “Why on earth do you have to change clothes so many times?”

His hands moved up into her hair and he pulled her closer down to him. “Do you really want to talk about all the royal protocol for Christmas day, or would you prefer to…” His mouth found hers again, his tongue teasing out against her lips, asking to be let into her sweet mouth and then pushing in to find her tongue with his, running long, slow strokes against it.

“But Royal Protocol is so damn interesting,” she teased, her eyes dancing with her humor.

“Okay,” he laughed as he moved to stand and move towards the stairs and to their bedroom, keeping her wrapped up in his arms as he did. “Now you’re actually being a brat.”

Alex buried her face in his neck to muffle her laughter as he moved them up the stairs and past the rooms of her sleeping daughter and parents, her mood once again lifted by this happy, loving, incredibly sexy man who was about to spend a better part of the night making up for the days they would be apart.

***************

“Alex…wake up baby…”

Alex’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of Harry’s voice and the feeling of him rubbing her back gently. She turned her head over her should and smiled sleepily when she saw him standing over her, dressed in a warm sweater, his hair still slightly wet from his shower. “Hey,” she murmured, her voice hoarse from sleep.

“I’m leaving now,” he whispered, his fingers reaching up to brush her hair from her face.

“Okay,” Alex replied with a soft smile as she turned over and moved to her knees on the bed so she could hug and kiss him goodbye.

“Oh, I’m going to miss you,” he groaned as he wrapped his arms around her and inhaled her scent.

“I’ll miss you more,” she mumbled against his neck, bringing a chuckle from him. His hands ran up over her shoulders and to her neck, cupping her face in his hands, pulling her back and meeting her eyes for a moment before his lips descended on hers, slow and warm and full of love.

“I have to go,” he finally said as he reluctantly lifted his mouth from hers. “I’ll see you in four days, love.”

“I hope you make it that long,” she teased, earning her one more kiss. “Make sure to stop and kiss Emma good-bye on your way out.”

“I wouldn’t dream of forgetting such a thing,” he said, his smile pulling wide.

And then, with one more kiss to her forehead, her nose, and finally her lips, he winked at her and stepped away. He moved out of the door, shut it softly, and Alex watched with a smile, knowing this would be the very last time they would ever have to do this; spend this holiday apart.

And with that thought, she snuggled back down into her covers, closed her eyes, and drifted back to sleep.

 


	79. Chapter Seventy Nine

“It’s bloody cold out here,” Will grumbled, a shiver running through him as he and Harry walked out on the snow covered grounds behind the main house at Sandringham on Christmas Eve.

“You’re such a wuss,” Harry chuckled, throwing a side glance at his brother.

“Is this part of a plan to take back your spot as third in line? Take me out here and make sure I freeze to death?” William deadpanned, bringing a shout of laughter from Harry.

“You know, if people heard us talking like that, they’d think we were nuts. Or disturbed.”

Will smirked and then shrugged. “We have to joke about it. Somehow it makes it…smaller. Although, I have to tell you, I hate those fucking Lion King internet things.”

“Memes?” Harry offered with a grin.

“Whatever,” William huffed.

“Only because they make fun of your hair…or lack of it.”

Will rolled his eyes and laughed, enjoyed the banter and good-natured ribbing between him and his brother. They didn’t get to see each other enough, but he always enjoyed when they did. “Alright, so if you’re not going to take me out of the line of succession, why do you have me out here?”

Harry’s smile grew soft and he slowed, Will matching his pace until they finally stopped walking altogether and Harry turned to face him. “I’ve been thinking about the treehouse at Highgrove.”

Will’s eyebrows lifted. “The treehouse? Shit. I haven’t been there in ages.”

“I took Alex up there last summer,” Harry admitted, his grin almost boyish. “I also had Smith pull down some of the old toys and Emma I played up there for a while one day.”

“Did you really?” Will asked, surprise flashing across his face. “That’s great. Did she enjoy it?”

“She loved it,” Harry nodded. “As did I. She’s…even then we had such a fun, easy way with each other.”

“She’s an outstanding kid,” Will offered, watching with a small smile as his brother spoke about the little girl who he now called his niece.

“Mhmm,” Harry nodded, his lips tugging up at the corners. “So listen,” he took a deep breath. “I’m going to ask Papa, but I’m checking with you first. I want to give Emma the treehouse for Christmas.”

Will’s smile pulled a bit wider and his head tipped slightly to the side. “Why would you have to ask me?”

“Come on,” Harry smirked. “That was –  _is_  – our treehouse. I thought maybe you might want it to be Henry’s one day.”

“Henry will have plenty,” Will said with a laugh. “Did you know they gave us a boat for him when we toured Australia? A  _boat_. Lovely boat, but he was eight months old. Anyway, what I’m saying is that of course you can give Emma the treehouse and I’m sure Papa will be fine with it. Highgrove will be yours someday anyway.”

“Not for a long time,” Harry shrugged, not even thinking along those lines yet. “But thank you. That means a lot to me.”

William nodded and a moment of silence passed between the two of the before Will spoke, his voice lower and catching Harry’s full attention. “I don’t think it actually hit me until right now,” he said with a shake of his head. “That you’re a  _father_.”

“Ahhh,” Harry smiled. “Is that strange for you?”

“Yes, but in a good way,” Will chuckled. He took a deep breath and his eyes tilted up to the night sky, watching the stars and his own breath in the cold air for a moment before his gaze slid back to Harry. “I’m proud of you, Harry.”

Harry blinked and his eyes narrowed. “Are you about to mess with me? Are Peter and Mike hiding around the corner with snowballs about to pelt my ass?”

“Ha!” Will’s head tipped back with laughter. “No. No, I’m not messing with you. I am proud of you. Look what you’ve done, how much has changed in your life. Less than three years ago you were naked on the front page of The Sun and now you’re about to be married to an amazing woman, you’ve got a daughter, and damn Harry, you love them beyond anything. Everyone can see it. I  _am_  proud. Father is proud. And you know…Mum would be just…” He stopped and swallowed at the emotion that bubbled up in his throat. “Mum would be incredibly proud.”

Harry bit his lip and blinked several times, shaking his head slightly as he pushed the tears back. “I hope so.”

Warm, comfortable silence fell between the two brothers and they started walking again, moving back towards the main house. There had been moments in their lives when they had dropped the ribbing and the snark and emotions had run high between them; those first few months after their mother died, William and Catherine’s wedding, the intervention for Harry’s PTSD, and when Henry was born stood out among them and now this one would too. It meant a great deal to both of them, more than they would ever admit to each other.

“Just out of curiosity, what would have done had I said no?” William asked with a sly quirk to his lips.

And without missing a beat Harry grinned and replied, “Left your ass out here to freeze and overtaken the throne.”

“Nice,” William chuckled, bumping his shoulder into Harry’s. “And to think I almost considered going through this entire holiday without mentioned how thin your hair is getting…”

“Of course,” Harry groaned with a shake of his head.

 *********************

“There’s Harry!” Donna called out, pointing to the flat screen television on the wall as they watched the Royal Family on their annual walk to church on Christmas Day.

Alex’s smile pulled wide as she watched her fiancé move past the crowds, waving and smiling at them as he went. “He looks handsome,” she commented, taking in the shock of bright red hair and his rosy cheeks.

“And cold,” Emma added, bringing a laugh from the group gathered in the living room.

“Well,” he not lucky enough to be snuggled up inside like you are,” Mike teased Emma with a pinch to her nose.

“Alexandra, will you be walking like that next year?” Donna asked, turning to look at Alex.

“Of course,” she nodded with a smile. “Emma and I both will walk with Harry.”

Emma perked up at that. “I’ll go too?”

“Absolutely,” Alex replied. “Technically, since Harry legally adopted you, you could have gone this year. But I wanted you to stay with me and spend time with Mimi and Poppy and Granny. After this year, we will be spending Christmas day at Sandringham with Harry’s family every year.”

“Every year?” Emma’s eyebrows lifted, a worried look crossing her face. “We won’t see Mimi and Poppy and Granny at Christmas anymore?”

“Of course you’ll still see us,” Molly said with a wink in Emma’s direction. “It’ll just be a day or two after actual Christmas day. So really, Emma, Christmas will last extra-long for you.”

“Well,” Emma sighed dramatically and sat back into the sofa, picking up the iPad that Alex’s parents had given her for Christmas and resuming whatever she had been doing before Harry came on TV. “You just can’t beat an extra-long Christmas.”

**************

They were about forty five minutes into A Christmas Story when Alex’s phone rang out, startling her and momentarily diverting the attention of the people in the room to her from the movie.

“Sorry,” she shrugged, although her lips were already curling up into a smile as she listened to the ringtone she knew so well. “It’s Harry.”

“Oooooo!” Emma scrambled out from under her blanket on the couch next to Alex and her eyes were big and excited. She held her little hand out and asked, “Mummy, can I answer it please?”

Alex couldn’t help but hand the phone right over, her heart melting at the pure excitement and love on her daughter’s face. “Make sure to tell him Merry Christmas,” she said as Emma swiped her finger across the screen.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy!” Emma sang out as she bounced on her knees with the words. “We saw you on TV!”

“Merry Christmas, Emma,” Harry chuckled into the phone. “You did?”

“Uh huh,” she nodded. “Mummy said you looked handsome.”

“Well, your mummy is an incredibly smart lady. And what did you think?”

“I thought you looked cold,” she answered, the cutest little bit of sympathy in her voice, bringing laughter not only from Harry, but from the people in the room with her.

“Ha! Well, I was cold. So tell me Princess, how has your Christmas been?”

“It’s been good,” Emma answered and he could hear the smile in her voice. “We opened presents earlier and then we ate a big dinner and now we’re watching A Christmas Story.”

“Sounds like an amazing day, kiddo. I miss you,” Harry said softly.

“I miss you too! And Mummy misses you too,” she said with a sly giggle and Harry heard faint laughter in the background  – obviously Alex’s family was getting a kick out of their conversation.

“Does she now?” He couldn’t help but grin. “Does your mummy happen to be right there with you?”

“Yeeeees,” Emma snickered, drawing the word out and turning her eyes to look up to Alex. “Do you want to talk to her?”

“Would you mind if I did?” Harry chuckled. He couldn’t help but get a kick out of his daughter.

“Nope,” Emma answered, her lips popping with the word. “She definitely wants to talk to you too. Love you, Dad! Merry Christmas! See you in a couple days!”

“Love you too Em,” he smiled wide. He heard the phone being shuffled around and then Alex’s voice came on the line, and he swore his heart beat just a little bit faster.

“Merry Christmas, Harry.”

“Ah, my love. Merry Christmas,” he replied softly.

“How is it up there? How is everyone?” Alex asked.

“All very good. We’re having fun. I’ve spent most of my time trying to convince Henry to say ‘Uncle Harry.’”

Alex laughed, picturing it in her head. “And how is that going?”

“He’s stubborn, but we’ll get there,” he chuckled. “How is it going there? How is your family?”

“It’s wonderful,” she said with a wide smile as she glanced around the room at everyone gathered there. “Want to say hello to everyone? I’ll put it on speaker phone.”

“Absolutely,” Harry agreed happily.

Alex pulled the phone from her ear and pushed the speaker icon. The next few minutes were spent in good natured conversation and ribbing between Harry and Alex’s family. It was clear how close they really were, how much they considered Harry one of them how much he really felt like one of them.

“Alright,” Harry announced with a bit of laughter after a bit of going back and forth with Matt about the new FIFA came Charlotte had bought him for Christmas. “Speaking of presents. Alex, you there?”

“I’m here!” she called out.

“Okay, I know we said we weren’t going to do our presents until Highgrove but…”

Surprise moved through the room as the doorbell rang out through the house, sending both Gus and Matt’s dog Zuko flying into the foyer towards the front door.

“What did you do?” Alex narrowed her eyes at her phone although her lips were smiling.

“Just go to the door love,” Harry chuckled through the phone.

“Okay…” she giggled, snatching her phone from the coffee table and standing from the couch. Matt moved from his spot beside Charlotte to go help control the dogs and Emma followed Alex into the foyer, naturally curious. Alex handed her phone off to Emma when she pulled open the door and she couldn’t help but grin when she saw the tall, rectangular present sitting there on the step by itself. It was beautifully wrapped in red and gold Christmas paper and Alex wasted no time in stepping out to lift it from the step and into the house.

“What is it?” Emma asked with wide eyes as Alex shut the door behind her.

“Well…” Alex drawled with a wink. “It’s not terribly heavy. I don’t know. Should I shake it and try to guess?”

“No!” Harry called through the phone, drawing a giggle from both Alex and Emma as they moved back into the living room with Matt and the dogs close behind.

“Of course he sent a big ass…” Charlotte’s eyes widened and her lips twitched as she glanced at Emma. “Sorry. Of course he went over the top and sent a big ol present.”

“I heard the bad word, Aunt Charlotte,” Emma sassed as she jumped back onto the couch, Alex’s phone still firmly in her hand while Harry waited on the other end.

“I did too,” Harry joked on the phone. “Now listen, this present is kind of both for Alex and Emma. It really has a lot to do with both of you.”

Alex shared an excited glance with her daughter and suddenly she couldn’t wait another second to open it. “Come on Em, help me,” she encouraged. 

Emma immediately set down the phone onto the coffee table and her fingers went to work with Alex’s, tearing at the pretty wrapping paper. It took several big rips of paper to fully expose the front of the gift, for Alex to realize what it was, but when she did she couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her mouth or the tears that filled her eyes. Her fingers flew to her lips and she shook her head as she stared at it.

Right there in front of her, mounted in a tall sort of frame, was a portion of the door frame from Emma’s old room at their apartment – the door frame that Alex had used to mark Emma’s height each year as she grew. And they were all there – each little line marking the seven years that they had been there together.

“That’s from my door!” Emma squealed as she pointed at it. “That’s how tall I used to be every year!”

“Harry…” Alex breathed, her heart thundering in her chest. Everyone in the room moved from their seats to come look at Harry’s gift but Alex didn’t see them, didn’t notice them. She could only stare at the amazing gift in front of her. “Oh my God. How did you even…”

“Do you like it?” His voice was soft through the speaker on the phone.

She reached for her phone, pulled it off speaker, and pressed it to her ear wanting him to herself for just a moment. “Like it? Harry, I  _love_  it. I…this is so amazing.”

“Oh baby, I’m so glad you love it. I’m sorry I did it this way, but I really wanted you to get it when you were in our home. Though I wish I could see your face right now.”

She shook her head, a soft laugh escaping as she swiped at her eyes. “Well, it’s all red and splotchy because you went and made me cry.”

He couldn’t help but tear up a bit himself, sniffing at the image of her so happy. “Good tears though?”

“Of course, yes,” she sighed. “I just…I can’t believe this. It’s so wonderful. I’m going to end up carrying it from room to room with me because I don’t know that I’ll be able to decide where to put it.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed, his head tipping back into the cushion of the chair he was in. “Well, we’ll narrow down a list after we get back from Highgrove.”

“Okay,” she laughed softly.

“Okay,” he nodded and then glancing up and seeing his father standing in the doorway of the room he sighed. “Okay my love, I have to go. It’s time to go get changed for supper. I’ll call you later tonight, okay?”

“Okay,” she smiled. “Harry…thank you. And I love you.”

“I love you too, Alexandra. Give Emma a kiss for me.”

“I absolutely will,” she replied and then after they said their good-byes, she finally pulled the phone from her ear and glanced around, noticing everyone looking at her. “What?” she laughed.

“That man…” Donna shook her head, a slight sheen of tears in her own eyes. “Is incredibly smooth.”

And Alex couldn’t help but burst into laughter, along with the rest of the room. “He really, really is.”

**************

It was much later, after dinner with the entire family, complete with the usual tales of hilarity and back and forth banter between them all that Harry and Charles sat down for a drink alone in one of the parlors. A fire roared in the fireplace and they each sat in high backed but comfortable chair near it and sipped scotch.

“Did Alexandra like her gift, son?” Charles asked, his eyes trained on Harry’s face, more content and happy than he had ever seen it.

“She really did. I’m glad I could give that to her. It’s important that she have those pieces of Emma’s life.”

“Absolutely,” Charles agreed. “And what did you get Emma for Christmas?”

“Actually,” he said as he took a sip of his scotch and then sat forward a bit. “I wanted to ask you for something.”

Charles brows lifted. “Something for Emma?”

“Yes,” Harry smiled. “I’ve already spoken to Will and made sure it was okay with him. I want to make the treehouse at Highgrove Emma’s.”

“You want to give her the treehouse for Christmas?” Charles head tilted to the side and his lips moved into a warm smile.

“I really do,” Harry nodded and then shrugged. “I don’t know. She loves it and I wanted her to have something that used to be one of my favorite things when I was her age.”

“Well then it’s hers,” Charles nodded and then took a sip of his drink. “I’m more than happy to let her get use out of it.”

 “Thanks Dad,” Harry said, his smile pulling wide, already picturing the excitement on Emma’s face when he gave it to her.

“Of course,” Charles said with a wave of his hand.

Both of the men sat back in their chairs then, letting the moment settle and both of them letting their minds wander a bit. It was several moments before either of them spoke, but when the silence was broken, it was Charles’ voice that filled the space between them, a bit deeper and more serious than it had been moments before.

“Son,” he cleared his throat. “I was originally going to wait until closer to the wedding to give you this, but I think now might be the right time.”

Harry’s brow furrowed together as he watched his father reach inside the picket of his blazer. “Another gag gift?” he joked, the hilarious annual gift exchange within his family still fresh on his mind from the evening before.

“No,” Charles shook his head and smirked before his hand pulled from his blazer and his face moved towards serious again. “Your grandfather – my father – gave this to me before I married your mother,” he said softly, emotion evident in his voice.

“Your pocket watch?” Harry’s eyes flashed surprise when he saw the familiar object in his father’s hand. “I never knew that.”

“There are a few things I’ve kept to myself over the years,” Charles smiled. “And this…” he turned the watch over in his fingers and looked down at it. “You know that your grandfather and I had a bit of a turbulent relationship when I was younger.”

“Sure,” Harry said slowly, unsure where his father was going with his speech.

“When he gave this to me was a bit of a turning point in our relationship. He said he respected the man I had become and was proud of me,” Charles said. He took a deep breath and his eyes moved back up to Harry’s. “I know I’ve said those things to you before, I always made sure that you and your brother knew how proud I was of you both, how you’ve both grown into amazing men. But right now, watching you since Alexandra and Emma came into your life, the way you’ve loved and protected them both,” he took a deep breath and nodded towards his son. “You deserve every bit of respect and pride I have, Henry Charles.”

“Papa,” Harry whispered, unsure if the lump of emotion in his throat would even allow his voice to go higher than that. “It’s really…I just love them both.”

“Listen to me,” Charles sat forward and met and held Harry’s eyes with his. “I loved your mother.  You know that. But I didn’t love her like I should have. I didn’t support her like I should have. I didn’t do everything I could to make sure she was happy and comfortable. I was too selfish and too caught up in the fact that if I’d had a choice, I would have chosen differently. But the thing is son, I  _did_  have a choice. I could have gone another way and married someone else who I knew was better for me, but I  _chose_  to not make waves and to do what everyone else thought was best. And you know what? I was happy until the first sign on trouble and then all I could feel was resentment.”

“Dad,” Harry tried to interrupt, wanting to assure his father that he didn’t have to do this, that these things had already been laid out a hundred times between them.

“Hold on,” Charles held up a hand. “Let me finish. My point is that you and your brother didn’t sit there and accept what others wanted in regards to the way you live your lives and in the women you are bringing into this family. You have each carved your own path and found partners with whom you’ve forged these incredible support systems. That’s so important, Harry – I know from experience how incredibly important that is. And you did that with a single mother. You forged that relationship not only with her, but with her child and you never cared once what anyone had to say about it. Come on, Henry. You’ve done more than just love them.”

“I…I don’t know what to say,” Harry mumbled, swallowing and blinking several times to try and keep his emotions in check. “Just…thank you, Papa.”

Charles smiled warmly and nodded his head. He reached forward and patted Harry’s cheek, before moving to hand the pocket watch over to him, watching as Harry’s fingers closed tightly around the incredibly meaningful gift.

“You’re welcome, my son.”

************

Both Harry and Alex both enjoyed Christmas with their respective families immensely; although they missed each other terribly. Being apart over a holiday that was meant to be spent with the ones that you love the most was hard on them both, but they each made it a point to make to make the most of the time.

But soon enough, the days apart had passed. Two days after Christmas, Harry, Charles and Camilla, and William, Kate, and Henry travelled from Sandringham to Highgrove, arriving early in the morning to open the place up and make sure it was prepared for the arrival of Alex and her family.

Of course, there was one place that Harry was keen to make sure was cleaned up and prepared for the arrival of its newest inhabitant – the Treehouse. His father and William offered their assistance and the three of them went to work cleaning it out, even in the cold, snowy morning; sweeping and clearing out the dirt, dust, and cobwebs that had formed over the months that it had gone unused.

“Bloody hell,” William grumbled. “If I run into another spider web…” He looked up distastefully at a corner of the inside of the treehouse, wary of the potential spider whose home he may have just gotten caught up in.

“Relax Will,” Harry chuckled from where he stood at the door, working away with a hammer and nails at hanging something above the doorway. “It’s the dead of winter. Whatever spider was living in that web is long gone. You probably swept him out with all the dust and dirt.”

“I don’t take chances,” Will shook his head as his lifted his broom to knock down the rest of the web and sweep it into the pile of dirt on the floor.

Harry laughed again and then stepped back from the doorway, his eyes narrowing as his admired his handiwork. A smile tipped his lips when he was satisfied that it was straight and level.

Will stepped out of the doorway, swept the final pile of dirt off the side of the small deck and then turned toward the doorway. “Emma’s Treehouse,” he said, reading out the sign that Harry had hung with such care. He grinned as he set the broom against the side of the treehouse and then reached in his pocket for his gloves. “How times have changed.”

Harry returned Will’s grin and slid his own hands into his pockets, warming them a bit. “I know. It wasn’t that long ago that I was kicking your ass playing soldiers up here.”

William snorted and shook his head. “You never kicked my ass at anything.”

“Please,” Harry groaned, the brotherly competitiveness between them amping up instantly. “I did too. And I still could.”

“Are you two done yet?” Charles called up from below where he had been clearing snow from around the bottom of the treehouse. “Because I’m fairly certain I just heard a car pull up out front, but I don’t really want to explain to Alexandra and Emma that you two couldn’t come greet them because you were having a pissing match in the treehouse.”

“They’re here?” Harry’s entire face lit up and he immediately moved to the small ladder that led back down to solid ground, totally forgetting about the conversation he was having with his brother. He was down the ladder within second and without stopping to wait for his father or Will, he took off through the garden. He moved through them quickly and towards the path that led around the side of the house to the front, his smile pulling wider with each step he took.

He rounded the corner of the house just in time to see Alex step from the car and turn to help Emma out. Molly was getting out of the car on the other side and Mike and Donna were stepping from a second car that was pulled in right behind Alex, Emma, and Molly’s. His steps became even faster and before he knew it, he found himself calling out to them.

“I see you made it!”

Alex and Emma both swung around at the sound of the voice and their faces both lit up in almost identical wide, bright smiles and suddenly everything in Harry felt complete again.

They were there. His family was there.

“Daddy!” Emma called out as she broke away from Alex and into a full run towards Harry.

“My princess!” Harry laughed as he opened his arms and let her fly right into them. “Oh, I missed you little girl,” he murmured as he lifted her from her feet and into his arms.

Her arms squeezed around his neck and she giggled. “I missed you more!”

Harry chuckled, squeezed her tight one more, and turned to kiss her cheek. “I’m going to say hello to your mum now,” he whispered, his eyes already lifting to find Alex walking towards them, her eyes bright and her lips curved into the most adorable smile.

“Are you going to kiss her?” Emma asked, her nose scrunching up at the thought.

“Absolutely,” Harry nodded, his eyes crinkling up with the smile the spread across his face as he set Emma down.

“Ugh,” Emma groaned, already turning around to head back towards the cars and her grandparents. “Always with the kissing.”

Harry laughed at her sass and then his eyes settled on Alex, his heart beating harder in his chest. His lips quirked up in anticipation. “Come here,” he said, nodding his head to the side and opening his arms to her.

And after four days away from him, Alex could do nothing but exactly that – step right into Harry’s arms and relish the feeling as they closed tightly around her.

“Damn Alexandra, I missed you,” Harry murmured into her hair as she nuzzled her face into his chest for a moment, taking in his smell before turning her face up to his.

“Well then you better kiss me like you told Emma you were going to,” she said, her eyes dancing with the words.

“Mmmm,” Harry dipped his head and his arms tightened around her as he pressed a warm, full kiss to her lips, soaking in every single second he could of the kiss that wasn’t anywhere near a long or as deep or as passionate as they both wished it could be. All too soon it had to be over. Much too quickly Harry heard his father and Will coming around the corner and he knew any moment Camilla and probably Kate would be stepping out of the front door to greet everyone. With a sigh he pulled back, his eyes holding hers for a brief, want filled moment before they had to step away from each other.

But in the end, ending their embrace was for something they both wanted, something that had been a long time in the making.

It was time to introduce their families.

************

Charles and Camilla were warm and welcoming to Alex’s family, just as she assured them that they would be. They felt at ease in their presence, as well as that of Will and Kate, and the relaxed nature of Harry’s family meshed well with the relaxed nature of Alex’s.

There were small things that highlighted their differences, of course, but no one in Alex’s life was a stranger to the parts of royal life that made it different than normal life. Security and staff members around them – while not something they were used to on a daily basis – were part of Alex’s life and had been for quite a while, so they weren’t very surprised by those things at Highgrove.

Their bags were unloaded and taken up to their rooms, where they were allowed a bit to get settled, and then because Harry simply couldn’t wait any longer, they leaded back out into the cold so that everyone could watch as Harry gave Emma the Treehouse.

To say that Emma loved her gift was an understatement. She was almost beside herself with excitement at having her very own treehouse – taking particular delight that there was a sign right above the door declaring that it was her domain. She hugged and kissed Harry, thanking him over and over again and, Harry made sure that she knew that both his father and William had helped to clean it out and spruce it up for her. She wasted no time in running over to hug her Papa Charles and her Uncle Will and to thank them as well.

Harry and Will stayed outside with Emma to play with what little daylight was left while the rest of the group went inside. Charles was more than happy to give a tour of Highgrove to Alex’s parents and Molly, regaling them with hilarious tales of William and Harry when they were children there and sharing small anecdotes as they passed certain pictures or knickknacks that held memories for him.

It wasn’t until later on in the evening after dinner that things settled down a bit. Alex was curled up on one of the comfortable couches in the library with Emma, who was reading a book that Camilla had given her, telling her it was one of her daughter’s favorites when she was Emma’s age. Molly – recognizing a fellow book lover when she saw one – had struck up a conversation about literature with Camilla and they were engrossed in conversation near one of the many shelves of books in the room. Donna seemed to have really taken to Kate and was quite enamored with little Henry as well, spending quite a bit of time crossed legged on the floor of the library playing with him and discussing her job as a special education teacher to Kate as assisting special needs children was a cause very close to her heart.

“Your father and mine seem to have hit it off,” Harry remarked quietly as he slid onto the couch next to Alex. “They’ve been in Dad’s office for the better part of an hour discussing clean energy practices. I had to take my leave, but Will seems to be hanging in there with the discussion,” he chuckled.

“Mmmm,” Alex sighed, turning her eyes up to his. “It’s nice having our families together.”

“It’s wonderful,” Harry nodded, his eyes filled with love and contentment as they met hers. “And look at her,” he nodded towards Emma. “She must have been worn out.”

Alex turned her head down to look at her daughter, smiling as she found her fast asleep, the book Camilla gave her still clenched in her little hand.

“Completely worn out,” Alex laughed. “I should probably take her up to bed.”

“Want me to take her?” Harry asked softly.

“Hmmm,” Alex smiled, turning her eyes back to his. “Why don’t we both take her?”

Harry’s lips curved up. “We could tuck her into her room and then maybe retire to ours?”

Alex worked hard to keep the flush from her cheeks and the dance from her eyes, not wanting to give herself away to the entire room. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Captain.”

Harry wasted no time in rising to his feet and Alex had to bit her lip in order not to giggle at his eagerness. He hugged and kissed everyone in the room goodnight before turning and lifting Emma from Alex’s lap so she could do the same.

They moved from the room and up the stairs to Emma’s room where Alex quickly got their sleepy little girl changed into a pair of pajamas before they tucked her into the bed, Emma’s eyes barely staying open long enough for both of them to kiss her goodnight. Then, stepping from the room and closing the door softly behind them, Harry followed Alex into their room, right next door to Emma’s.

The door was barely shut and locked before Alex flung herself at Harry, her arms wrapping around his neck and her mouth finding his as he pulled her hard and tight against him.

Their clothes came off in a hurry, flying wildly around the room as giggles and soft moans and groans passed between them. It had been hard being apart from each other over the holiday and the want, the absolute  _need_ , between them to reconnect was powerful and undeniable.

They barely made it to the bed before they were joined together. It was hot and fast and breathless; the passion filling the air between them as they both pushed each other to that place that was only reserved for the other, a place that made them moan each other’s name over and over again as their bodies pulsed with pleasure.

After it all settled, after their breathing had returned, Harry left her side only to clean up and then h returned and pulled her right into his side, wanting her as close as possible.

“Alex?” he whispered, turning to kiss her forehead and then dropping his gaze to hers.

“Hmmm?”

“Thank you for the best Christmas present I’ve ever had.”

Alex’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I haven’t given you your present yet.”

He leaned down and pressed a warm kiss to her lips. “This was the last Christmas I’ll ever have to spend without you and Emma, without my family. Thank you for giving me that. Best present ever.”

“Harry…” she breathed, her lips forming a happy smile as she looked up into his wonderfully expressive blue eyes. “You’re about to get so lucky.”

“Again?” he grinned, his eyebrows lifting.

Alex laughed and nodded as she rose and moved over him. “Always.”


	80. Chapter Eighty

The months after Christmas and leading up to the wedding in May started off with a big event, one of several to happen in their lives during that time.

Over New Year’s Matt and Charlotte had gotten engaged, much to Alex’s delight. In the midst of helping with details for Harry and Alex’s wedding in an official and in a bridesmaid capacity, somehow Charlotte managed to throw together a wedding of her own in just a little over a month.

On a cold day in the beginning of February, friends and family of Matt Emerson and Charlotte Blakely gathered at a small country church near Charlotte’s mother’s estate to watch them get married. Emma served as flower girl, Alex served as Maid-of-Honor and Harry was honored to be asked by Matt to be a groomsman. It was a role he generally declined to fill, simply because it usually took attention away from the bride and the groom. But on this occasion, he simply couldn’t – and didn’t want to – say no.

And as he stood up there in that small church, he was glad he hadn’t declined. He smiled wide and winked at Emma as she walked down the aisle in her adorable flower girl dress. And when Alex began the journey towards the front of the church he couldn’t help how his smile grew wider, how he couldn’t help but think that in just a few months she would be walking up the aisle again, only at the end of that aisle, she would become his wife.

He couldn’t help but sneak glances at her during the ceremony, only feeling the tiniest bit guilty for not paying his full attention to the couple pledging their lives to each other in front of them. But the way she was returning his glances with flirty one’s of her own, the way he knew that she could tell where his mind was and was completely teasing him with the way she looked at him, with the way her lips pulled up devilishly at the sides before she would turn her attention back to the bride and groom for a moment, ensured that he couldn’t stop if he tried.

**********

“Mmmm…it was a beautiful wedding,” Alex sighed as she leaned into Harry’s side at their table that night at the intimate reception at Charlotte’s mother’s estate. The ballroom’s lights were dim, the candles everywhere giving off most of the light in the room and casting a warm glow over everything. “And look at them, they’re so happy.”

Harry’s eyes traveled to the couple on the dance floor, smiling at the way Matt and Charlotte looked; relaxed and happy and in love. “It was a wonderful wedding,” he agreed with a nod. He lifted his drink to his lips, taking a sip and then turning his eyes down to look at her. His smile pulled a bit wider when her eyes met his, slightly hazy from the alcohol.

“Although, if we’re being honest, Harry,” she said, her lips pulling up into a smug smile as she leaned in and her fingers moved to his thigh, dancing over the material of his pants. “You watched me more than them during the ceremony.”

“Ha!” His head tipped back in laughter. “You think so love?”

“I know so,” she nodded.  “And I have to say…” Her eyes danced with mischief as she walked her fingers across his thigh. “I’m more than a little amazed that you haven’t pulled me off into a closet somewhere yet.”

“Are you now?” he chuckled and then he reached for her hand, plucking her fingers into his with a smirk and small shake of his head. “Because I’m thinking it’s you who wants to drag me off to a closet somewhere.”

Her bottom lip immediately jutted out into an adorable pout when he stopped the journey her fingers were making. “What’s this, Wales? I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Ah, love,” he murmured, his voice low as he pulling her fingers to his lips. “You know that I love where your mind is and where your hand was headed…” He shook his head slowly as his eyes held hers. “But not here.”

Alex couldn’t help the giggle that slipped from her lips. She couldn’t help it; she was happy, in love, more than a little drunk, and feeling bold and brave. She tugged her fingers from his and tilted her head to the side, her bottom lip pulling between her teeth and her eyes pulling wide and innocent. “I have no idea what you mean, Henry.”

Harry groaned low, knowing right then and there that Alex was on a mission and that mission was to take him down. And though he knew he should be probably either seriously stop her or stand up and pull her from the room and to some place private, the pulse of excitement that ran through him kept him right in that seat, wondering how far she would go.

“Alexandra, this isn’t exactly private…”

“Oh, that’s funny,” she smirked has her hand moved bag to his leg, her fingers skimming lightly over the material of his pants. “I seem to recall that you weren’t exactly worried about privacy the time you fucked me in my parent’s pool.”

“Jesus,” he half chuckled, half groaned with a shake of his head. He shifted in his seat, the images that always ran through his head at that memory making his blood run hot. “Alex…” he warned low, his eyes holding hers. “There are people around.”

“True,” Alex nodded, her grin flashing naughty. “But we’re here in this corner and…” Her tongue tipped out against her lips as her fingers slid across his thigh. “We’re mostly hidden by this table...” Her voice dropped into almost a whisper, she leaned in a bit closer, and her fingers slid into his lap, immediately finding the bulge under his tuxedo pants. Her fingers wrapped around it as a smirk of a smile tugged at her lips. “Well, what do we have here?”

*M*

“Fuck, Alex,” he breathed low, his hand moving to cover hers and turning his body more towards her, making it less obvious how much she was leaning over his lap. His eyes darted around the room, checking to see if they were being watched, but it seemed that they lacked any sort of audience.  His breathed pulled heavy in his chest as her hand moved over him slowly – stroking up and down and squeezing him in her hot little fingers.

“God, I love when you’re like this,” Alex murmured, her voice low and utterly sexy. The hazy, happy smile was still on her lips as she leaned in a bit further. “When you can’t help yourself with me.”

“You make me fucking crazy,” Harry groaned, unable to help it when his hips shifted and he pressed himself up harder against her hand.

“Can I tell you a secret?” she whispered. Her hand squeezed, his lips parted, and his eyes turned down to hers, holding her gaze steady with his as the air grew hotter and heavier around them.

“God yes.”

“I love making you crazy, Harry.”

“Fuck.”

“I do,” she nodded. Her lip pulled between her teeth and he had to look away from her; he had to or he was going to fucking lose it. His eyes slid back forward but she kept talking, kept stroking. “I love when you get so hard you can barely stand it…like you are right now…”

“Jesus,” he growled, fighting the urge to close his eyes and just let her do whatever the fuck she wanted to him right there in that ballroom.

Spurred on by his reaction and the amount of alcohol she had consumed, she took a deep breath and decided to throw a bit more caution to the wind. “When you get hard like that…” she whispered as her fingers lifted away from him only to slide up to his zipper. She watched as his eyes flashed wide and he sucked in a large breath of air as she began to tug his zipper down slowly. “You have no idea how turned on that makes me…”

“Alex…” he almost panted, his mind warring between wanting her hands on him so badly he almost couldn’t take it and knowing that they absolutely could not do that right there.

But Alex wasn’t stopping. She couldn’t if she tried. Her need to touch him – to drive him mad – was going to win above everything else. She pulled his zipper all the way down, leaned in to his ear, and just as she slipped her hand inside she whispered, “You have no idea how wet it makes me…”

Every nerve in Harry’s body lit up as her fingers slid around him. A groan pulled from deep in his gut and as much as he didn’t want to, he reached for her, his fingers encircling her wrist and stalling her.

“No,” he breathed with a small shake of his head. He couldn’t help but chuckle when she pouted and her eyes turned pleading. “Alexandra Mae, you make me fucking insane. Jesus Christ…” His eyes held hers as he quickly pulled her hand from his pants and zipped himself back up. Then, surprising her, he stood and pulled her up with him. His hand clasped hers tightly as he moved from around the table and along the wall of the ballroom towards the doors.

“What are you doing?” Alex called out with a giggle.

“You know exactly what I’m doing,” Harry answered as he pulled her from the ballroom and turned quickly down the hall, moving away from the party and the music and the people.

He seemed to know where he was going as he rounded one corner and then another, pulling her down a wide hallway before he finally came to a stop in front of a set of ornate double doors. He turned to his side and when Alex followed his line of vision she was startled to see two POs standing there, one of his and one of hers. She hadn’t even noticed them following them out.

“Can you please secure the room?” Harry asked the POs. His voice was firm and business like, a stark difference from the whispered groans from just minutes before.

“Of course, Sir,” Alex’s PO, Patrick, answered with a nod.

“Thank you,” Harry nodded before he turned and pushed the doors open and tugged Alex in with him.

The doors had barely closed behind them before Harry had pulled Alex tightly against him and his mouth descended on hers, his tongue pushing in between her lips immediately, groaning as it met hers.

“Ohhhh…” she moaned into his mouth as her arms moved around his neck. She gasped as he pulled his lips from hers and began to blaze a hot trail down her jaw to her neck. “Harry, where are we?”

“Mrs. Blakely’s formal parlor,” he mumbled against her skin as he slowly walked her backward across the room until her backside bumped into one of the antique sofas in the middle of the room.

Soft laughter slipped from her lips and her hands moved into his hair. “Are we about to have sex in Mrs. Blakely’s formal parlor?”

“I’m about to fuck you senseless on Mrs. Blakely’s antique sofa,” he answered with a smug grin as his hands moved to her waist and he lifted her up and set her on the arm of the sofa.

Alex giggled, her eyes dancing as she looked up at him. He grinned devilishly and then just as his hands were sliding up her legs under her dress, just as his lips were about to take hers again, Alex gasped and her eyes flew wide.

“Oh God, Harry,” she whispered, the alcohol making her reaction a bit more dramatic than she probably intended it to be.

He tried to drop his lips to hers again, needing her, but she pulled back and he groaned. “What baby?”

“You asked the POs the secure the room.”

His eyes narrowed, unsure where she was going. “Yeah…”

“Harry, they’re going to know we’re in here having… _sex_.” She whispered the last word and he couldn’t help but laugh.

He lifted a brow and his lips twitched as he stepped further into her, pulling her thighs wider so he could press against her. “Alexandra, you just hand your hand on my cock in a room full of people and you’re worried that our POs know we’re in here having sex?”

A giggle burst from Alex’s lips and then she sighed, leaning into him as she did. “That’s incredibly silly of me.”

Harry grinned as his hands resumed the journey they had been on before she had interrupted, sliding up to find the lace band of her panties at her hips. His fingers curled into them and he began to slide them down her legs. “Incredibly silly,” he nodded, his voice dropping low as the lust rose higher between them. He stepped back and pulled her panties from her legs and tossed them to the floor, his eyes flickering with heat as he did. And then his hands returned to her legs, sliding up her calves and to her thighs, his fingers moving quickly up towards her center. “Now Alexandra, I believe you said something before about you being incredibly…” He trailed off with a groan as his fingers slid in against her, finding her hot and very wet, just like she had told him she was. “Fuck.”

“Told you,” she breathed with a bit to her lip. She moved her arms from around his neck, trailing her hands down his chest, over his stomach, and down to the waist of his pants, holding his eyes as she unbutton and unzipped him as his fingers stroked her into a frenzy. Her lips pulled into a smug smile when she found him and pulled him from his pants and his boxers; he was just as hard as he had been at the table. She ran a slow stroke up his length where her thumb swiped out to tease the tip of him. His eyes grew dark, his lips parted, and Alex’s breath grew ragged in anticipation.

She knew that look; that was the look of Harry about to lose control.

“And I believe that you,” she whispered as she ran another stroke up and down his length. “Said something about fucking me senseless on Mrs. Blakely’s antique sofa.”

Harry’s lips crashed down on hers and she gasped into his mouth in surprise. Her hands left his cock only to reach for his arms, wrapping her fingers around them for support when his hands moved to her hips and he pulled her forward on the arm of the couch. And then without preamble, he stepped closer, pressed himself against her entrance, and with a low groan he pushed himself all the way into her with one long, hard, deep stroke.

She moaned and her head fell back, her lips tearing from his as he pulled back and thrust back in. He reached up and wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck, pulling her back to him. And then, keeping her with him, keeping her gaze with his, he really began to move.

“Oh my God,” Alex gasped at the way he moved within her. It was fast and rough and a bit dirty and she  _loved_  it. “Harry…oh God…more…”

“Jesus…do you know what you do to me?” Harry growled just before he pulled her lips to his for a scorching kiss. His hands gripped at her tighter and he moved faster, determined to bring her to the kind of end that left her breathless and weak while she moaned his name and clenched fiercely around him. “Do you know how fucking crazy you make me?”

“Yes…” Alex moaned as she moved her legs around him, pulling him deeper, wanting more. “Harder…”

“Jesus Christ, Alex,” he groaned out into the room, although he could do nothing but exactly as she demanded of him. One arm moved around her, holding her tightly to him, and the other slipped between them. “Come on, Alex,” he commanded in a harsh breath as his fingers found her and instantly moved to stroke at her core. “Fuck. I’m too close…”

Alex’s head tipped back and she moaned low and long at the pleasure, at the way he felt within her and against her. And as much as she always wanted to prolong this moment, the way her body felt like it hummed when he was on the verge of taking her over the edge, there was just one thing she wanted more.

“Oh!” The sound pushed from her lips and her eyes flew open to his. “Oh God…Harry!”

“Yes,” he nodded, his lips pulling into a smug grin, his eyes holding her as he felt her begin to tense around him. “Let go, Alexandra.”

And she did. She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, pulled his lips to hers, and she let go, clenching fiercely around him and bringing a groaning Harry right over the edge with her.

*EM*

It was her giggle that finally pulled Harry’s eyes open after he had somewhat recovered, after he felt like he could breathe normally again. His gaze slid to hers and his own lips tilted up as she watched her try to control her mirth.

“Something funny, love?” he murmured low as both of his arms wrapped all the way around her and he pulled her close.

“You’re so predictable,” she giggled into a sigh as she tilted her head back to look up at him.

“Predictable?!” His eyebrows shot up. “I just dragged you from your brother’s wedding reception and into this room, where I…”

“Because that’s exactly what I wanted you to do,” she interrupted with a grin.

“You little schemer,” Harry chuckled as he leaned in to kiss her soundly.  He loosened his hold on her and stepped back, slipping from her with a groan. He righted himself and then held out his hand for her, helping her down from the arm of the sofa.

She shrugged, moving her hands down her dress, smoothing it out and adjusting it into place. “What can I say?”

Harry laughed and shook his head. “I’m certainly not complaining.” He grinned as he held his hand out to her. “Ready to go back to the party?”

“Almost,” she smirked and then turned and bent to pick up her panties from where he threw them to the ground.

“Shit, don’t want to leave those in Mrs. Blakely’s parlor,” Harry laughed.

“I don’t,” she shook her head and then stepped up to him, her panties still in her hands as her eyes went wide and innocent. “I actually want to leave these…” Her hand slid inside his coat, he felt her stuff those black lace panties right into his pocket, and he couldn’t help the groan that pulled from his lips. “Right here,” she grinned as she stepped back and then patted his jacket pocket, her smile as smug as could be.

“Jesus Christ, Alex,” Harry muttered. “You’re going to kill me.”

“Awwww,” she mocked pouted and then took his hand and began to leave him from the room. “You’re so mistreated, Harry.”

He couldn’t help the burst of laughter that pushed from his lips. “Absolutely. But I love it.”

**********

The wedding plans moved forward at full speed as they moved from winter into spring. There were rehearsals and cake tasting and food tastings and dress fittings and by the time April rolled around, Alex and Harry had made so many decisions it almost made her head spin.

But nothing quite affected her as much as choosing one of the most important pieces of her wedding day ensemble.

When Buckingham Palace had sent over the “catalogue” of tiaras she had to choose from to wear on her wedding day, Alex had set it on her desk in the spare room that had been converted to her office and let it sit there for two days.

For two days she let it sit there while she did other work and made other decisions, only glancing at it from time to time. And when she let her eyes wander over to it, her bottom lip would inevitably pull between her teeth and she would look away, too nervous about it to reach for the binder and open it.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Mia announced on the afternoon of the second day after watching Alex glance at the binder nervously and look away from the hundredth time that day.

“What?” Alex’s eyes were wide as they swung to her assistant.

Mia reached for the binder and held it out. “Alex, you have to look at the tiaras.”

Alex grimaced. “Am I that obvious?”

“Yes,” Mia nodded with a smirk. She shook the binder at Alex again, willing her to take it.

Alex sighed and reached for it, pulling it into her lap but leaving it unopened. “I don’t know why this freaks me out.”

Mia shook her head. “Me either. You usually don’t let this kind of stuff get to you.”

“This kind of stuff…” Alex snickered as she leaned back in in her chair. She took a deep breath and then turned her eyes back to Mia. “It’s the history of them all – the women who’ve worn these. I…” She swallowed at the sudden lump of emotion. “I have to choose which piece of history I want to put on my head for the day I marry Harry. I don’t know…”

“Okay, Alex…” Mia laughed as she reached out and snatched the binder. “You’re putting too much thought into this. Knock this whole ‘history of them all’ thing off.” She pulled open the binder and then shoved it back to Alex. “Pick the prettiest tiara.”

“What?” Alex’s eyes flashed wide and a nervous laugh fell from her lips.

“Flip through the damn book and pick the prettiest tiara, the one you think will look best with your dress and will suit you the best.”

“But…”

“Alex!" Mia threw up her hands. "You get to be a Princess - or a Duchess, whatever - and wear a tiara and marry a Prince in Westminster Abbey. Please, for me - for the sake of anyone who would kill to pick from that book - be a Princess and pick the prettiest fucking tiara."

Alex couldn’t help the giggle that slipped from her lips. “I’m being pretty ridiculous, huh?”

“Yes,” Mia nodded firmly.

“You want to pick?” Alex teased, raising her eyebrows.

“Don’t even joke,” Mia narrowed her eyes.

“Ha! I’m sorry,” Alex smiled before taking a deep breath and pulling the binder open. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

**********

“I picked a tiara today.”

Harry glanced up from his phone, his attention moving from the email he was reading to the beautiful blonde standing in the entry way of their living room. “You did?”

“Mmhmm,” she nodded as she moved from the entryway and slid onto the couch next to him. “Once I finally stopped freaking myself out over it, it was pretty easy.”

“Do I get to know, or is it a secret?” Harry asked softly, that playful smirk of a smile on his lips.

Alex’s eyes narrowed playfully. “I’ll tell you,” she whispered. “But remember…big secret.”

“Well, it just so happens that I’m good at those,” he teased her in return.

She sighed and leaned back into the couch, her eyes turning a bit serious. “The Strathmore Rose.”

“Ahh,” he nodded, his lips curling into a smile. “That’s a beautiful tiara, love. I can’t wait to see you in it.”

“Well, we don’t have too long to go, Captain,” she winked.

“We really don’t.” He reached up and brushed a piece of hair from her forehead. “Speaking of tiaras…I have something to show you.

“Please don’t tell me you bought a tiara for yourself.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed and shook his head. “No such luck. But…” His look grew a bit excited and sheepish all at once and Alex was instantly intrigued. “I had one designed for Emma.”

“What?” The word burst from her lips with a surprised laugh, her eyes flying wide.

“Listen, don’t get mad…”

“I’m not mad,” Alex shook her head quickly. “I’m surprised. Actually, I’m stunned. Harry…she’s  _seven_.”

“Almost eight,” Harry corrected. “And just…will you come look at it with me? Let me explain it?”

“Okay…” Alex said slowly, almost cautiously.

But Harry was confident as he stood and took Alex’s hand. He led her from the living room and into his office. He opened up the cabinet that held his safe and turned the combination, opening it and pulling out a rather large black box. He moved over to his desk, setting the box down and leaving it closed while he turned to her and pulled her hands into his.

“I know I did this without asking, and you have every right to tell me I’m insane for spending all kinds of money on this but…just hear me out, okay?”

“I’m listening,” Alex smiled softly, encouraging him on.

“Okay,” he smiled. He squeezed her hands in his and then dropped them and moved back to the box. “I got to thinking about something I could give Emma – something that symbolizes promises this marriage means I’m making to her.” He slid the top from the box and inside Alex could see there were three smaller boxes. “This,” Harry said with a smile as he pulled out one of the smaller boxes. “Is what I would like for her to wear on our wedding day. It’s the first part of the tiara.”

“There are parts?” Alex asked, a bit in awe of what was happening.

“There are parts,” Harry confirmed as he slid the top from the small box, revealing a small, delicate tiara. It was a row of purple stones, each stone surrounded in smaller diamonds.

“Oh my God. Harry…” Alex breathed, her fingers reaching out to brush over it. “It’s gorgeous.”

“She loves purple,” Harry murmured, smiling as he looked down at the tiara.

“She does,” Alex agreed. “It’s perfect.”

Harry took a deep breath and set the box on his desk and reached for the next, pulling it open and revealing another small tiara, a little larger than the first, but this time it was entirely diamonds. “And this part she’ll get when she turns eighteen. It will get combined with the first one into one tiara.”

Alex couldn’t help the tears that moved into her eyes. She moved her fingers to her lips as she looked at it, amazed that he had all of this done and with such thought. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

Harry nodded and swallowed at the lump in his throat as he reached for the third box. “And the last part, she’ll get when she gets married. It will combine with the other two to form one whole tiara.”

He pulled the top from the box and Alex gasped at the beautiful silver leaf design of the piece, which was significantly larger than the other two.

“Harry…they’re  _amazing_. She’s just going to…freak out.”

Harry chuckled and set the final box down and turned to her, pulling her to him. “I thought maybe I could give her the first one on her birthday next week. What do you think?”

“I think she’s not going to sleep for days she’ll be so excited,” Alex said, a breath of a laugh leaving her lips. “And she’ll love it. She’ll just love it.”

“God, I hope so,” Harry smiled softly.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Alex murmured as she wrapped her arms around him.

“I do,” Harry nodded, a smug smile on his lips that made Alex laugh. “I also know that I’m leaving town tomorrow for five days for Army training so that means that you and I…”

And Alex didn’t even wait for him to finish. With a grin and a flash of determination in her eyes, she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and pulled his lips right to hers.

God, she loved him.

*************

Alex was just about ready to throw her hands in the air and give up on the seating chart she was working on for the reception. She had thought this would be the perfect time to work on it; Harry was out of town for two more days and Emma was at Molly’s for the afternoon. But the only thing she was accomplishing was frustration.

So when her phone rang out she reached for it instantly, glad for the interruption and grateful to have an excuse to push the chart to the side for the time being. She smiled wide when glanced at the caller ID and saw who was calling, now even more thankful for the interruption.

“Hey Mom,” she said brightly, relaxing back into her chair. “Perfect timing. I was just about to pull my hair out…”

“Alex…” Donna interrupted, her voice low and holding the kind of waver that made Alex’s heart pound in her chest, that sent a wave of alarm through her body.

“Mom? Are you…”

“Honey, you…your dad had a heart attack this morning. And I…I really think you and Matt need to come home.”


	81. Chapter Eighty One

“Alex?”

She turned her head from the window, where she had been staring out at the night as they flew over the Atlantic Ocean towards the US. Her eyes were puffy and glassy as they met her brother’s, filled with the same sort of anxiety, the same sort of fear.

“Matt.” She gave him a weak smile and then patted the leather of the seat next to her. He slid in next to her and immediately lifted his arm and moved to wrap it around her shoulders, pulling her close against him. And she went, gratefully leaning into her big brother, letting his warmth move around her.

“This was really great of Harry to arrange a private plane for us,” Matt said low.

Alex nodded slowly against his chest as she reached up to swipe at a tear that fell at the mention of Harry, at the fact that he couldn’t get to London in time to join her, Emma, Charlotte, and Matt on their emergency flight to the States. “It really was. He’ll fly out tomorrow hopefully.”

“I’m sorry he couldn’t come with us right away.”

“Me too,” she murmured in return. “But I’m more than thankful that he was able to get us there quicker than if we had to fly commercial.”

“Yeah,” Matt nodded and then leaned his head on top of Alex’s. The silence settled between then, with Matt holding her close and Alex closing her eyes and trying to keep her composure; trying to take deep breaths and not let the emotions get the best of her.

But in the end, she couldn’t stop the tears that rushed into her eyes and started to spill hotly down her cheeks and the way her shoulders started to shake with sobs.

“Boot…” Matt whispered brokenly, sniffing at his own tears. “Hey, he’s still here. He’s still alive.”

“I know,” she whimpered, though she cried even harder. “But…he could have died, Matt. And they don’t know if he’ll be…God, what if he’s never the same?”

“Okay, okay,” Matt soothed, pulling her tighter. He rubbed a soft hand over her shoulder, trying to comfort her. “You’re going to drive yourself nuts if you do that, Boot. I’m upset and scared too…but we can’t let our minds go crazy.”

Alex nodded against his chest, but it didn’t stop the flow of tears as she curled further up into her big brother. She let go of all the tears that she had on to since she had gotten the phone call from her mom, since she had called Harry and let him know what was going on, since she’d had to gather Emma up and try to explain what was going on while she packed them up in a hurry.

She cried and cried, while Matt held her close…and cried with her.

*************

 

 

She couldn’t find the damn sugar. She had searched through the pantry and was opening all of the cabinets in her parent’s kitchen but she just couldn’t seem to lay her eyes on it. Her mother always had sugar. Always. How in hell could she not find it now? When she just wanted to cook or bake or do anything she could to keep her mind off the fact that her father was still in the hospital with the doctors trying to determine his prognosis for the future.

“Damn it!” she cried, flinging the cabinet door shut in frustration and slamming her hands down on the counter. A sob escaped her lips, she squeezed her eyes shut, and pressed her lips together as the tears came yet again.

She never heard the front door open and close. She never heard his footsteps as they moved from the entryway and around the corner into the kitchen. She was too caught up in her emotions, in trying to pull herself together. It wasn’t until he called her out her name that she realized she wasn’t alone anymore.

“Alexandra?”

Her breath caught at his voice, at the way her name sounded from his lips. Her eyes snapped open, she spun around from the counter, and he gaze fell on him. There he was, her Harry, standing in the doorway of the kitchen with soft, sympathetic eyes as he looked at her.

“Harry…” She choked out his name and then she was moving from the counter and across the kitchen towards him, towards his outstretched arms.

And when he caught her, when his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her to him, to his warmth and his smell and everything she needed, she had never been so glad to have found his embrace.

“Oh love,” Harry murmured as he pulled her close and tight, lifting her up and letting her wrap her arms and legs all the way around him. “Sorry it took me so long.”

“No, no.” She shook her head in the crook of his neck. “You made it in good time. I’m just so happy that you’re here.”

“I’m glad I’m here too.” He squeezed her tight and kissed the side of her head before he moved to set her on her feet. His hands moved right to her face, swiping tears away and cupping her cheeks, bringing her eyes up to his. “Tell me baby, what can I do for you?”

She blew out a breath and shook her head, amazed at how she almost felt like she could breathe easier just from his presence. “I don’t know, Harry. I…wait…” Her forehead scrunched up. “How did you know I was here and not at the hospital?”

He smiled, soft and sweet. “Your protection officers, love. Mine called yours to see where you were. I didn’t want to call and disturb you if you were in with your dad.”

Alex nodded and took a deep breath, reaching up to run her hand through her hair. “I was up there all morning. I just…felt like I was going to go crazy with all the machines and the tests that they were running and Emma was getting cranky…” She sighed again and leaned into him. “So I came back here for a bit. Emma is napping and I was trying to keep my mind occupied…” She stepped back from him with a sheepish smile as she gestured towards to ingredients lined on the kitchen counter. “And I couldn’t find the damn sugar.”

“Sugar?” Harry’s lips twisted into a small smile. “What are you making?”

“Cookies. Chocolate chip,” she answered with a bite to her lips. “Or trying to.”

“Alright,” Harry shrugged his shoulders and stepped around her towards the pantry.

“Alright?” She lifted her eyebrows in surprise and turned around to follow him.

“If you need sugar, then I’ll find you some sugar,” Harry called out from the pantry as he poked around.

“Harry…” she called out, her voice softer, the frustrated edge from moments before gone.

“Hang on, love,” came the reply while he continued to rustle around. Only a few more moments passed before he appeared back in the doorway, a slightly triumphant grin on his face as he held up an unopened package of sugar. “Will this work?”

“Yes,” Alex nodded and a small smile pulled at her lips, the first in two days. She blinked several times, pushing back the last of the tears that had been in her eyes. “Thank you.”

Harry moved from the pantry and paced the sugar on the counter with the other ingredients before moving to her. His hands ran over her shoulders and down her arms until he pulled her hands into his. “I’m here for whatever you need, Alex. If you need to make chocolate chip cookies, then we’ll make chocolate chip cookies.”

Alex sighed as she leaned into him, pulling her hands from his and wrapping her arms around his waist. She tilted her head up and rested her chin on his chest as she looked up at him. “I do want to make cookies, but I want something else first.”

“Anything, my love.”

She lifted her eyebrows slightly. “How about a kiss hello?”

“Ah,” Harry nodded. “Well, that’s even easier than baking cookies.”

She smiled a bit wider and a small, soft laugh even left her lips as he dipped his head. He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her softly and sweetly; exactly what she needed from him.

“Okay, Alexandra,” he said as they pulled apart. He clapped his hands together and turned towards the ingredients on the counter. “Let’s make some cookies.”

***********

“What if he can’t walk me down the aisle?”

Harry turned towards Alex, towards the small, whispered question she’d asked. He immediately put down the spatula he’d been using to lift the cookies from the cookie sheet and moved over to where she sat at the breakfast bar.

“Oh, Alexandra…”

“I realize how utterly selfish it is,” she sniffed and swiped at the tears that had begun to fall. “I mean he’s sick and he could have…” She swallowed and shook her head, the thought almost too much to take. “And here I am, worried about whether or not he’ll be well enough to walk me down the aisle next month.”

“That’s not selfish,” Harry insisted, shaking his head. He reached around her for a tissue and handed it to her so she could wipe her eyes. “Come on, Alex. That’s an important thing; something I know means the world to both of you.”

“It’s just…” She sniffed again and then turned wide, watery blue eyes to his. “He didn’t get to the first time.”

“What?” Harry’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “I didn’t know that.”

“It all happened so fast,” she explained. “It was a quick, courthouse wedding. They weren’t there. They came a few weeks later for the reception for friends and family that Molly hosted, but they weren’t there for the wedding. And what if he can’t be there again?”

“Do you want to push back the wedding?”

“What?” A startled laugh fell from Alex’s lips. “You’re insane. You would actually push back the wedding? Our wedding? You know, the big royal one that’s all over…everything.”

Harry chuckled and reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “If it would mean that you were completely happy when you walked down the aisle to me, I would do absolutely anything.”

Alex sighed and shook her head. “You’re just…the most amazing man, Henry. I don’t…” She wiped at her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t know that we even need to be talking about this. It maybe not even be an issue.”

“When will we know?” Harry asked gently.

“I don’t know. Probably not for a few days.” She sighed and then turned her wrist to look at her watch. “But I do know that we should probably wake Emma up and go back up there soon.”

************

“Dad, you look so much better,” Alex breathed as they joined Donna, Matt, and Charlotte in the hospital room and she took in her father sitting up in his hospital bed. Unlike hours before, there was color in his cheeks and more life in his eyes. She moved and hugged him tightly and then stepped aside so that Emma could do the same.

“Yeah Poppy, you look much better,” Emma said, matter-of-fact. “Are you feeling better?”

“Quite a bit,” Mike smiled warmly and reached up to pinch Emma’s nose, making her giggle before he turned to Harry and held out his hand. “It’s good to see you, Harry. Sorry that it had to be for this.”

“Oh be honest, Mike,” Charlotte called out with a wink towards Matt while Harry shook his future father-in-law’s hand and then leaned into hug him. “This is all part of the campaign you’ve been staging for months to have us name our son here after you.”

The initial rumble of laughter at Charlotte’s joke faded out quickly when the people in the room realized that, despite her and Matt’s insistence that the sex of their baby would remain a secret until it was born, she had just let it slip.

They were having a little boy.

“Hold on,” Mike’s eyebrows lifted and a smile spread across his face, bringing more life into him. “Did you say your son?”

Charlotte’s eyes flew wide just as Matt’s low, rumbling laugh fell from his lips. “Oh shhhh…crap,” she said, catching her curse word at the last second. “I can’t believe I just did that. I did, I said our son. We’re having a boy.” She laughed and shrugged her shoulders, turning a slightly apologetic look up to Matt.

“It’s alright, darlin’,” Matt stroked a hand over her hair and leaned down to kiss her cheek just as the noise level rose in the room, everyone delighted at the news.

And just like that, what had started out as a day where they came close to losing such an important man in their lives, became a day where they learned they were gaining another.

***********

Alex smiled when her phone rang out as she was making her way back to Mike’s room from the vending machines. She stopped and pulled her phone from her pocket, juggling her water and candy bar as she slid her finger across the screen and pulled the phone to her ear.

“Hey…”

“Hey love.” Harry’s voice moved into her ear, instantly making her smile even wider. “I just wanted to let you know that Emma and I landed. It was an easy flight.”

“Okay,” Alex nodded, already missing them both terribly. She had decided to stay for a couple more days, just until her father was released from the hospital and was settled at home while he did whatever rehab was required. “I’m going to miss you both so much.”

“We’re going to miss you too, baby.”

“You two will have fun though. Give Gus some snuggles for me. And make sure Emma does all her homework. Oh, and she has a lesson with Zara on…”

“I got it, Alex,” Harry chuckled. “And even if I didn’t, she’d be all over reminding me.”

Alex laughed softly and bit her lip, trying not to get emotional at just how much Harry did have a handle on being Emma’s father, on making sure everything was taken care of. “I know, I know.” She glanced up then and saw her mom standing in the doorway of her Dad’s room, motioning to her. “Listen, I’m going to let you go, the doctors are about to go over Dad’s plans for once he’s released.”

“Okay,” Harry said and then took a deep breath. “Call me when you’re done? Let me know?”

“Absolutely. I love you both.”

“We love you too. Talk to you soon, love.”

************

It was over an hour late when Alex rushed from her dad’s hospital room, swiping at the tears in her eyes as she moved out into the hall and pulled out her phone. The only thing that was on her mind was calling Harry. She had to speak to him; to be connected with him while she processed the news the doctor had delivered. She dialed him and pulled her phone to her ear, chewing on her lip as she waited for him to answer.

He picked up on the very first ring.

“Hey love…”

“Harry…” her voice was just as shaky as she felt in that moment.

“Alex? Is everything okay?”

“God…yes,” she let out a breath of a laugh and then took a deep, solid breath. “They said he can come to London. He can even still come two weeks early like they had planned. He’s going to be just fine and he…” She swallowed at the lump in her throat. “He can walk me down the aisle.”

Harry’s whoop of delight had Alex pulling the phone away from her ear in surprise and then she burst out laughing. “Harry. Harry!”

“Sorry, baby,” he grinned as he came back to the phone. “That’s just wonderful news.”

“It’s amazing news,” Alex sighed. “I can’t believe it…he’s going to be okay and they’ll be in London in two weeks just like we planned and in…God, in a month we’ll be getting married.”

“Thirty days, my love,” Harry’s voice grew soft. “It seems like forever.”

“It’ll be here before we know it,” Alex smiled wide. “ _And I can’t wait_.”


	82. Chapter Eighty Two

_Two days before the wedding – May 13 th, 2015_

Harry shifted on the sofa, glancing from the TV and over to Alex for probably the twentieth time since they’d settled in there after sending Emma off with Alex’s parents for the night. The idea had been to give Alex and Harry a little bit of alone time before things got really crazy the next day, to give them a chance to take some peace and quiet and relaxation – the last they were going to get for a few days.

But Harry could tell that Alex wasn’t relaxing. The second she had sunk in next to him on the sofa, she had reached for her notebook and her iPod, popping in her headphones and flipping right to a page that she hadn’t turned from in the last half an hour. He didn’t know exactly what was running through her head, but he absolutely knew it was wedding related and that it was stressing her out.

“Okay,” he announced as he leaned over and snatched an earbud from her ear.

She turned toward him with wide, startled eyes. “What?”

“What are you doing?” He lifted an eyebrow and nodded to her notebook.

“Nothing.” She shook her head, though her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Just…going over some things.”

“Nothing? Looks pretty damn stressful to be nothing.”

Alex only held her ground for a few seconds before she sighed and pulled her other earbud out and turning slightly narrowed eyes to Harry. “Sometimes I hate that you know me so well.”

His lips twisted a bit. “Yeah?”

“No,” she sighed again as she tossed her notebook to the side. “Of course I don’t.”

He reached out to her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “Wanna tell me what you’re worried about, love?”

“Don’t laugh,” Alex said pointedly.

Harry rolled his eyes playfully. “Just spit it out, Alexandra.”

Her bottom lip pulled between her teeth for a moment and then she took a deep breath turned, reaching for her notebook and then turning back and handing it to him. “It’s the schedule for the ceremony to the minute, including the timing of the music.”

He glanced over it quickly and then squinted when he looked back up at her. “And why are you studying this so hard?”

Alex couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous she was about to sound. “I’m counting it out in my head with the music.” She nodded towards her iPod. “Mostly the walk up the aisle; counting my steps and such.”

“Are you…counting how many steps it should take you to get up the aisle?” Harry bit his lip, trying to hide his amusement. He thought it was completely adorable but didn’t want her to mistake it for him making fun of her.

Alex groaned. “I know how stupid this sounds…”

“It doesn’t!” Harry protested. He dipped his head so his eyes were level with hers, open and honest as he met and held her gaze. “It doesn’t sound stupid at all, Alex. I just…why are you worried about this?”

“Okay,” Alex took a deep breath and, unable to keep sitting while she explained it, she stood and began to pace the room. “You know how I am about to? How I always like to be five minutes early or right on time and if I’m late it makes me crazy?”

“Yes,” Harry nodded with a smile. He was well aware, having been privy to her anxiety to get him out the door with her on time on more than one occasion. “Emma is like that too.”

“I’m sure she is, she’s been living with me doing it for eight years,” Alex smirked. “But, this timing is so exact and what if I’m early and we’re standing up there too long before the music ends? Or what if I walk too slow and I’m too late and by the time I get there the song is over? Or what if…”

“Okay, okay,” Harry stood and held up his hands, smiling sweetly as he moved towards her. “We’re going to fix this.”

“Fix this? That’s what I was just…”

Harry held up a finger, cutting her off as he pulled his phone from his pocket. His finger swiped across the screen, he punched in a number, and he pulled the phone to his ear. “Charlotte? Hey, I need to you see if you can do something for me.”

“What are you doing?” Alex whispered, confusion flashing across her face.

“Yeah, can you make some calls and see if you can get the Abbey opened for me and Alex tonight?” He continued on the phone, not answering Alex’s question. “No, just the two of us. We don’t need any assistance while we are there. We just want to run through some things just the two of us…Great. Call me and let me know when we can head up there. Thank you, Charlotte.”

***********

I can’t believe you wanted to come up to the Abbey tonight,” Alex shook her head as he held her hand and escorted her through the Nave. They had been let in by a very kind older gentleman and been told to come find him in his office when they were done. The lighting was on but at a bare minimum, giving it a warm, intimate feel. And most of all, it was quiet and they were all alone – except for their RPOs who were there as always, although discreetly.

Harry chuckled as he led her to the Altar and up the steps to the spot that he would be waiting for her after she walked down the aisle to him in just two days. He turned then and moved his arms around her, pulling her close. “Here’s the thing, my love. You’re an amazingly low stress person. Sometimes I can’t believe how few things get to you. You’re without a doubt the most mentally strong person I’ve ever known, and I love you so much for that because lord knows it’s made me stronger too. But for some reason this little thing is stressing you out. And the last thing in the world I want is the thought of walking down that aisle stressing you out more than it excites you.”

“Harry,” Alex’s eyes widened. “It would never.”

“Well…” He leaned down, kissed her softly, and then smiled. “I think that it might. And I’m not mad or sad about it, please don’t think that. I understand and I know that when we’ve rehearsed it’s always been with our wedding planner and she’s drilling the importance of the walk and the timing and how it relates to the music into your head…and it’s gotten a little bigger in your mind than it actually needs to be.”

“But it’s important,” Alex insisted.

“Yes it is,” Harry agreed. “So, that’s why we’re going to go through it tonight – just the two of us – until you’re comfortable with it.

“You’re not going to just tell me to walk however fast or slow I want?”

Harry’s lips tipped up. “Absolutely not. Melanie would kill me.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed. “She would. So what exactly is the point to practicing tonight?”

“Well,” Harry’s voice dropped a bit, low and sweet as he leaned in closer to her. “It’s just us here. So when you walk down the aisle you’ll be walking only to me. There is no one but me here at the end; no one with instructions or reminders or opinions. Just me. The same person who will be here waiting for you on Friday morning.”

She smiled then, her entire body warming at the thought of him standing in the exact spot they were standing, in his uniform and undoubtedly handsome as her waiting for her to get there.

So that he could marry her.

“You’re incredibly sweet to me, you know that?” she sighed, leaning into him a bit.

He winked at her. “I’m hoping to get lucky later.”

“Henry!” she gasped, reaching up to slap his chest with her hand. “None of that talk in church.  _Especially_  this church.”

He laughed and then leaned down to kiss her once more before he stepped back and nodded his head towards the front of the Abbey. “Get your butt down there. I’m gonna plug in your iPod here…” He reached in his pocket and pulled it out to show her. “Into the speakers and we’ll get started.”

“Okay,” Alex laughed. She turned from him and moved down the steps and hurried through the Nave and towards the back of the Abbey, slowing as she moved around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and then moved into the place she would be starting her walk down the aisle.

“Ready?!” Harry’s voice called out to her, echoing off the walls and high ceilings of the Abbey and making her giggle.

“Yes!”

The music started up then, definitely not as loud as it would be on the day of, but more than enough for the sake of practice. She took a deep breath and waited for the cue in the music that would tell her exactly when she was supposed to start walking.

She started moving forward as soon as she heard it, her mind beginning to pull all its focus to counting each step to the beat of the music – making sure she didn’t move too fast or too show.

“Alexandra…” Harry’s voice called out to her, dragging out her name playfully.

“Shhh!” she called back, frowning at the interruption. “I’m concentrating!” She heard him laugh and then he was calling out to her again.

“Did you just tell me to shhh?”

“Harry! You’re supposed to be being helpful here!”

“And who says I’m not?”

“You’re making me lose count!”

His laughed trailed down the aisle to her, deep and rumbling, and it made her smile despite his interruptions. “Was I this bad with the music, Alexandra?”

She groaned into a laugh, her mind moving back to several months before when they had started picking out the music for the ceremony. “Oh God. Worse!”

THREE MONTHS EARLIER

“Alex…” Harry groaned as he laid back on the floor and shoved his fingers into his mess of red hair. “I cannot listen to another song. I can’t.”

Alex sighed and pressed the pause button on the iPod. The beautiful song filling the room immediately died out and left them in silence. “I don’t know what to tell you, Harry. We have to choose music for the wedding.”

“I know we do. But here’s the thing; I know my life is steeped in all this crazy tradition and that I should be used to this by now, but this music…is fucking boring.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “This music is beautiful.”

“It is!” Harry agreed as he sat back up, his eyes wide as he looked to her. “It’s beautiful, timeless music. The artistic level of this music is incredibly. But if I’m being brutally honest, it just all sounds exactly the same after a while. Can’t we just…I don’t know, flip a coin?”

“Harry, this is not that hard,” she groaned as she rubbed at her tired eyes with her fingertips. They had been at this for the better part of two hours and it was late. “I honestly thought this would be one of the easiest parts.”

Harry’s shoulders slumped a bit. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be difficult here.”

“Don’t be sorry,” she replied as she reached over and turned off the iPod dock. “Let’s just…go to bed. We’re both tired and this isn’t going to get solved tonight. We will pick it up tomorrow.”

*************

The next day when Harry walked in the door to their home in the early evening, home after a long day in the office doing plans for that years Trooping the Colour, he heard their voices drifting out from the living room immediately.

His father was there. And although he was curious as to why, he was glad that he was, that he could hear him talking and laughing with Alex and Emma comfortably in their home.

“Good Evening,” Harry announced with a wide smile as he stepped into the living room, indeed finding the three of them there, along with Camilla.

“Hi Daddy!” Emma exclaimed, moving from her place between Charles and Camilla on the sofa to go hug and kiss him hello.

“Hi Princess,” he chuckled as he leaned in to hug his daughter. “What are all of you up to?”

“Well, I called Charles to get some advice on the wedding music,” Alex smiled, throwing Harry her ‘please don’t be mad at me’ eyes when he moved to kiss her hello.

He smirked and then shook his head in amusement before he turned to greet his father and Camilla. “I’m sure Alex told you that I was not particularly helpful with this last night. Hopefully you were able to be more useful than I am.”

“Well, you know how I feel about choir music,” Charles chuckled, standing and kissing his sons cheeks. “I was delighted when Alexandra called and more than happy to come listen to the options and offer some advice.”

“And I was delighted to get to come along,” Camilla added as she stood and received kisses from Harry in greeting. “Miss Emma and I spent some time here reading.”

“Granny Milla gave me a copy of Charlotte’s Web that she used to read her daughter when she was little,” Emma said excitedly, running to pick up the book from the coffee table to show to Harry.

“Oh wow,” Harry smiled wide at Emma as he took the book and looked at it. “That’s incredibly sweet of her. Did you say thank you?”

“Yes,” Emma sighed with a playful roll of her eyes. “I’m eight years old now, Dad. I know my manners.”

“She was exceptionally grateful,” Camilla assured with a warm smile and a chuckle.

Harry nodded and winked at Emma before turning back to Alex. “So Papa gave you some suggestions?”

“More than that, really,” Alex answered, turning a grateful smile to her future father-in-law. “We sat and listened to everything and I think – as long as you agree with all of it – that we’ve come up with a final selection.”

“Really?” Harry’s eyebrows lifted and then his lips twisted into a playful smirk. “And if I don’t agree?”

“Then we’ll probably use them all anyway,” Alex answered right away, meeting his banter with her own and bringing a laugh from around the room.

“Ha!” Harry’s head tossed back. “Then it’s decided then.”

“It is,” she winked at him and then turned to Charles and Camilla. “Now, tell me. Will you stay for dinner? We’re having Emma’s favorite.”

“I think we can absolutely do that,” Camilla answered immediately. “What is Emma favorite?”

“Macaroni and cheese with cut up hot dogs!” Emma sang out, her grin ear to ear with excitement.

Charles blinked and then a warm chuckle fell from his lips. “I don’t believe I’ve ever had that.”

Harry couldn’t help the shout of laughter that left his lips – at his father’s reaction and at the fact that his fiancée had zero qualms about inviting his father and Camilla over for macaroni and cheese with cut up hot dogs, treating them just as she would treat any normal set of in-laws.

“Well Papa,” Harry grinned. “You’re in for a treat.”

PRESENT TIME

“Oh my goodness,” Alex giggled, her mind still imagining the look on Charles’ face when she’d served him the macaroni and cheese and he’d taken a bite. “And then when he asked for the recipe so that his chef could make it.”

Harry’s laughter burst from his lips, startling Alex who realized with a start just how close she was to him.

“Hey!” she called out, her own lips pulling into a smile. “You distracted me the entire way down the aisle, Wales.”

Harry grinned as she made her way up the steps to him, reaching the top steps a little after the climax of the song playing out through the speakers. “Did I now?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Did you purposely do that?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. But you should have seen how relaxed and happy you looked when you came through into the Nave. And look…you were just about right on time.”

“Hmmm,” she pressed her lips together with the sound. “I was a little late.”

“My love, I promise you that no one is going to give two shits if you hit the altar in time with music, as long as your face looks half as happy as it did a minute ago.”

Alex couldn’t help but flush a bit at his words before she straightened her shoulders and looked at him pointedly. “Don’t curse in church, Harry.”

He chuckled and then pointed towards the front of the Abbey. “Get your butt back down the aisle and let’s do this again.”

She laughed and shook her head as she turned from him, hurrying back to the front of the Abbey to start again. She knew what he was doing. She knew he was trying to distract her from counting and show her that she would do just fine without being so exact.

And she knew he was right.

But she also knew that this was the most relaxed she had felt in days. Just that one walk up the aisle to him while they reminisced about Harry’s semi-meltdown over choosing the wedding music had calmed her, relaxed her. It had taken her mind away from being weirdly obsessive about being exactly on time. It had reminded her that Harry had had some rather frustrating moment in this entire process as well.

“I’m ready!” she called out as she reached her starting point again and turned back towards the Altar, towards Harry. Within seconds the music began to play softly through the church again.

She began to walk, keeping the correct time and pace and before long, he was calling out to her again, just like she knew he would.

“So, my lovely bride to be, which was worse: the music meltdown or the guest list freak-out?”

FOUR MONTHS BEFORE

“Jesus, Charlotte,” Harry barked as he read through the pages she had handed him. “This is fucking ridiculous.”

“Don’t act like I put that list together. It was sent to me to make sure it got to you and not lost in your mess of an email inbox.”

He peered at her over the top of the papers, his eyes narrowing. “I do not lose things in my email inbox.”

She lifted an eyebrow and her lips twisted. “This is the fight you want to pick right now?”

He opened his mouth, ready to retort to her out of habit more than anything, but he closed it quickly, wisely deciding she was right, although he would never tell her that. “Regardless Charlotte, do they honestly expect me to try and fit our friends and family around this list? There is what…a thousand names here?”

“A thousand names where?” Alex asked as she breezed into Harry’s office. She had been down the hall setting up her own staff office but it was lunch time and she was hoping Harry would join her for a bite to eat.

Harry stood to kiss her hello and then held the list out to her. “Buckhouse sent over names that they want on the guest list for the wedding.”

“I take it that there is just a bunch of people we don’t know on here?” Alex asked as she looked it over.

“It’s all people who have ties to the monarchy in some way and of course, foreign diplomats and the like,” Charlotte offered.

Alex nodded. “And is this required? All of these people? Or is this just a preliminary list that needs to be pared down?”

Charlotte cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows. “That  _is_  the pared down list.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

“It’s ridiculous,” Harry muttered, pulling the list from Alex’s hands and tossing it down on the desk.

“So, let’s do something about it,” she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Like what?” Harry’s forehead wrinkled with the words.

Alex squinted, peering at him with just a hint of amusement on her lips. “What is  _wrong_  with you today? Are you ill? Should I be worried?” she asked, bringing a snort of a laugh from Charlotte.

Harry looked back and forth between them, completely confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Alex reached around him to pick up the list and held it up. “Tell me, what was your reaction when you were told way back when that you would probably never get to be deployed?”

“Fuck that,” he said instantly, remembering the way he’d vowed to never accept that he would have to stay behind while his men went off to fight.

“Thought so,” Alex nodded. “And that was  _huge_ ; the third in line to the British throne being allowed to go to war. And this…” She waved the list in his face. “Is just a list of names. Call Will and see if he went through something similar with his wedding. Call your father and ask his advice. Hell, go straight to the top and call your Gran and see what she says. Come on, Harry. Do something about it.”

“She’s right, Wales,” Charlotte said with a smirk of a smile. “Grow a pair.”

“Jesus,” he groaned, running a hand through his hair. “You’re right. What the hell is wrong with me? I just got so irritated by the whole thing and then…” He trailed off and turned towards Charlotte, his eyes narrowing as he pointed a finger at her. “How come  _you_  didn’t tell me initially do something about it? That’s pretty much what you do all the time about everything. It’s your job at this point.”

Charlotte grinned and ran her hand over her baby bump. “I’m pregnant and full of sweet, lovey dovey hormones.”

“You  _just_ told me to grow a pair of…” He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You know what? Never mind. You two should not be friends and I’ll never in my life understand the twist of fate that made Charlotte end up as my sister in law,” Harry shook his head. He took the list from Alex’s hands and tossed it on his desk, done with it for the time being.

Alex giggled and Charlotte’s smile pulled even wider. “I’ll remember that when this little one is born and Uncle Harry is chomping at the bit to spend time with baby Emerson.”

“You’re using my niece or nephew as leverage against me? Nice,” Harry laughed with a roll of his eyes.

“Okay, okay,” Alex giggled, stopping them before they really got started. “It’s lunchtime and I’m starving and have no time to listen to you two bicker. Now that we have a plan on this crazy guest list and my fiancé is no longer on the brink of losing it, how about you take us out to lunch, Wales?”

Harry grinned and smoothed down his tie. “Absolutely.”

PRESENT TIME

“I still don’t know what was wrong with me,” Harry laughed as he watched her move through the nave towards him, her eyes dancing and her own lips curved with laughter.

“Well, we got it all worked out in the end, didn’t we?” Alex winked as she reached the steps up to the Altar. She moved up them to stand in front of him, just about in time with the climax of the music playing out around them.

“We sure did, with only a few grumbles from the senior staff at Buckhouse.”

“It’s a good thing your Granny is in charge,” Alex grinned up at him.

“Ha! It is,” he laughed. “And look at you…right on time.”

“Is this where I have to say you were right?” Alex smirked.

“That depends. Would you actually say that?”

“Not if I’m given the option.”

Harry’s shout of laughter echoed off the walls, making Alex giggle. “Alright sassypants, back up the aisle,” he finally managed to get out, pointing back the way she came. “Let’s do this again.”

************

“Okay,” Alex yawned after her fourth trip down the aisle. “I think I’ve got it, Harry.”

“Yeah?” He chuckled and turned his wrist to look at his watch. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the time. “Shit. I didn’t realize it was this late. It’s after midnight.”

“Hmmm. Stop cursing in church,” Alex murmured as she moved into him, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling her head against his chest, suddenly finding that staying away was increasingly more difficult. “After midnight…that means that technically, we’re getting married tomorrow.”

Harry’s heart thumped in his chest and his arms tightened around her. Alex caught the change in him and lifted her head to look at him, finding him smiling down on her with so much warmth and tenderness that it made her flush.

“What’s that look for?” she whispered.

“Tomorrow,” Harry said simply, his lips curving up and his heart beating even faster as he said it.

And with a thump of her own heart, she understood.

They had fought long and hard and jumped over ridiculous obstacles to get to where there were.

Together and more in love that either of them ever thought possible.

Ready to pledge their entire lives to each other.

_Tomorrow._


	83. Chapter Eighty Three

_A/N: The first part of this chapter is from a one-shot contest I did on my blog. The one shot ends where you see *OS*_

*************

ONE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING – MAY 14TH, 2015

Emma sat a little away from the group as they watched Harry and Alex go through their final rehearsal before the wedding. Any other time Emma’s uncharacteristic quietness would have drawn attention but in the fuss of wedding planning and Mike’s recovery her nerves seemed to have been missed by everyone. Or rather almost everyone.

Camilla gently slid into the chair beside her soon-to-be granddaughter, “The excitement getting to you?” she asked quietly.

Emma silently shook her head, avoiding Camilla’s gaze.

“What’s wrong Emma?”

“People don’t like me.”

That shocked Camilla, it was so sudden and unexpected that she didn’t really know what to say, “That’s not true my darling! What makes you say that?”

“I saw it in the paper,” Emma explained, “Mummy and Daddy tried to hide it but I saw it. They’re mad at Daddy for wanting me to be a princess.” She looked up at Camilla with huge, tearful eyes, “I don’t want to be a princess if it makes people be mad at Daddy.”

All eyes were on Alex and Harry and the happy couple themselves so Camilla held out a hand to Emma and guided her out of the row of chairs and up behind the high altar, knowing if she took Emma for a small walk to talk her, she wouldn’t be missed for just a few moments.

“People were upset when I married Grandpa Charles,” she confessed as they made their way up towards the Henry VII Chapel.

“Really?” Emma gasped.

“Oh yes, there are still people who aren’t happy about it, they think I’m trying to replace Harry’s mummy.”

“That’s mean.”

“A little bit yes, but I don’t mind.” Camilla explained. “Do you know why?” Emma shook her head as Camilla knelt down to her level. “Because all that matters is that I love Charles, and William and Harry, and Kate and your mother, and you and Henry, and I want you all to be in my life. What is in here,” she pressed her hand over Emma’s heart, “is a thousand times more important than anything anyone out there can say about you, alright?” And just as she went to move her hand from over Emma’s heart, the little girl reached up to hold it where it was as she considered her words. Finally she nodded. 

“Yes I think I understand now,” She said and then after a few moments more of consideration. “But don’t tell Mummy and Daddy that I saw! I don’t want them to be sad!”

“I promise; it will be our secret,” Camilla said, smiling.

Happy to see that Emma was more herself again, Camilla opened her arms wide for a hug which Emma gave enthusiastically. Then the quiet of the chapel was broken by the sound of Alex’s voice.

“Emma! Emma, where are you?”

Camilla stood up as Alex came into view on the steps of the chapel,

“I was just showing Emma some more of the Abbey,” she explained. “We’ve got a regular little history buff on our hands here!”

***OS***

*************

“I hate that we have to spend tonight apart,” Alex murmured as her fingers ran up the lapels of his blazer, her eyes wide and happy as they turned up to his. Their rehearsal was long over and after a dinner – and several glasses of delicious champagne – at Clarence House for their families, it was time for them to part for the night evening. Alex and Emma would be going back to their home at Kensington to stay with her family and Harry would remain at Clarence House with William and his father and Camilla.

“But after tonight, we get to spend every night together for the rest of our lives,” Harry replied in a soft, reverent voice. His hands ran up and down her arms, bringing warmth to them in the cool night air.

Her lips turned up and the corners and she leaned into him further, finding that she hated the thought of any sort of distance from him at the moment. “Are you nervous?”

“No,” Harry smiled wide and shook his head. “Are  _you_  nervous?”

“The whole thing – the enormity and the number of people watching – makes me a bit nervous. But…” She smiled wide and her eyes danced. “I’m not at all nervous about marrying you.  _Never_  about marrying you.”

“Yeah?” Harry whispered as his face dropped closer to hers and his fingers moved to brush a piece of hair from her face. “Does that mean you’ll definitely show up tomorrow?”

Alex laughed and rolled her eyes slightly even as she leaned her cheek into his hand, seeking his warmth. “Come on, Harry. I don’t think the whole of the British Armed forces could keep me away.”

Harry chuckled and then his eyes grew a bit serious. His thumb stroked at her cheek and he took a deep breath, savoring the quiet moment between the two of them. “Thank you for agreeing to jump into this crazy life with me, Alexandra.”

“Ah well,” she shrugged, her eyes sparking with the sass he’d come to know and love so well. “There were no better options, really.”

Harry laughed, his eyes crinkling up at the sides in that way she loved. And then he dipped his head just a bit further, pressing his lips against hers in a soft, sweet kiss. “I love you, Alexandra Mae,” he whispered against her lips, suddenly finding he didn’t want to let her go. “So much.”

“I love you too, Henry Charles Albert David,” she whispered back, her lips curling as she repeated all four of his names precisely, just as she had practiced over and over again in rehearsal.

His chest rumbled with soft laughter, his arms tightened around her, and he pressed one more kiss to her lips…and then another, and another, and another…

“Harry…” she giggled against his lips. “If you keep kissing me...”

“I can’t help it love,” he said with a grin, but he took a deep breath and pulled back, knowing she was right. “It’ll be a while before I get to kiss you again.”

“Yeah,” Alex sighed. Her hands flattened out on his chest, patting it lightly. “But, the next time you do kiss me…we’ll be  _married_.”

“See now,” Harry groaned. “That only makes me want to kiss you again.”

“Sorry, Wales,” she laughed with a shake of her head as she stepped back from him. “No more until you make an honest woman out of me.”

“Ha!” His head tipped back with laughter and when his eyes moved back to hers they were dancing with humor and pure excitement. “Tomorrow then?”

Alex smiled wide. “Tomorrow.”

And then, after a warm, emotionally filled look between them she squeezed his hands one last time and then turned from him, slipping out the door of Clarence House and to the car that waited to take her home for the night.

***************

THE WEDDING DAY – MAY 15TH, 2014

Alex let out a slow breath as she stepped into the bedroom and shut the door behind her softly. She leaned back against the door and her lips curled up into a soft smile as her eyes traveled over the intimate, warm space that she shared with Harry. Anyone else might not think that the room looked so very much different now than it had the first night she spent there over two years before; but to her it looked incredibly different.

The room had been Harry’s then. His belongings had been on the surfaces and tucked away in the drawers and closets then, but now those surfaces and drawers and closets all held her belongings as well, dwelling happily alongside his. Her jewelry box sat open on the dresser next to his ‘catch all’ bowl that his wallet and mobile phone were tossed into every night. Her clothes were hung neatly in the closet on the opposite side from his. Her toiletries and lotions and makeup were all arranged neatly around the sink next to his.

Her smile pulled up even higher and her already hazy eyes grew soft as she moved to the dresser, pulling out one of his old, soft t-shirts with those thoughts on her mind.

Hers and his.

And tomorrow, he would pledge everything of his to her and she would do the same. They would become man and wife. They would be sharing their entire lives with each other. In the eyes of the law and of God, it would all become theirs. 

_Theirs. Their life. Together._

“Well, I think I’ll just go ahead and consider this ours,” Alex murmured to herself with a slight giggle as she pulled the t-shirt over her head, reveling in softness and the smell; a bit of detergent and a bit of him.

She made quick work of washing her face and brushing her teeth before stepping from the bathroom, flipping off the light behind her and then moving straight to the big, plush bed she loved so much, yawning as she did. She was tired; tired and more than a little tipsy from the champagne at dinner and the shot that Matt had talked her into downstairs. And it had been a long day with the next promising to be even longer. But as she snuggled down into the covers, closing her eyes and chasing sleep wasn’t her immediate intention.

She wanted to use this bit of quiet, alone time to reflect on everything and to have a completely girly, ‘I’m about to marry the man of my dreams’ moment to herself. She wanted to enjoy this incredibly crazy journey she was on where she was going to go to Westminster Abbey in the morning and marry this incredible, amazing man who just happened to be a Prince. She wanted to give into the urge to laugh in a bit of disbelief at the fact that she was going to be a Duchess and that her adorable little daughter was going to be a real, live Princess.

And so for the first time since she had met Harry, she did just that. She let all of those thoughts wash over her. Then, because she couldn’t help herself, she smiled wide there in the dark, reached for Harry’s pillow, pressed it to her face and let out the girliest, most excited giggle of a squeal that had left her lips in a long, long time.

“If only you could see me now, Harry,” she giggled as she pulled the pillow from her face and shook her head at her own silly outburst. She took a deep breath and wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. “You’d make so much fun of me.”

The smile remained on her face as she turned to her side, intent on curling up with Harry’s pillow and getting some sleep. And that’s when she saw it; the thin, rectangular shaped wrapped present laying on the bed right where she had pulled Harry’s pillow from.

“Henry,” she whispered, her lips curling up as she sat back up and reached for it. She turned to flip on her lamp and a soft laugh fell from her lips as she studied the present in her hands. “You hid a present under your pillow for me, you cheesy, cheesy man.”

She pulled off the card that was taped to the front and pulled it from the envelope, her heart beating a bit faster when she read the simple line written in his familiar scrawl.

                 _I knew then…_

_Love, Harry_

Brimming with curiosity, Alex set the note carefully on her nightstand and then her fingers went to work on the wrapping paper. “Oh, Harry…” she whispered when she pulled the paper away to reveal the beautiful picture frame. She recognized where the picture was from instantly, although she had never seen it. It was from his official, public visit to HFTF – the second time they had met. She was turned away from him, already stepping forward to lead the group inside, but Harry was rooted to his spot, staring at her as she walked away with the biggest, brightest smile on his handsome face.

She remembered that moment so well. They had just shaken hands and the spark between them that she had convinced herself was all a part of her imagination when they'd first met, had proven itself to be very, very real. And the smile on Harry’s face in the photo showed that he had felt it too; that little tiny moment between them wasn’t really little at all for either of them.

Alex’s eyes grew moist at the memory and even though they had promised not to talk to each other until they saw each other at the Abbey in the morning, Alex reached for her phone, wanting nothing more in that moment than to talk to him. She dialed his number and held the phone to her ear, her lip pulling between her teeth as she waited for him to answer.

“Alexandra…”

She could hear his grin through the phone and she couldn’t help but laugh. “You were expecting my call, then?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he chuckled.

“Really? Then who left this amazing present under your pillow for me?”

“Ahhh. Went searching under my pillow did you?”

She laughed softly. “You knew I would.”

“I was hoping,” he said softly, his voice growing more reverent. “I meant it, Alexandra. That was the moment…”

“I know,” she interrupted with a smile, her eyes pulling back down to the picture and her fingers running over the picture. “And then, after that…you just went right ahead and fell in love with me.”

A burst of laughter pushed from Harry’s lips, warming Alex’s entire body as she listened. “I absolutely did; you and a certain adorable little blonde kiddo.”

“I wish you were here with me,” Alex sighed. “I just…I’m so excited and giddy and I want you right here to share it with me.”

“Ah, love…” he breathed, his own emotions welling with her words. “Will you still be excited and giddy tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.” Her voice was firm; certain.

“Then how about you meet me at Westminster Abbey at say…eleven o’clock in the morning?”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, it’s a date.”

“It’s a date,” he chuckled. “And Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“Tomorrow, my smile will be twice as big as in that picture.”

Her own smile pulled wide at his words. “You and me both, Wales.”

***********

“Alex! Wake up! You overslept!”

Alex sat straight up in the bed with a gasp, her eyes wide and panicked. She had already started pulling at her covers with the intent of scrambling out of bed when she saw her brother standing in her doorway, laughing his ass off at her.

“Matt!” she yelled, realizing that he was messing with her and she had not, in fact, overslept. “What the hell? What are you, twelve?!” She reached for a pillow and hurled it at him, unable to keep the smile from her face when he only laughed harder as he dodged the pillow. She turned towards her clock and groaned out at the time on the digital display. “Matthew Scott Emerson! It’s 5:45 in the morning. I had fifteen more minutes to sleep!”

“It’s like high school all over again,” Matt chuckled with a shake of his head. “And I wish I could say I’m sorry, but that would make me a liar. Besides, I wasn’t even the official mastermind; only an accomplice.”

Alex eyebrows lifted. “What are you talking about?”

It was then that Emma peeked around the corner, a mischievous smile on her adorable face. “Happy Wedding Day, Mummy!”

Alex couldn’t help but laugh, even as she narrowed her eyes playfully at her daughter. “Alright you,” she said, pointing a finger at Emma. “For that, you get to spend the next fifteen minutes snuggled up with me before the troops come in and we have to start getting ready for the day.”

“Okay!” Emma agreed with a giggle. She ran over and jumped up on the bed, immediately moving to pull the covers up around her.

“I’ll let you two hang out,” Matt chuckled. “Fair warning though, Charlotte is already up and I’m sure she’ll be busting in here at six am on the dot.”

“Noted,” Alex laughed as she pulled her daughter into her arms.

Matt grinned as he moved from the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Alex and Emma alone for their last few minutes of mother/daughter time before the craziness began.

***********

All of the small anxieties and nerves that had hit Alex in the days before the wedding had faded by that morning, and in their place was a sense of calm and peace that allowed Alex to relax and really enjoy the time with her family and friends as her stylist, makeup artists, and hairdressers descended onto her house to get them all ready for the wedding.

The morning went quickly, full of excited chatter and laughter as the ladies were made up and their hair pinned to perfection while Matt and Mike relaxed in another part of the house. And before Alex knew it, it was her turn in the stylist chair and she couldn’t help but smile wide with excitement as she slid into the chair to let them get to work.

Her make-up was applied quickly but precisely; heavy enough so that she wouldn’t look washed out through the TV cameras, but soft enough so that she still looked like her when she stepped up to the altar. Isaac, the wonderful young man who had worked with her in the previous months to come up with a hair style for the day that worked for her, the dress, and the tiara, immediately went to work on her hair when her make-up was done. He pulled her hair from the large rollers he had placed her in at the beginning of the morning and quickly started pinning her long blonde hair up into classic but soft up-do they’d come up with.

Emma and Charlotte were both fully dressed by the time they finished, having been carefully put into their dresses by Alex’s stylist Anna and by the dress designer himself, Stuart Parvin, who wanted to make sure there were no last minute alterations needed. Then, it was Alex’s turn to be dressed in the gown that was designed and created just for her, the very last step before the tiaras would be pulled out to be placed and secured on hers and Emma’s head.

The room fell silent as Alex carefully stepped into the beautiful lace and satin creation and it was pulled into place on her. Anna and Stuart immediately went to work on the long row of buttons on the back and adjusting everything into place. Molly and Donna both blinked back tears as they watched and Alex couldn’t help but stare at her own reflection in the full length mirror she was positioned in front of. She felt so incredibly beautiful in the amazing dress was everything she had wanted it to be and more. It was classic enough for an Abbey wedding, but held the small modern elements that Alex had wanted.

“I have to hand it to you, Stuart,” Charlotte said, her own smile wide and her hand resting on her bump as she looked at Alex. “Everyone is going to go insane over that dress.”

“Especially Daddy,” Emma joined in with a wide grin, bringing laughter from around the room.

“Yes, especially him,” Charlotte agreed with a wink at Emma.

“Well, thank you,” Stuart nodded with a warm smile before he turned to Anna. “Dresses are on, love. They are all yours now to finish up.”

“Just one thing left,” Anna said with a big smile as she clapped her hands together and looked from Emma to Alex and then back again. “Tiaras.”

**********

Emma’s tiara was pulled from the safe in the house and was quickly put into place on the giddy eight year old princess-to-be, the team going to work pinning and securing it so it would stay in place throughout the day.

And then, it was Alex’s turn.

When the tiara entered the room, she was sure that it came with a palace official or security of some sort. But Alex saw none of that. 

Sure. She saw diamonds and sparkle. She saw history; past and present. But what stood out above all else, what shone the brightest was the significance behind this beautiful piece of jewelry. 

She was becoming a Duchess.

She was becoming his  _wife_. 

As a team of people moved around overhead, pinning and primping, she was basking in this moment, this realization that continued to wash over her.

The day was here. This was it.

It seemed that the moment that the tiara was in place, things really started to move quicker and quicker around them.

Donna, Molly, and Matt were first to leave Kensington Palace by car. And Alex’s heart beat faster when they did, knowing that if they were leaving that meant Harry was already at the Abbey with William, waiting on everyone to arrive.

Waiting on  _her_  to arrive.

Charlotte and Emma, along with the two adorable page boys who had only arrived at Kensington shortly before, were the next to leave for the Abbey. Alex kissed her daughter’s cheeks and hugged her tight before she watched her little girl walk out the door, looking every bit the princess she was about to become.

And then, at 10:47 am, Melanie smiled wide at Alex and nodded, letting her know it was time. She handed Alex her bouquet, a stunning white flower creation that was accented with Bluebonnets as a nod to her Texas roots. She took the bouquet with a deep breath and surprisingly steady hands.

As she stepped out of the door of the home she shared with Harry at Kensington Palace and she took her father’s arm as he led her to the car, a wide, brilliant smile spread across her face.

The smile remained as she was carefully put into the car, her father and Anna making sure that her dress was tucked in carefully around her.

The smile remained when her father slid into the car next to her, looking handsome in his morning suit and so incredibly proud to be accompanying her on this drive.

And the smile remained – and grew just a bit wider – when the car began to pull from the drive and to the gates where she could see people waiting to catch a glimpse of her.

The nerves she felt while on this very same drive to the Abbey the night before were a distant, forgotten memory. Because this time – this drive – was bringing her to finale of all of the build-up and planning and work of the last few months. At the end of this drive the kind, sweet, funny, amazing man she loved would be waiting for her, looking undoubtedly handsome and with a great big smile on his face.

Finally,  _finally_ …she was on her way to marry Harry.


	84. Chapter Eighty Four

When Alex stepped from the car in front of Westminster Abbey, it was easily the most unbelievably surreal moment of her life. No matter how many times she had watched Will and Kate’s wedding, no matter how many times Kate had told her about this very moment, stepping out of the car in a one of a kind designer wedding dress, in front of one of the iconic churches in the world, to the roar of the crowds cheering – it felt like an incredible dream.

Alex couldn’t help the wide smile and small laugh that fell from her lips as she turned to smile and offer the crowd a wave. All of those people had gathered to catch a glimpse of her, of Harry, and probably of Emma too. They had come out in support of their wedding day and Alex really wished that she could just hug them all and thank them personally.

“Are you ready, Boot?” Mike’s voice was soft and deep as he came around the car and offered his arm to her along with a warm, supportive smile.

“Yes,” Alex smiled and nodded. She took a deep breath and slid her hand into the curve of her father’s arm and turned her gaze from the crowd, immediately finding her daughter standing there in front of her.

“Mum,” Emma smiled wide, not appearing a bit nervous as she waited to take her place as her mother’s maid of honor, holding her train as they entered the church. Emma’s voice was barely audible above the crowd but Alex couldn’t help the way it made her tear up anyway.

“Oh Emma,” Alex sighed. “You look beautiful.”

“Mum,” Emma laughed with only the slightest roll of her eyes, so small that only Alex would have ever caught it. “You  _just_  saw me.”

“I know,” Alex laughed. “And it’s just as true now as it was then.” She could almost hear Emma roll her eyes and she couldn’t help the giggle that slipped from her lips. Then with a look up to Mike and a nod, they began the walk up to the doors.

As soon as they stepped through the glass doors and they closed behind them, Alex almost felt as if they had stepped into an entirely different world. The noise outside faded, the extent of the beautifully decorated Abby came into view, and a certain sort of calm settled inside of her.

The Bishop came over, offering a few kind, calming words to Alex and to her father. Charlotte moved around to check Alex’s veil and gave her wink and smirk, making Alex laugh lightly. And then, Emma, Charlotte, and the pageboys took their place behind her. The Bishop took his place in front, all waiting for the carefully selected music as their cue to start moving.

“Hey, Boot?” Mike said so softly that Alex wasn’t quite sure she actually heard him until she turned and saw him looking at her with a look in his eyes that made her want to cry.

“Yeah?” she whispered with a bit to her lip, trying to keep the tears at bay.

He smiled and reached over to pat the hand that was tucked into his arm. “I’m so incredibly proud of you.”

“Daddy…” Alex breathed just as the music began to play, signaling the start of the procession. She blinked quickly, pushing the tears back and looking forward as smile tilted her lips. She took a deep breath and then, she took the first step.

The first step down the aisle.

The first step towards her new life.

The first step towards Harry.

And as she took that step – and the next one and the one after that – she couldn’t help the brilliant smile that spread across her face. All the time that Melanie had spent making Alex practice smiling in case her nerves took over was useless; there wasn’t a single thing in the world that could have pulled the smile from her face in that moment.

And then, just as they moved into the nave, Alex’s eyes shifted slightly, taking in the new part of the Abbey and for the first time down the aisle, she started to recognize some of the faces seated on either side of her. The Beckhams were there, along with Sir Elton John and his husband. Even though she had never met him, she spotted Harry’s close friend Prince Seeiso, whom she’d heard so much about. He met her eyes and offered her a nod and a warm smile and Alex had the fleeting thought that she knew she liked him already.

But as her eyes shifted back to center, as her attention pulled back to where her feet where leading her, all of her thoughts that weren’t of Harry disappeared. Because that’s when she found him; that’s when her eyes fell on him and she felt her breath suck in and she had to fight the urge to hike up her dress and run at full speed down the aisle to him.

She had to swallow back the giggle that bubbled up in her throat at the thought of bolting down the aisle and screwing up the pace she had been so worried about keeping two days before and how it just didn’t seem to matter as much anymore; not with Harry standing at the end waiting for her. But still she stayed on pace, a wide smile in place and holding on to her father’s arm tightly as she moved.

Her eyes stayed steady on Harry, watching as he rocked on his heels slightly – a tell that she knew meant that he was anxious and ready to turn around and see her, to have her with him. Her lips tipped up even higher when she saw William turn slightly and smile at her, warm and affectionate with just a pinch of humor, loving that he had the task of letting Harry know that she was there – with words he had planned out in advance to bring the most reaction from his brother she had no doubt.

Alex wouldn’t find out until hours later exactly what Will had said, but just as she thought it would, his words made Harry forget he was supposed to wait to turn and see her until she moved up the steps and stood beside him.

And the look on his face when he turned and found her almost took her down.

His lips parted, he blinked once, and then the biggest, happiest smile that Alex was sure she’d ever seen spread across his handsome face. She couldn’t help but match his grin as she stepped closer and closer, seemingly inching towards him. His eyes flickered away from hers and moved behind her, and she knew he had found Emma. His face softened, he threw a wink, and Alex couldn’t help but tear up slightly, loving that he found a way to bring Emma into this unbelievably special, intimate moment.

And just as the tears threatened to surge to the surface she realized that they had finally reached the end of the aisle.

Her breath sucked in.

Just a few more steps until she was there; until she was standing next to Harry.

She held tight to her father’s arm as he guided her up the steps, asking her softly if she was okay, making sure she remained steady.

And she was; she was steady and beyond ready for this.

And just as the music reached its climax, Alex stepped right into her place right beside Harry.

It was less than a second before he leaned in, his voice low as he spoke to her, not being able to wait any longer than that to connect with her. “Right on time, my love.”

Her lips curled up at his words, at the comment that was so innately Harry – cheeky but filled with adoration. Her eyes slid to his and she felt her cheeks flush as their gazes met. “I almost broke into a run halfway down.”

His lips twitched and he bit his lip, holding back laughter before his face turned a bit serious. His voice dropped even lower and he dared to speak again – the music was nearing its end and along with it his chance to say his last words to her before they took their vows, before they pledged their entire lives to each other. “I’ve never seen anything as beautiful as you are right now, Alexandra.”

Her lips trembled. “Harry…”

“And I’m so proud…”

And his words were forced to fade out as the music slowed to a stop. But Alex didn’t need to hear the words to know what he was going to say. He was proud to be standing there with her, proud to be marrying her, proud to be on this journey with her and Emma.

And it made her incredibly proud to be standing right there next to him; proud and emotional. She took a deep, calming breath and blinked back tears as she turned and found Emma, smiling and calm and waiting to take Alex’s bouquet as part of her duties as maid of honor.

“Thank you,” Alex breathed softly as she handed the bouquet to her daughter. Her lips pulled into a smile when she saw Emma glance towards Harry quickly and then giggle before turning to move back down the steps and to her seat. Then she turned again and faced her father and the sting of tears threatened again as her eyes met his.

“You’re doing amazing, Boot,” Mike whispered low as he smiled warmly at her, everything about his words and his voice moving to calm and sooth her as she felt the emotions surging heavy within her.

She took another deep breath as she smiled, nodded, and then dipped slightly so he could lift her veil over her head. And just as her veil was in place, music began filling the Abbey once more and her dad was smiling encouragingly to her one more time before she moved to face forward again.

Her gaze immediately snuck to the right and found Harry as he reached in front of them for one of the wedding programs. He turned to hand it to her as they would be expected to sing along with the congregation. When she reached out to take it from him, his hand brushed hers and Alex’s cheeks flushed immediately when she found herself wanting to gasp at the contact. She glanced down for only a second before her gaze was sliding to the side again and their eyes met. His lips pulled immediately into a cheeky grin, his cheeks flushed just as much as hers had, and Alex knew that he had felt the heat flow between them too at the simple touch.

And that was all she needed to get the surge of emotions under control; that simple interaction with Harry where there were no words spoken but he told her that he was right there with her; feeling everything she was feeling. That was the moment she relaxed and forgot about the TV cameras and the millions of eyes that were watching them. And as the voices of the congregation filled the Abbey around her and she began to sing along to the music as well, everything just became easier.

Because she was with Harry.

They snuck glances at each other through the song, small smiles tilting their lips as they sang and occasional light flushed spreading across their cheeks. To everyone and anyone who watched, it was undeniable how happy and excited the couple at the Altar was.

When the song came to an end, silence settled over them for a moment as the Reverend stepped up to them to start his part of the ceremony. And the light, playful moments between them faded out into complete seriousness. They both wanted to respect this; this ceremony that would make them man and wife.

“Dearly beloved…”The Reverend’s deep, wonderful voice began to fill the Abbey around them, but in that moment, both Harry and Alex felt like he was speaking only to them. “We are gathered here today in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this woman and this man in Holy Matrimony…”

Alex had known what he would say; had studied the readings for the wedding many, many times. She knew he would tell them of the importance of marriage and how serious those entering into the institution of marriage should take it. She knew he would go over the reasons that marriage was created. Bust as she listened, she felt the words resonate heavy in her heart and in her soul; more than she ever had before.

“…Therefore, if any man can show any just cause why they cannot lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.”

The Abbey fell completely silent for a few moments and then the Archbishop of Canterbury stepped forward and the Reverend stepped away. Alex’s breath sucked in and she felt Harry do the same next to her. The Archbishop would be marrying them. He would be overseeing their vows to each other and by the time he stepped away from them, they would be man and wife.

“I require and charge you both, as ye will answer at the dreadful day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment why ye may not be lawfully joined together in matrimony, ye do now confess it.  For be ye well assured, that so many as are coupled together otherwise than God’s word doth allow are not joined together by God, neither is their matrimony lawful.”

Alex felt all the emotions swell again inside of her again as the Archbishop took a breath and then turned to Harry. She could almost feel Harry stand up taller, ready to say words he had been waiting for so long to say.

“Henry Charles Albert David, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together according to God’s law in the holy estate of matrimony?  Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?”

There wasn’t even a blink of silence before Harry answered; loud, clear, and proud. “I will.”

Alex couldn’t help but turn to take a quick peek at him; her heart swelling and her lips curving into a smile at the look of complete pride and confidence on his face. And then the Bishop was turning to her and she pulled her focus forward, already aching to speak the words Harry had spoken a moment before.

“Alexandra Mae, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together according to God’s law in the holy estate of matrimony?  Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

Her lips curved, her shoulders straightened, and she answered, clear and certain. “I will.”

The Archbishop took a breath and then spoke again, “Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?”

Alex turned warm eyes to her father as he reached for her right hand. He squeezed her fingers gently, nodded encouragingly, and then he passed her hand to the Archbishop and then he was passing her hand to Harry. And for the first time all day, they were touching; connected. His fingers curved soft and warm around her as she turned to face him, her bottom lip pulling in between her teeth for just a brief moment as their eyes met and locked. His eyebrows lifted slightly, his lips twitched, and Alex knew exactly what he was thinking; she could hear it as clearly as if he spoke the words out loud.

“ _Think I could convince him to hurry it up?”_

Her lips curved slightly but before she could find her own silent way to respond, the Archbishop’s voice filled the air again.

“I, Henry Charles Albert David…”

Harry squeezed her hand and took a deep breath; all humor replaced but complete seriousness and intent. “I, Henry Charles Albert David…”

“Take thee, Alexandra Mae…”

“Take thee, Alexandra Mae…” His eyes shone bright as he repeated the words and with a lump in her own throat, she realized the brightness was tears.

“To my wedded wife…”

“To my wedded  _wife_ …” Though his voice wavered a bit with emotion, that word –  _wife­ –_ was firm and clear _._   _His wife._

“To have and to hold from this day forward…”

“To have and to hold from this day forward…” Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, his thumb stroked over the back of her hand, and Alex blinked at the tears that formed in her own, though she knew it was helpless to try and stop them.

“For better, for worse…”

“For better, for worse…” He blinked at his tears and a smile began to form on his lips.

“In sickness and in health…”

“In sickness and in health…” He squeezed her hand as he saw her swallow against the tears, bringing her through it with him.

“To love and to cherish…”

“To love and to cherish…” His smile grew wider. He had always loved and cherished her and he simply couldn’t live a life where he didn’t.

“Till death do us part…”

“Till death do us part…” He was almost grinning now, though the tears were still there and she couldn’t help but smile with him.

“And thereto I give thee my troth…”

“And thereto I give thee my troth…” And Alex knew he’d never meant anything more in his entire life.

Regretfully, he released his hold on her hand and she dropped it to her side, but she was already lifting her other hand to find his. When his skin met hers again she almost sighed with being in contact with him again; needing it more than anything in the world right then.

The Archbishop began again, leading her into her vows; the most important words she would ever say. “I, Alexandra Mae…”

“I, Alexandra Mae…” She smiled bright, her eyes wide with love and certainty as they held firmly with Harry’s.

“Take thee, Henry Charles Albert David…”

His lips tipped up even as her eyes sparkled, thinking of her particular habit of using all four names. “Take thee, Henry Charles Albert David…”

“To my wedded husband…”

“To my wedded  _husband_ …” She spoke the word just as he had and watched as it made tears spring to his eyes again; making her swallow at the emotion that it brought.

“To have and to hold from this day forward…”

“To have and to hold from this day forward…” And in a way that only Harry would ever notice, her voice grew softer, letting him know just how much she meant those words; how deeply she believed in them.

“For better, for worse…”

“For better, for worse…”  _Through absolutely anything_ , she thought as she said the words. And the tears she thought she was going to be able to keep at bay sprang forward in her eyes.

“In sickness and in health…”

“In sickness and in health…” She squeezed his hand as her voice wavered, the waves of emotions rolling through her with the words.

“To love and to cherish…”

“To love and to cherish…” A tear slipped from the corner of her eye but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered in the world but pledging everything to the man in front of her.

“Till death do us part…”

“Till death do us part…” Her lips pulled into a smile and she managed to blink back the rest of her tears as he rocked on his heels and his thumb swiped love back and forth over her hand; soothing and encouraging her.

“And thereto I give thee my troth…”

“And thereto I give thee my troth…”  _She would give him anything and everything. Always. Forever._

A wide smile was shared between the two of them and as much as she didn’t want to, her fingers loosened around his and she moved to let go of his hand. But instead of dropping his hand to his side, Harry reached up and quickly swiped the tear that had fallen during her vows from her cheek.

It wasn’t a long, drawn out motion. It was quick and simple and more reflex than anything. But unknown to either of them at the time, the entire world went crazy at his sweet, loving gesture; at the way he took care of his bride. It was the picture that would be published more than any other. It was the video clip that would be played over and over again. But the bride and groom remained unaware of any of that, firmly wrapped up in their moment as William pulled out the rings and handed them to the Archbishop so that he could bless them.

“Bless, O Lord, these rings, and grant that they who give them and they who shall wear them may remain faithful to each other, and abide in thy peace and favor, and live together in love until their lives’ end. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

The Archbishop handed Alex’s simple gold ring to Harry first, who turned to her with a bright, easy smile as he took her left hand in his. The Archbishop led him in his vow and Harry repeated them with ease; promising to honor her with his body and to share all of his worldly goods with her. It was all quite simple really; he would honor her with everything he was and give her everything he had. It was the easiest thing he ever promised to do.

And Alex felt lighter, more relaxed as she took Harry’s ring and did the same; repeating after the Archbishop as she slipped the gold band onto his finger. “With this ring I thee wed; with my body I thee honor; and all my worldly goods with thee I share.”

And then they were turning back towards the Archbishop, stepping forward on the Altar for the prayer. Harry’s hand held onto hers as they moved to their knees and then was forced to let go; despite his entire body aching to keep contact with her, with the woman he had just pledged everything to.

“Let us pray…” The Archbishop said, his deep voice booming out to the congregation.

They both bowed their heads, listening to the prayer in their honor; the hope that their message would be a blessed and happy one.

And it would be. Neither of them had any doubt. They believed it to the bottom of their hearts and deep down in their souls.

And then the Bishop motioned for their hands one more time. Their eyes met just as their hands did and the cloth of the Archbishop was wrapped around them. “Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.”

Their hands were parted again, but this time it wasn’t the ache to be connected that either of them felt. There was a surge of energy; a rush of emotion. This was it. After the Archbishop’s next words…

“Forasmuch as Henry and Alexandra have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of rings, and by joining of hands; I pronounce that they be man and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”

They were  _married_. She was his  _wife_. He was her  _husband_.

_Theirs. Together._

The cheering from the crowds outside could be heard inside the Abbey and tears surged forward into Alex’s eyes. It was not only a reminder that it wasn’t just the two of them at that moment; it was also a reminded that those watching were supporting them in this moment, were cheering them on as they became man and wife. And it meant so much to her.

And the Archbishop continued, “God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you; and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. Amen.”

Then they were rising to their feet and Harry’s hand wrapped around hers, holding her steady. Alex’s eyes were still slightly teary as they met Harry’s and he smiled softly and his hand squeezed hers in a silent, “ _I love you_.”

She nodded and then turned a quick, warm smile to her father and to William and they left them at the Altar to take their seats and then Harry was leading her to the side, to the seats that they would remain in for the rest of the ceremony. He helped her sit, took his seat next to her, and she swore she could feel him in every single inch of her body. She wished more than anything that she could talk to him, that she could touch him; that in some way they could be connected in these first moments after they became husband and wife.

As she pulled open her wedding program to follow along with the music, she turned to look at him. Her smile pulled wide and her cheeks flushed when she found him already looking at her. His eyes were heavy and full of everything they shared; their love, their passion, and their commitment to each other. And she simply couldn’t help herself; her bottom lip tucked into her teeth, she reached over, and wrapped her fingers around his where they rested on his leg. Harry’s lips moved into a soft smile as he moved to take her hand into his, covering her fingers warmly as they joined the congregation in the Hymn.

It was just that simple really; they had to be connected in that moment. No one could take that from them.

When the music began to fade out, Alex grinned wide when she saw her brother stand from his seat, tall and incredibly handsome in his morning suit as he moved to the front to deliver the reading of the Lesson.

His deep, Texas accented voice filled the Abbey as he began to read the beautiful passage Alex and Harry had chosen and Alex couldn’t help but let her eyes wander to the rest of her family as she listened to him. She smiled as her eyes met first her father’s and then her mother’s. Donna’s lips curved into a smirk of a smile and Alex was forced to bit her lip to avoid the giggle that threatened with the shared look between them. Her eyes traveled to Emma then, who was watching her Uncle Matt but must have sensed her mother looking at her, because she turned her head right then. Her eyes met Alex’s, who winked and smiled at her, bringing flushed cheeks and a giggle to the pretty little girl in the purple tiara. And then her eyes moved to Charlotte; her dear friend and now her sister-in-law. Her hand was resting on her baby bump and love was shining in her eyes as she watched Matt speak.

Alex felt so incredibly lucky and loved as they moved through Matt’s reading, the Anthem, and then the Address. She had these amazing family and friends, some of whom had flown from halfway across the world to support her as she married the wonderful, amazing man who currently held her hand so warmly and firmly in his.

The ceremony was beautiful and moved along quickly. Before Alex realized it they were standing from their chairs and moving back to High Altar for the Motet, the Blessing, and then finally, the National Anthem.

And when it was all done, just as the final notes to  _God Save the Queen_  faded, Harry’s eyes found hers again, he offered her his arm, and she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow gladly. She squeezed gently and she smiled up at him as he began to lead them behind across the High Altar towards the door that would lead them into the Shrine of St. Edward the Confessor for the signing of the wedding registries.

They were barely behind the High Altar, just a few feet from being in view of the congregation and the entire world before Harry was turning to her, his eyes mischievous and determined, his hands searching. She grinned at him as his fingers danced up over her lace covered shoulders to her neck where he cupped her face in his hands, tilting her up to him, and his eyes meeting hers with such emotion that Alex nearly forgot how to breathe.

“Harry…” Her hands moved to him, her fingers curling around his wrists and holding him to her.

He stepped closer, his body pressing to hers. “Yes, my love?”

“We’re married…” It was a whispered statement, but the emotional impact was big. Her lips tilted up and her eyes filled with tears just as his did the same.

“We are,” he nodded, his voice low and filled with so much love and pride it made her lips tremble. “And Alexandra, I’m going to kiss my  _wife_.”

Everything about him was steady and determined as he tilted his head over hers. And as much as she knew that she should stop him and make him wait, she simply couldn’t. After spending the better part of the morning sharing everything with the world, this moment of impropriety and impulsiveness and of love was theirs.

She moaned as his lips covered hers, warm and soft and sure. Her lips parted for him and when his tongue found hers it was slow and reverent and the sweetest thing Alex had ever experienced in her life; being kissed by her husband.

“Ooooooh no,” a small, whispered voice called out from behind them, bringing the kiss to an end. “You’re not supposed to be kissing in the church!”

Alex and Harry both laughed as they pulled apart and turned towards Emma, who was shaking her head at them. Harry bent forward and picked up Emma into his arms as their families began to file into the room as well.

“Well, good morning Princess Emma Rose,” Harry grinned as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful today.”

Emma’s eyes widened a bit. “Am I a Princess now?”

“You’re a Princess now,” Harry nodded.

“Harry, I don’t remember you wearing that shade of lipstick during the ceremony,” William cracked, his eyes dancing wickedly as he messed with his brother.

“That’s cause they were kissing. I caught them,” Emma said, matter-of-fact and bringing a laugh from the group that was gathered.

“Of course,” Harry laughed. He narrowed his eyes playfully at Emma and then moved to set her down so he could wipe the evidence from his lips.

The Archbishop joined them then and although the mood remained jovial, it was time to get back to business for a moment, to fulfill the purpose for which they had all stepped into this private space. The Archbishop guided them to the large table where the documents they were required to sign were laid out for them; the marriage license, the Cathedral Registry, and the Royal Registry.

They signed each one in turn and it felt a touch surreal to Alex, to be signing her name in the Royal Registry under famous royal brides that had come before her. But she smiled as she added hers to the list, signing ‘ _Alexandra Mae Morgan_ ’ for what was very likely to be the last time in her life.

Once they were done, they quickly lined up again, ready to step back into the Abbey and into the view of the public for the procession back up the aisle to the waiting carriages outside.

“Harry?” Alex whispered as their family began to file out ahead of them.

“Yes, love?” His head tilted closer to hers and his hand held hers tighter.

“I forgot to tell you how handsome you look today.”

Harry grinned and chuckled. “It’s the uniform, love.”

“No,” she smiled softly and shook her head. “It’s because you’re my husband.”

“Ah, now see,” he murmured, his eyes going soft and sweet on her. “That’s completely unfair, trying to make me cry just before we step out there again.”

Alex grinned and her eyes danced. “Well, I had to try.”

Laughter was fresh on Harry’s lips as they stepped back out onto the High Altar, back into the eye of the public. His hand held hers as he led her down the steps where they paused for a moment and turned to face the Queen. Harry bowed his head and Alex dipped into her curtsy, rising to see the Queen smiling gently at her. Her eyes met Prince Philip’s for a moment as they turned back to the aisle and the smirk of a smile was so much like Harry’s that it made smile.

The walk up the aisle – with the fanfare playing out around them – seemed so much faster than the walk down the aisle had been. It all seemed so easy now; so simple. Now she had Harry with her. Her hand was clasped in his, they were married, she was his  _wife._ ”

But no matter how easy it felt, nothing could have prepared her for the roar that went up the second they stepped through the door of the Abbey and in the view of the crowds. Alex’s smile was big and bright as they paused there for a moment, allowing for pictures and then for Harry to pull on his gloves and his hat. Her eyes traveled out over the crowd as she waited and as silly as she knew it sounded, she wished she could go over and hug every single person in the crowd and thank them for coming out and supporting her and Harry.

“Right then,” Harry grinned as he pulled on his second glove and made sure it was fastened. “You ready, love?”

“Always,” Alex responded, lifting her hand back to Harry’s. Her breath sucked in as they moved down the steps and she saw the magnificent carriage waiting in front of them. “Oh wow…”

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Harry grinned. “I’ve never gotten to ride in it before today.”

“Me either,” Alex joked, bringing a laugh from Harry as they stopped in front of the carriage.

The footman that was standing at the ready pulled open the door. Harry was the first to climb in before turning to take her bouquet and then offer a hand to help her into the carriage. He made sure she was seated before suddenly he looked up back towards the Abbey at their family standing there, waiting in groups for the carriages that would come around to get them after Harry and Alex’s had pulled away.

“Hold on,” Harry called out to the footman as he stood and, taking care not to step on Alex’s dress, moved right back out of the carriage.

“Harry, what are you…” She called out with a laugh, her words trailing off as she realized where he was going.

She watched as he moved quickly to where Emma stood next to Charlotte and he bent down, saying something to Emma which had her nodding her head and bringing a giant smile to her face. And then he was standing up again, taking Emma’s hand in his and leading her back to the carriage.

Alex felt tears move to her eyes at his gesture – bringing Emma into this moment with them. It wasn’t just about Harry and Alex. They were a family now, and that included Emma too. He wanted her with them. He wanted the entire world to see not only how happy the two of them were, but how happy they were as a family unit as well.

He was all smiles when they got back to the carriage and climbed back in again. And when he reached for Emma and pulled her inside with him and Alex, sitting her right in the middle of them, the cheers that went through the crowd were beyond compare.

“I had to,” Harry leaned over and murmured to Alex.

“It’s perfect,” Alex whispered, her smile beaming.

“This is  _so cool_ ,” Emma breathed, bringing a laugh from both of them.

And then the horses began to move and their carriage pulled away from Westminster Abbey. Their hands lifted in delighted waves and their lips pulled into elated smiles as the crowds began to pass by, as they began their journey towards the next stop in their day, Buckingham Palace.


	85. Chapter Eighty Five

“Daddy!”

Harry looked smiled wide as he stepped into the living room and saw Emma perched in a chair and playing on her iPad. She was all ready to go in the pretty pink formal dress that she would be wearing that evening. Her long blonde hair was pulled half-up, half-down so it would stay out of her face, but still looked age appropriate.

“Hello my darling Emma,” he chuckled as he finished fastening his cufflinks before walking over to her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You look beautiful, Princess.”

“Thank you, Dad,” she beamed back up at him.

“You’re welcome. I do have a question though. Why on earth are you sitting on a towel?”

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes. “Miss Anna said she was going to have a…antsy attack if I got any more dog hair on my dress.”

“An antsy attack?” Harry’s brows knitted together in confusion. “An  _anxiety_  attack?”

“That’s what I said,” Emma said pointedly, growing even more dramatic. “He’s not even here right now. He’s visiting with Zuko. How can I possibly get that much hair on my dress?”

Harry couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know Em, but I guess staying right there on that towel and not giving Anna an antsy attack is probably the right thing to do. Now, where is your mum?”

“Right here…”

Harry spun at her voice and his eyes widened as he took her in. Her dress – much less formal but no less beautiful than the one she had worn that morning – was white and with delicate silver and sequin details over it, making her almost sparkle where the late evening sun hit it through the windows. Her hair was down and fell down her back in loose, soft curls and she wore the prettiest smile he knew he’d ever seen in his life – happy, content, and full of love.

“You look… _stunning_ , Alexandra. Absolutely stunning,” he beamed as he moved to her.

“Thank you.” She flushed slightly at his compliment and at the way he was looking at her as he moved to stand in front of her. Her eyes cast down for a moment before turning back up to his as her hands moved to his tuxedo jacket, her fingers sliding down the lapels. “You look mighty fine tonight yourself, Captain.”

Harry’s smile grew the tiniest bit smug before he bent and kissed her, his lips running softly back and forth over hers softly.

“Are you guys going to kiss all the time now that you’re married?” Emma called out from behind them, a dramatic sigh following her words.

Harry and Alex both laughed and then answered in complete unison.

“Yes!”

**********

It wasn’t very long before it was time to leave their home again, back to Buckingham Palace for the second time that day. They all wore wide smiles as they stepped out into the twilight of the early evening and then slid into the waiting Jaguar that immediately pulled smoothly towards the gates and out onto the London streets. There was much less fanfare when they pulled through the gates of Buckingham Palace this time, though there were still small crowds of people waiting out there, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new family as they arrived.

When they pulled to a stop, their doors were immediately pulled open and they stepped out quickly, the air of excitement and of celebration evident in the air around them. And there was Melanie – looking remarkably upbeat though Alex knew she had been up well before dawn – waiting at the top of the steps, ready to escort Harry, Alex, and Emma to the beautiful reception that awaited them.

“The weather was amazingly perfect all day,” Melanie said, glancing towards Alex with a wide smile as they walked. “We were able to put everything together exactly how we planned.”

“Wonderful,” Alex nodded, her eyes dancing with excitement.

They walked through the palace, moving through the halls with all their portraits, passing the throne room where William and Kate had held their reception, where Harry and Alex would have held theirs had the weather been bad. And then they were stepping up to the doors that led out to the expansive green lawn behind the palace. The doors had been propped open to allow the guests to move quickly through as they arrived and as they stepped through them, they were afforded with a perfect view of the setup on the lawn below.

When Alex had originally brought up the idea of an outdoor reception to Harry, he had genuinely loved it, but wasn’t quite sure how they would make it work. The lawn at Buckhouse was an obvious choice, but there were initial worries about privacy; the press would likely go to any measure it could to snap photos of the event. There was of course, a no fly zone above the Palace that was always in effect, but even that wasn’t a guarantee that somebody wouldn’t be crazy enough to try to fly a helicopter in to get aerial photos. So, a very private agreement was struck with the press. Harry and Alex would agree to release a set of five photos to the press from the reception within the month at no cost, and none of the media outlets would release details of the party to the public nor try in any way to get photos. If any photos that were not released by the couple made it into the media, the deal would be off and legal action would swiftly follow.

And to put it simply, Fleet Street was so thrilled that they were to be given photos from the reception – an absolute first – that they agreed instantly.

It was a big chance that they were taking, but it was one they both felt would be worth it to be able to have the party they really wanted.

“Oh wow,” Alex murmured as they stood at the top of the steps and she took in the view. The large white tent had been erected on the lawn and they could hear the low key big band style music floating out from inside of it. There were tall, round tables set around the path that led to the tent that Alex knew had been used not long before during the cocktail hour. There were tall trees spaced among the tables that were strung with white lights, casting a lovely glow in the area and Alex could just imagine her friend and family walking and standing among them not long before, laughing and talking while they waited for them to arrive. “This is amazing, Melanie.”

“I simply followed your instructions,” Melanie waved a hand as they made their way down the steps to the path. They had taken portions of what was normally used for dance floor in outdoor receptions and constructed the path, making it easy for the ladies in heels to walk on. It was covered in white carpet and also lined with candles, creating that glow again effect that Alex loved so much.

“It’s wonderful, Melanie. Thank you,” Harry said sincerely, not only loving what he had seen so far but loving the look on Alex’s face as she looked around.

“Is there really dancing inside the tent?” Emma asked, getting to what she really wanted to know.

“There is a great big dance floor inside and a band and even better, everyone we love,” Harry grinned.

“Yes there is,” Melanie nodded as they reached the entrance to the tent. “And they’re waiting on you. Are you ready?”

“Absolutely,” Alex smiled, more than a little thrilled to get inside and spend time with her friends and family.

Melanie reached for the small microphone attached to the earpiece she wore, alerting someone inside to their arrival. Within seconds the music coming from inside died out and she heard someone take the microphone, announcing that they were there.

As soon as they stepped into the tent, Alex was sure she was going to cry.

She had known this would be different than any other part of the day, that this part of the day was just for them and the people they knew and loved best. But she wasn’t prepared to see them all at once. She simply wasn’t ready for the emotional hit of seeing everyone with big smiles on their faces as they clapped and cheered for her and Harry and Emma as they walked further into the room. She wasn’t prepared for the feeling that almost all of the support that had been handed to them in last two years came from the people standing in the candlelit, warm, intimate space that had been created for them.

Harry’s hand squeezed hers and she turned her eyes to him, blinking back the tears that had threatened as it all washed over her. He winked at her and she couldn’t help but laugh, knowing he could read her like a book and was doing his best to bring her back to center by injecting some humor into the moment.

They stopped for just a moment when Alex spotted the table where Mike, Donna, and Molly were and leaned in point Emma off in that direction. And then, in a moment that was one of the few she had gotten dreamy over in the months before the wedding, she stepped onto the dance floor hand in hand with Harry for their first dance as man and wife.

Picking the song had been easy; one of the easiest parts of the planning process really. There was no question from either of them what it would be. It was the first song they had danced to together on their very first date in her apartment so long ago. They had kissed for the first time during that dance, during that song.

So when the very first notes filled the air around them and Harry pulled her close to him, she went, her eyes shining with love. Her hands moved to him, one sliding around his neck and the other to his chest where he covered it warmly with his.

“Alexandra…” he whispered, his lips curling up as he did so.

“Hmmm?” she leaned into him as he began to sway.

His lips twitched and his eyes danced and she knew; he was up to something. “Surprise, love.”

And before she had time to ask him just what in the world he was talking about, a voice over the microphone let her in on the surprise for him.

“Ladies and gentleman, here to sing Harry and Alexandra’s first dance song, a very special guest, Mr. Michael Buble.”

“What?!” Alex gasped. Her gaze swung from Harry’s over to the stage and her heart positively jumped into her throat as she watched the dashing gentleman appear on stage, a wide smile on his face as he began to sing the words to the beautiful song. The room erupted into cheers and Alex didn’t even try to stop the tears that sprang into her eyes. “Oh my God. Harry!” she breathed as she turned her eyes back to his. “How in the world…”

“I may be a married man, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, love,” he said with a smirk of a smile.

“Oh, of that I have no doubt,” she laughed, shaking her head at him before her eyes grew soft and she pressed closer. “I can’t believe it…” She turned her gaze to the crooning man on stage once more and then back to him. “You just…made this even more perfect than it already was.”

“All I wanted was for you to have exactly the look on your face that you have right now. You look so happy,” he said in a low, husky voice that made her breath hitch.

“You have no idea, Sussex,” she leaned in a bit closer, her eyes dancing as she spoke their new name.

“I have a little idea,” he whispered, bending down to kiss her lightly. “Now dance with me, wife.”

She laughed and nodded and let him spin her out and then pull her back, his arms moving around her once more and holding her tight to him; both of them beyond happy as they finished out their first dance as husband and wife.

When their dance was over, as much as Harry didn’t want to, he let her slide from his arms as her father stepped out to the dance floor and she moved over to him with a grin for their father/daughter dance. Once again, Michael Buble’s voice filled the room again as Mike spun his only daughter around the dance floor, beaming down at her with pride as he did so.

The song that Alex and Mike were dancing to was just winding down when Harry took a deep breath and made his way over to Emma, his heart beating faster at her bright smile when she saw him coming towards her. He crouched down in front of her when he reached her, finding her big blue eyes with his.

“Princess Emma Rose, would you please do me the honor of this dance?”

Her eyes brightened and her smile pulled wider. “Really?”

“Of course, sweet girl,” he nodded. “I would love it very much.”

“Me too,” she nodded quickly, placed her hand in his when he stood, and she stood proud and tall as he led them out to the dance floor to dance their first official dance as father and daughter.

*************

William cleared his throat and pulled the microphone to his lips, his eyes scanning the room and a smirk of a smile on his face as he prepared to give the speech that Harry had done for him four years before at his own wedding. “My wife, Catherine, actually met Alexandra here before I did when Harry brought Alex and her lovely daughter Emma to our home for dinner. I was away in Angelsey for work, but our father and Catherine were excited to meet the woman who seemed to have lit up Harry’s life since he’d first met her. After they left that evening, Catherine – in her infinite competitiveness – called me and immediately bet me a hundred pounds that Harry had met his match in Alexandra and Emma.” He stopped to chuckle as light laughter went through the room and even a few ‘awwws’ could be heard floating up from the tables, bringing a smile to both Alex and Harry’s faces and a proud grin from Kate’s face as she winked over at them. “Now,” Will continued, “It’s pretty much tradition in our house that if one of us makes a bet, the other one bets the other way…”

“Hey!” Harry called out jokingly, laughing as he raised his free hand in the air in a ‘what gives’ type of motion.

“But,” William said with a pointed look to Harry that only brought more laughter from the room. “The thing is that my wife – and I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this out loud – is almost always right. And in this case, even though I bet against her, I knew she was. And I’m so incredibly glad she was.”

Alex swiped at tears in her eyes and Harry squeezed her hand, his eyes meeting hers with a smile while William paused for a moment and turned to address them directly.

“Alex, it’s rare to meet someone with a heart as big as Harry’s. He shared that particular trait with our mother and I knew very early on that you share that with him as well, and that’s what makes you two so good for each other.”

Harry smiled softly at Alex and pulled her hand to his lips for a kiss while she mouthed a silent thank you at William with trembling lips.

“And that’s why I can say without a doubt that she would have loved you and Emma, just like all of us did from the time we met both of you.” He stopped and took a deep breath and swallowed. Everyone could see the emotion the moment evoked and Alex was sure there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. “Everyone knows our mother’s famous words, ‘If you find someone you love in life, you must hold on to it.’ Though they were said publicly, both Harry and I always treasured them and believed in them. I found that person with Catherine and I have no doubt that Harry found that person with not only Alex, but with Emma as well. So,” he picked up his glass of champagne and turned to the crowd with a bright smile, the emotion fading into happiness. “Let us toast to Harry, Alexandra, and Emma.”

 _“To Harry, Alexandra, and Emma,”_  the room echoed as glasses of champagne were tipped up to lips around the tables.

Alex and Harry both stood from their seats and moved to hug William before he moved back to his seat. Harry grinned as he wrapped his arms around his brother, slapping him on the back a few times and murmuring humored thanks into his ear.  Alex leaned in to receive kisses on her cheeks from Will and then hugged him tight, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed as she thanked him sincerely for his kind words, letting him know just how much it really meant to her.

And then it was Harry’s father’s turn to give a toast. And as Charles stepped up to the microphone, looking every bit as sophisticated as Alex knew he was, she suspected that she hadn’t seen the last of her tears for the night. And when he began to speak, she knew he was right.

“My son, Henry, has always known exactly what he wanted in life. He’s always demonstrated his determination to have those things in a big way; his charity work and the way he’s excelled in the military are two shining examples of that. But, in his personal life – as it can happen in this life we lead – what he wanted wasn’t so easy to come by.” Charles smiled, warm and full of emotion, before he turned towards them. “Until he met Alexandra.”

Harry’s eyes swung to Alex’s and she smiled softly and tilted her head at him, her heart touched by the words as much as she knew his was.

“And in the years that have passed since Alexandra and Emma came into his life, I’ve watched Harry simply grab onto everything he’s ever wanted and hold onto it for dear life,” Charles continued. “I’ve watched him mold his life around them so that they were protected as much as he could possibly keep them protected. I’ve watched him as he brought them into the crazy life we lead with so much pride. I’ve watched him really become the man he wanted to be. And I think, though today we watched Harry become a husband to Alexandra, over the past two and a half years what we’ve also been watching is Harry becoming a father to the beautiful, smart, sweet little girl sitting next to him as well.”

Harry couldn’t help the tears that sprang into his eyes at that. Emma turned to look at him with a smile on her face and he immediately smiled back and leaned down to kiss the top of her head, bringing clapping and cheers from around the room.

“And so,” Charles continued, raising his glass in the air. “To Harry, for being absolutely the man everyone always knew you were. And to Alexandra and Emma, for loving my son much and being the family he always wanted. Here, here!”

 _“Here, Here!”_  The crowd echoed.

“Thank you, Charles,” Alex whispered when he stepped over to them and bent to kiss her cheeks. “That means so much to me.”

“Oh my darling girl, I meant every word. We’re so glad to have you and Emma in the family,” Charles chuckled. He gave her a fatherly hug before moving to Harry, kissing his cheeks and then wrapping him in a much less formal hug than many people would ever get to see before moving on to Emma. He laughed as Emma properly kissed his cheeks and then wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug as she thanked her Papa Charles.

And then, Alex immediately felt the tears spring forward when her own father stepped up to the microphone, looking so very handsome in his tuxedo and a small paper in his hands so he would remember to say everything he wanted to.

“Forgive me, I’m a bit nervous here,” Mike said as he cleared his throat, bringing a soft laugh from Alex, who rarely saw her dad nervous. “When Alex was growing up in Texas, there were two things she always wanted in life. The first one started at age three, and that was a personal ambition to wear her favorite cowgirl boots twenty four hours a day.”

The crowd erupted into laughter and Alex flushed and shook her head, laughing along with them. Harry grinned at her and threw her a wink, loving the humor her dad brought into the moment.

“Convincing her that she could absolutely not wear them at bath time was a…harrowing experience…” Mike chuckled as a murmur of laughter moved through the guests again before continuing. “We finally managed to convince her, but there was absolutely no way that she was going to be told that she couldn’t wear them to sleep. And so she did.”

Alex’s smile pulled wide and she nodded, her faint memories of that time bringing warmth to her as her dad told the story.

“And the second,” Mike said, growing a bit more serious. “Started when she was fourteen. And that was to move to London. We’d learned by that point that when Alex wanted something, she went for it full force. And so, we supported her and helped her do what she needed to do to make that dream a reality and when she graduated high school, she moved to London.” His eyes shifted to Alex then, growing soft and shining with love and pride. “And then she met someone. And she loved him. With that same determination she always had, she married him and began to build a life with him.” Mike’s eyes grew a bit teary and Alex felt the lump in her throat too. Harry squeezed her hand in his, giving her his silent support. “And then she lost him. To be honest, we weren’t sure at first if we hadn’t lost Alexandra too. But the miracle of it all was that she was carrying this little baby, something that John had left her with that gave her everything she needed to move on and to thrive. And in the years to come she really did; she thrived as a mother and she thrived with the way she found to help people who had been what she’d been through.”

“Dad…” Alex whispered, wiping at the tears that had slipped from her eyes.

“Then she met Harry,” Mike continued, his smiled widening. “And when my wife and I met Harry, we knew. It was so easy to see that without a doubt he loved her and he loved our granddaughter. Like Harry’s father said, he protected them fiercely and we knew he always would. And now, we are so proud to have him in our family because we know that not only will he be a wonderful husband to  _my_  little girl, but that he’s already an amazing father to Alex’s little girl. To Harry and Alex,” he said with a proud smile as he raised his glass.

 _“To Harry and Alex,”_  the crowd echoed, applause joining the cheers as everyone drank from their glasses.

**************                                                                                     The reception had gone by in what seemed like a flash. Between the dinner, speeches, dancing, and the many glasses of champagne they’d consumed, before she knew it, it was over. Before she knew it, she and Harry were kissing Emma goodnight and sending her off with her parents for the evening. And then, Harry had gathered her hand in his, his eyes warm and knowing, and they had run laughing through the two lines of their friends and family, gathered on either side of the path leading from the tent back up to the palace with sparklers in their hand. There were cheers and whoops and catcalls as they made their way down the path and then up the steps and it made her cheeks flush and Harry’s grin pull into a smug, smirk of a grin.

Once they made it inside and were walking down the palace hallways towards their room for the night, the pace slowed a bit. They were tired and tipsy and more than a little giddy.

And alone.

For the first time all day, they were alone with each other and they wanted to savor that.

When they reached the room, their alone time ended – but only for a few minutes. There were people there to collect Alex’s dress and so, while she was pulled carefully from the dress and shown where all of their things had been unpacked, Harry showered. When he stepped out she stepped in, just to rinse off quickly before she went to bed with her husband.

“My husband,” Alex whispered as she pulled the clip from her hair and let it fall in long waves down her back, turning to glance in the full length mirror on the wall of the bathroom as she did.  She couldn’t help but smile at her reflection, at the reaction that she knew Harry would have to the silk and lace number she had chosen so very carefully for this moment.

She took a deep breath at the thought and felt butterflies in her stomach, though not from nerves, but from excitement. Sure, she had been making love with Harry for years; she knew his body and he knew hers, she knew exactly how it would feel when his hands caressed her skin. She could feel the exact heat of his lips pressing into her just from memories alone. And she knew the exact sensations her body felt every time he pressed himself deep inside of her. And though she knew that those sensations wouldn’t change now that he was her husband, it still felt new and exciting and special to her; to know that she was about to make love with her  _husband_.

She took one more breath and smoothed her hands down the sides of her delicate nightgown, and then turned to open the door, more than ready to be with Harry. And she found him immediately, just as he set down the glass of champagne he had been pouring and his eyes lifted to hers. He was still dressed in his pants and his tuxedo shirt, though he had removed his bowtie, undone the buttons at his neck, rolled up his sleeves, and she thought he looked incredibly sexy.

“Jesus Alexandra,” he breathed, his entire body stalling as his eyes ran over her, taking in the way the satin clung to her in all the places he was desperate to touch and the way the lace revealed just enough to make him aching to see more. “You look...fucking stunning.”

“Thank you,” she smiled softly, her cheeks flushing with his words as she moved toward him, unable to keep herself away any longer. “Is one of those for me?” she asked, nodding towards the glasses sitting on the table.

“Yes,” he nodded, regretfully having to pull his eyes away from her – even if it was just for a second – to reach for the glasses he had poured. He handed one to her and then stepped closer to her. His free hand found the curve of her waist and pulled her gently against him, unable to help the smile on his face as he did so. “I wanted to make a toast to my new wife.”

Alex’s smile turned smug. “That’s me.”

“It is,” Harry nodded and laughed. He bent down to kiss her lips softly and then drew up straight and held his glass up to her. When she did the same he took a deep breath and then with bright, happy eyes he began to speak, his voice deep and soft and reverent.

“To the girl who wanted to bathe and sleep in her cowboy boots when she was little…”

“Cow _girl_  boots,” she corrected with playfully narrowed eyes

“Cow _girl_  boots,” he chuckled, humoring her before continuing. “To the brave young women who left everything she’d ever known in Texas to come to London. To the young woman who was braver than most in the face of tragedy…”

“Harry…” she whispered, her eyes softening at his words. “Come on…”

“Shhhh,” he shook his head. “I worked hard on this love. Let me have my moment.”

She laughed softly and then sighed and nodded her head, motioning for him to continue.

“To the beautiful, amazing mother who brought Emma into this world…” He couldn’t help the proud smile that moved across his face with his words. “To the smart, witty woman who founded an organization where she helped so many people…”

“You’re not supposed to be making me cry tonight,” she warned, her voice shaky with emotion.

He smirked and then then his free arm slid around her, pulling her tighter to him. His eyes grew just a touch darker and his voice took on a deeper, sexier tone. “To the sassy, sexy woman who caught my eye…” His eyes danced as her lips curled up at his words. “To the warm, wonderful, sweet, soulful woman who captured my heart…” Her head tipped to the side and she bit her lip, loving the sweet words he was giving her. And his head dipped closer to hers, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “To the mother of my children…all of them…” Her cheeks flushed pink and she nodded slowly. “To the woman who married me today…”

“Oh, now that was incredibly easy to do,” she murmured. He smiled wide and her fingers moved to trace the lines around his eyes she loved.

“And finally,” he whispered and then took a deep breath. “To the woman who I’m about to spend the next ten days making moan my name.”

“Harry!” she laughed, playfully smacking at his shoulder. She shook her head up at him. “And you were doing so good there for a minute.”

He laughed and wagged his eyebrows at her, making her giggle as he raised his glass to her. “To my wife.”

“To me,” Alex grinned as they clinked their glasses together. They both pulled their glasses to their lips, their gazes holding as they drank. “Delicious,” she murmured, her eyes sparkling as she watched her husband’s lips twist up on one side.

“Mhhmm,” he nodded. Without ever letting go of his hold on her, he reached over and set his glass on the table and then took hers and did the same. And then, because he was desperate to kiss her – to really kiss her – he did just that. He wrapped both of his arms around her, folded her warm body into his, tilted his head over hers, and finally captured her lips with his.

Alex moaned when his mouth covered hers and his tongue tipped out against her lips. She opened her mouth under his instantly and sank into the kiss. Her hands slid to the front of his shirt, her fingers immediately beginning to work on the buttons, opening them in a slow line down his chest.

“Harry,” she breathed against his lips as she untucked the bottom of his shirt from his pants and finished the last two buttons.

“Baby,” he groaned when her hot hands met his chest and she pushed the two sides of his shirt apart.

“Take me to bed…” Her eyes opened slowly and he found her already looking down at her, his blue eyes deep and dark with the building passion between them. “I want my husband to make love to me.”

His lips pulled into a soft smile at her words and then he bent and scooped her up into his arms, his heart starting to beat a fast pattern as her arms wove around his neck and he began to walk them over to the large, plush bed in the middle of the room.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said softly as they reached the bed. She smiled at his words, loving how he made sure she knew he thought those so. “You are…” he continued as he tipped her from his arms and onto the bed on her feet so that she was standing tall above him. His eyes traveled down her, taking every bit inch of her in. His hands moved to her hips, his fingers hot through the satin and lace, and he held her stead as he leaned forward and pressed a warm kiss to the small of her stomach just below her belly button.

“Harry…” she gasped. Her hands moved up into his hair, pulling him and his hot mouth closer to her.

His hands slid down her legs to her ankles while he pressed kisses across her stomach to her right hip. “You take my breath away...” His eyes turned up to hers as his fingers tipped up under her nightgown and met the smooth skin of her legs. “Today in the Abbey, tonight while you danced with me, just now when you stepped out in this ridiculously sexy number you’re wearing…” His lips pulled into a smirk when her smile turned smug and his hands pushed even higher, moving slowly up over her knees to her thighs.

“I’m glad you like it,” she said, her fingers playing in the soft hair on the back of his neck.

“You knew I would, Alexandra,” he grinned. His fingers pushed higher as the air thickened between them. Alex’s eyes grew heavier and her breathing grew shallow as he pulled her into a pool of desire. And then finally, the fingers of his right hand met the soft crease at the top of her thigh and then moved inward, sliding gently but purposefully into her warm, wet center.

She moaned at the feel of him there and he groaned at just how aroused her body was already for him. Spurred on by that and unable to help himself, he reached for the hem of her nightgown with his freehand and pushed it up to her hips, exposing her to him. And before she realized what was about to happen, his head dipped and his tongue tipped out against her folds.

“Oh!” she cried out, her head tipping back and her eyes sliding shut as he lapped against her – warm and wet and wonderful.

“Alex…you taste…” he murmured against her, the vibrations of his voice sending a shudder rolling through Alex.

And Alex was caught in the strangest of places. She loved his mouth on her; the way his lips and tongue stroked magic against her and made the entire world fade around her. But right then – on this night – she wanted more than that. She wanted him inside of her, she wanted his weight pressing into her; she wanted to look into his eyes while they loved each other in that way they had that no words could ever do justice to.

“Harry,” she called down to him, tugging at his hair to bring his attention to her. She smiled softly when his eyes rose to meet hers and one of her hands smooth down to his cheek, cupping it with her fingers as she sank down to her knees on the bed so she was face to face with him. “I want you so much…” she said, her voice soft and sweet. Her hands moved to push at his shirt and she slid it from his shoulders and down his arms, letting it fall to the floor without another thought. “I want you to be naked with me,” she continued, her fingers moving further south to the waist band of his pants. She watched his lips part and his breath hitch as she quickly unbuttoned and unzipped him and then pushed his pants over his hips, leaving him standing in just his boxers before her. “I want you inside of me…please…”

He groaned and, because he wanted exactly the same thing that she did, he moved to action. His arms moved around her and his lips took hers in a deep, passionate kiss.

The rest of their clothing was removed between breathless kisses; his boxers joined his pants and shirt on the floor and her nightgown was swept off and tossed to the side without another though. And then, with his lips still firmly attached to hers, Harry moved onto the bed with Alex in his arms. He held her naked, flushed body against his as he moved her up to the pillows at the top of the bed, smiling down at her as he lowered her onto the bed and moved in above her.  Her arms moved around his neck, her fingers sinking into the red mess of his hair as her legs parted to make room for him. He reached for one of her hands and pulled it above her head, threading his fingers through hers as he pressed it into the mattress.

“I want you so badly…I want to be inside of you…” he breathed, repeating her words back to her as he moved forward, pressing the tip of his length against her. He groaned at the contact and she whimpered as her hips arched up, wanting more. And because Harry would give his wife anything and everything she wanted, he nodded and then with a warm, soft smile he dropped his lips to hers and just as his tongue dipped into her mouth to find hers, he pressed forward, slowly burying himself all the way inside of his wife.

“Oh…” Alex moaned at the feeling that pulsed through her when he sank inside of her. She pulled her hand from where his held it to the bed and then moved her arms and legs around him, him as close as she possibly could in that moment.

“Alex,” he groaned. His lips moved from hers to kiss a hot line down her just as he pulled out and pressed in again. “You feel so good, baby.”

“Harry…” she whimpered, her eyes opening and her hands moving into his hair and pulling his face back to her. “Please, please…love me.”

“Oh Alexandra,” he breathed as he moved out and in again, bringing a shudder from her and a groan from him. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing exactly that.”

His lips took hers again in a deep, passionate kiss as his body worshiped hers, moving above her in a slow, deep rhythm that took her breath away; that threated to take him down before he was ready.

They moved together, loving each other while they moaned and groaned and called out each other’s names in passion. She clung to him, her hands everywhere that they could be while his lips pressed into every bit of skin that they could reach.

When the end came; when Alex felt tears press into her eyes as she unraveled around him with a moan and a cry, Harry was right there with her. His hands buried in her hair and his lips found hers as he came apart, giving everything he had to the woman wrapped around him.

The woman who loved him.

The woman who had given him everything he ever wanted.

The woman who was his  _wife._

The woman who was his  _everything._


	86. Chapter Eighty Six

When Alex woke the morning after the wedding, it wasn’t the light that was beginning to stream through the heavy draperies that had pulled her from her deep, contented sleep. The hands that belonged to the man behind her were warm and soft and searching as they ran over her curves, rousing her body awake before her mind was.

“Mmmm…” She shifted under his hands and a slow smile tilted up her lips.

“Mmmm…” he echoed with a smile of his own. His hands tightened on her and pulled her closer, his front pressing to her back. “Hi…” he breathed against her ear just before his lips dipped to the curve of her neck and pressed a hot, opened mouth kiss on her sensitive skin.

“Hi…” she sighed, her body arching back against his. She groaned when she felt him against her backside; hot, hard and ready. She bit her lip in anticipation and then, feeling bold and incredibly in love with her new husband, she turned in his arms and then shifted to move over him.

“Whoa,” Harry grinned, his hands moving to her thighs as she settled her legs on either side of his. She was warm and naked and rumpled from sleep and she looked incredibly sexy. “Is this what being married to you is going to be like? Because I have to tell you that I’m completely on board.”

Alex smirked and then with a gleam in her eyes, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around him, making him groan as she ran a hot, slow stroke up and down his length. “I can see that, Captain.”

He groaned and his hands slid from her thighs to her hips, wanting to pull her closer to what she currently held in her hand, wanting to pull her over him, wanting to be inside of her.

But Alex had entirely different intentions in mind.

Her smile was smug as she shook her head and leaned forward, her hands still stroking him into madness as she dropped a too soft kiss to his lips. “Not yet, baby.”

And then her lips left his only to blaze a slow, hot trail from his neck down to his chest. His hips jerked when she reached the sensitive skin of his stomach and her tongue tipped out to trace the lines of his taut muscles. Her eyes turned up to his and she grinned, wicked and full of anticipation.

“Jesus Alex…”

And when her head dipped and her hot, wet mouth closed around him, his eyes rolled closed, a low groan left his lips, and he knew.

She was going to completely take him down.

And he couldn’t think of a better way to spend his first morning as a married man.

*********

Though both of them would have loved to have spent a long, leisurely morning in bed wrapped up in each other, the fact was that they simply couldn’t. They needed to head back to Kensington; there was a small brunch set up at Will and Kate’s place for them with just their immediate family so they could say goodbye before they left on their honeymoon later that afternoon.  So after an hour spent together in some rather naughty escapades, they emerged from the tangled sheets of the huge bed in their room at Buckingham Palace and set about getting ready for the day.

When they stepped out of the front doors, the news cameras were there waiting for them. Wide, happy smiles were on their faces as they walked hand in hand to the car that was waiting to take them on the short trip back to Kensington. The cameras captured every moment, including when Harry pulled open the door for his new wife and instead of dropping it to move around to the other door, kept her fingers wrapped up in his as she slid into the car and then he slid in right after her.

“Do you have much more to pack before we leave?” he asked once the car had pulled from the gates and was running smoothly down the London streets.

“No,” she shook her head and smiled over at him. “Everything is fully packed. It was pretty easy actually. I mean, it is our honeymoon…so I figured I could go really light on clothing, right?”

“Ohhh,” Harry groaned into a laugh. “Stop it right now. We’ll be home in less than five minutes and the image I want in my head while I’m trying to talk to your father is not you… _naked_  on a yacht on the coast of Greece.”

“Suit yourself,” she shrugged, her lips twisting with humor. “But you’re probably going to think about it anyway.”

“Ha!” Harry’s head tipped back into the seat of the car, his chest rumbling with laughter. “Most likely.” He turned his gaze back to her, his eyes happy and his smile wide from their banter. “God, I love you.”

“I love you too,” she murmured in return, her smile turning soft as he pulled her hand to his lips for a kiss. Her eyes fell on his wedding band and she couldn’t help but shift her hand in his, moving so she could run her fingers over the shiny, solid gold band. “This looks good on you, Sussex.”

“It feels good on me,” he grinned, his own gaze turning down to it as the car turned into the gates at Kensington.

*************

The brunch was relaxed and fun, a perfect way to spend a couple of hours before they left for Greece.

With the wedding over, it really felt like everything had settled around them for the most part, and they were really able to enjoy spending time with their family without thinking about all of the things that needed to be done.

They thanked their parents and Molly for everything they had done for them and for the time each of them would spend watching Emma while they were away. They laughed and recounted stories from the night before with Will and Kate and Matt and Charlotte and each took turns snuggling the almost two year old Henry before they headed back to their place with Emma and Molly, who would be taking Emma for the first few days.

“Hi Mummy,” Emma sighed as she walked into Alex and Harry’s bedroom and flopped down on the bed, watching Alex as she made a quick check to ensure everything they needed had been packed while Harry gave Charlotte some last minute instructions for while they were away.

Alex turned toward Emma with a bright smile that quickly faded when she took in the way her daughter’s lips were turned down and the way her shoulders were slumped as she picked at some imaginary thread on the comforter of the bed.

“Emma? Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Emma shrugged, though her voice was small and wavered slightly.

Alex blinked and then immediately set down the magazines she was taking to put into her carry-on bag, moving straight over to Emma and sliding onto the bed with her. “I don’t think you’re okay. What’s going on, honey?”

Emma sighed again and her fingers moved to her lap, twisting around each other for a moment before she shrugged. “It’s stupid, Mum.”

“Hey,” Alex said, her voice soft but intent. Her fingers reached for Emma’s chin and she pulled daughter’s eyes up to hers. “It’s not stupid if you’re upset. Never think that. If something is bothering you and you want to tell me, I want you to tell me too.”

Emma’s lip tucked into her teeth and then she blinked a few times, trying to push tears back and it made Alex’s stomach clench. “I’m sorry, Mummy. I shouldn’t be sad but…” Her face twisted slightly before she swallowed and pulled it back just a bit so she could speak. “You and Daddy just got married and it was so fun to be with both of you yesterday and now…you’re leaving for ten days and I’m really going to miss you.”

“Oh Em,” Alex breathed as her hands reached out for her daughter and she pulled her into her arms.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Harry called out from the doorway, his eyes wide with concern when Alex and Emma looked up to him.

Alex took a steadying breath and squeezed Emma a bit tighter. “Our daughter is sad that we’re leaving her for ten days after the amazing couple of days our family has had.”

Harry’s forehead knotted together and his lips turned down, hating the thought of Emma being sad. He moved into the room and slid onto the bed with them and his hand immediately moved to rub softly at his daughter’s back.

“Do you want us not to go, Em?”

“No!” She immediately sat up straight, her eyes wide as she shook her head. “I mean, I don’t want you to stay home. I wouldn’t want that at all. This is why I felt really bad about saying anything because I didn’t want you to feel bad too!”

Tears pricked Alex’s eyes and she hugged Emma tightly to her. “You know, Emma Rose…you’re an amazing kid. We’re just…going to miss you so much.”

“I know,” Emma sniffed, making both Harry and Alex chuckle.

“And you’ll have such a good time with Granny and Mimi and Poppy and Papa Charles and Granny Camilla. You’ll be so busy you won’t even know we’re gone,” Alex continued.

“Yes, I will,” Emma mumbled with another slight sniff. “But that will be fun. And you’ll bring me back a souvenir right?”

“I’m sure we’ll bring you back more than one,” Harry laughed lightly. He smiled at Alex when her eyes rose to meet his, and even though Emma was a bit better, he could still tell that Alex was struggling just a bit with leaving her daughter while she was sad. “Actually,” he said slowly as an idea formed in his head. There was something he’d wanted to show Alex and Emma for a couple of weeks, but had held off since they’d been so incredibly busy with the wedding. It seemed like the opportunity had presented itself perfectly there though, and he reached out and took it. He stood from the bed and his smile pulled wide, though a bit nervous. “I actually have something that I’d like to maybe give both of you right now; something that we can decide on…as a family, before we leave this afternoon.”

Alex’s peered at him, a bit confused and bit curious all at the same time. “Okay…what is it?”

“Yeah, what is it?” Emma said, her curiosity already pushing aside her sadness for the moment.

Harry grinned, clapped his hands together, and then reached into his pocket for his phone, punched in a number, and then pulled it to his ear. “Yes, it’s Harry,” he said when someone answered at the other end. He took a deep breath and then continued, “Can you have someone open up eight and nine? I’m going to bring my wife and daughter to look at it. Yes, right now if possible. Thank you.”

“What is eight and nine?” Emma asked when Harry hung up the phone and stuffed it back into his pocket.

But Alex didn’t have to ask. She knew. She’d lived at Kensington long enough. She’d talked about Harry’s childhood with him more than enough times to know exactly what eight and nine was.

“Your mother’s place?” she whispered, surprising even herself with the way her voice caught. “Why?”

Harry’s smile softened a bit as he reached out for Emma’s hand to pull her from the bed and then reached out for Alex’s hand as well. He wrapped his fingers around hers and kept them tucked close as he leaned down and dropped his voice low. “I think you might know why, love.”

She bit her lip, took a deep breath, and then nodded as she squeezed his hand. “I think I might too.”

*************

“I just…can’t believe we’re going to live there,” Alex sighed, turning soft eyes up to Harry as he slid into the seat next to her on the private plane that would be taking them to Greece. They’d just boarded and the time they’d spent just an hour before looking at the apartment that Harry had lived in as a child – that they had just agreed to renovate and live in with  _their_  family – was still very fresh on her mind.

“Are you sure it’s okay, Alex?” He lifted his eyebrows as he checked with her once more. “It’s not too much…history?”

“For me?” Alex shook her head. “No, not at all. Is it too much for you?”

“No,” he smiled as he bucked his seatbelt and pulled her hand into his and over to his lap. “I love the thought of living there again – with you and Emma.”

“She was so excited,” Alex giggled. “And honestly, letting her pick her room? And then telling her she can start planning it out while we were gone? Perfect distraction. She was already telling Molly all the things she wanted to look up online.”

Harry grinned. “And you? Are you excited?”

“Incredibly,” she nodded. “Thank you for giving us that. It’s beautiful and I love that you grew up there. I can’t wait to make it a home for us.”

“Mmmm…” He tugged her hand, pulling her closer to him and then dropping his lips to hers. “Thank you for giving me a family to make a home for.”

Alex smiled against his lips and then sighed into his kiss, reveling in the softness and the sweetness before he pulled back as the flight crew moved in – the pilots boarding the plane and their cabin stewardess stepping in to offer them beverages before they took off.

***********

It was later in the evening before they landed in Greece and where whisked straight from the airport to the coast, where the luxury yacht that Harry had rented for them was waiting – anchored out in the clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

They were taken by speedboat for the quick trip to the yacht and Alex couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across her face when it came into view. “Harry!” she shouted above the noise from the engine of the speedboat. “That yacht is amazing!”

“I’m glad you think so, baby,” he grinned. He tightened the arm he had around her shoulders, pulled her closer into him, and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. He was beyond happy; just at peace and so content with having her with him here as his wife, his partner, his love – and looking forward so much to spending the next ten days celebrating their marriage with her.

When they stepped on board the yacht, a pretty young woman with dark hair and dark features was waiting for them with a friendly smile. She introduced herself as Tanja, and would be their steward for their time on the yacht. Harry and Alex each introduced themselves and their security team as well, who had already spoken to Tanja and all of the onboard staff previously of course; running background checks and going over arrangements for their needs as well. Once Tanja had instructed the officers on where to go for their accommodations, she cheerfully offered Harry and Alex a tour of the yacht while there things were being brought on board and unpacked, which they accepted gratefully.

The staff quarters were on the lowest part of the yacht and above that was the full kitchen and other small working areas for the boat. There was a chef on board who could make anything they requested and could also plan ahead menus for the week if they required it. The next deck housed the bedrooms; the one that Alex and Harry were staying in was beautiful decorated in bright colors with light woods and clean lines. There was a big window to look out over the water and a flat screen TV mounted on the wall. The attached bathroom was well appointed with a large walk-in glass shower, a big bathtub that Alex couldn’t wait to soak in, and two sinks with brightly lit mirrors above them.

The main deck housed a large living area with several comfy looking couches and chairs and another flat screen TV. Through the living area was an informal dining area with a dark wood table and six chairs that could also be converted to a gaming table. Beyond the dining area, a sliding door led outside onto a deck where there was another dining table and a large seating area with couches and chairs all covered in comfortable looking off white cushions.

Tanja led them up to the top deck as the final stop on their tour. The entire deck was open and covered in a mix of the same type of outdoor seating as the deck below, lounge chairs for laying in the sun, and even a lounging area that looked almost like round bed – and Alex almost squealed in delight at the idea of relaxing there with her husband, spread out and comfortable as they took in the Mediterranean sun. The last amenity of the top deck was a full size Jacuzzi, which Tanja showed them how to turn on and off and adjust to their liking. Then, with promises to send a bottle of champagne and some light dessert to their room at Harry’s request, Tanja left the newly married couple alone to enjoy the start of their honeymoon.

“Well, my beautiful bride, what do you think?” Harry asked softly as they strode over to the railing to look out over the water and the lights of the town they were docked at.

“I think…” she sighed as he moved in and wrapped his arms around her waist. His heart swelled as he looked down at her; happy and relaxed and with her hair blowing in the breeze and a bright smile on her face.  “I think it’s amazing and perfect and little bit crazy…and a wonderful way to spend my first week and a half married to you.”

“Married,” he grinned. His face was almost giddy as he said the word and it made Alex laugh. “We’re  _married_. I keep having to tell myself it’s not some crazy dream I’ll wake up from.”

“Do I need to pinch you to prove to you that it’s not a dream?” she teased him as her fingers moved to pinch at his sides.

“No no no,” he laughed, reaching quickly for her hands and pulling them away from his body. His fingers intertwined with hers and he moved them around her back, keeping her close against him. “None of your pinching necessary; I know it’s real.” His lips dipped down to hers then, taking her mouth in a slow, sweet kiss there on the top deck of the boat, the breeze and the sound of the water below them the only company they had in the moment.

“Hmmm,” she murmured when his mouth pulled from hers and he began to press soft kisses along her jaw. “C’mon, husband. Let’s go down to our room and have some champagne and cake and then  _you_  can have  _me_.”

 He chuckled against the soft spot below her ear and a shiver of anticipation ran through her. “What if I want champagne and cake and you all at the same time?”

She giggled and then sighed when he nipped at her earlobe. “I’m incredibly intrigued on just how you would do that…”

“Well then…” His smile was smug as he lifted his face from his neck and found her eyes with his. “I think I need to show you.”

And before she realized what was about to happen, Harry bent and picked her up, making her squeal and giggle as he tossed her over his shoulder and began the short journey to their room below.

Where he absolutely managed to have champagne, cake, and his wife all at one time.


	87. Chapter Eighty Seven

A/N: Mature part to this chapter. It is their honeymoon, after all ;) Marked with an *M* and ends at the end of the chapter. As always, messages, comments, and your thoughts are encouraged and welcomed :)

“So you want to go into town today?” Harry asked Alex as he took a sip of coffee. They had woken up to the first day of their honeymoon not long before and were enjoying a light breakfast on deck. The sun was shining, the water was beautiful and the city of Corfu was spread out before them like a stunning canvas painting.

“Mhmmm,” Alex nodded as she took a bit of her pastry. “If that’s okay with you. I’d love to go into some of the local shops. It really looks like a beautiful town.”

“Of course that’s okay with me,” He grinned wide. “I’m here to make you happy.”

“Well, you’re doing an excellent job so far…” Her lips curled up and she leaned in, her voice dropping low. “You made me happy what was it…two times last night?”

“Three,” he instantly corrected, chuckling at her playfulness.

“Of course, three,” she sighed into her chair. “How could I forget?”

“I’ll see what I can do to make sure you don’t forget next time.” His eyes danced over his coffee cup as he lifted it for another sip.

“Mmhmm…naughty,” she giggled as she popped the final bite of pastry in her mouth. She took a sip of her juice and then wiped her mouth with her napkin before she looked back up at him. “I wanted to ask you something, you can absolutely say no if you want.”

“Oh-kay,” he drawled, his eyebrows lifting in curiosity. “What’s up?”

“There is a place I wanted to see, it’s called Smuggler’s Cove,” she said with a smile. “But there will no doubt be tourists there. It’s one thing to go into these towns on the coast where the tourists aren’t so heavy…” She shrugged and then looked at him, feeling a little embarrassed about even asking to put them both in such a public place.

“Well…” Harry took a deep breath as he worked it over in his mind. He sat forward in his chair and pressed his hands together as he smiled across the table at her. “How about I have the security team do a little research on it? See what the busiest days are and if it would be low enough risk for us to go. And if they have no issues with it, I’d be more than happy to go.”

“Even if we may get photographed?”

Harry shrugged. “We knew that there was a chance that at any point on this honeymoon we could get photographed. If it is something you really want to see, I’m okay with that.”

“Yeah? Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” he nodded. “So a couple of tourists snap pictures? I’m not going to stress out over it. I’m way too happy to stress out about it.”

“You know, I love you,” Alex said softly, tilting her head to the side and smiling as she looked across the table at him.

“I love you too, Alexandra.” His smile was sweet; his eyes soft as they met and held hers for a long moment across the table.

“You know…” Alex finally drawled, her lips curling at the corners. “I’m going to need to shower before we head to the mainland.”

Harry’s eyebrows lifted and his lips pulled into a smirk. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Alex answered as she stood from her chair and looked down on him, her eyes wide with intent and that hint of innocence that drove him fucking crazy. “You could…I don’t know…join me? Let me make you…” She couldn’t help but grin before she continued. “Happy…”

Harry rose from his chair in an instant and Alex giggled, turned around quickly, and headed straight for their cabin down below with Harry hot on her heels.

**************

Their afternoon spent in Corfu was relaxing and enjoyable. They spent time in the local shops, picking up a few things for people back home. They ate lunch at a small local café, enjoying the delicious homemade Greek fare and even a few drinks before they walked back to the marina, Alex’s arm tucked into Harry’s while they talked and laughed and made the most of their time together.

The next few days were similar, though not spent on land. They rose in the morning, ate breakfast and spent their time leisurely. They in the beautiful blue waters of the ocean or they lied out in the sun on the deck of the boat, soaking up the atmosphere. Truthfully the only time they spent inside was when they were tangled up in each other – which was a significant amount of time in itself.

It was their honeymoon after all.

It was day four when they arrived at Smuggler’s Cove. The security team – after suggesting they go on a Sunday when it was known to be significantly less busy – had cleared the excursion for them and Alex was incredibly excited when the beautiful beach tucked into high cliffs on three sides came into view.

And right in the middle of the beach was what appeared to be the remains of a shipwreck. It didn’t matter that its placement there wasn’t natural, that it had been put there by man simply for the tourists who flocked there; the effect was still unique and fun and both of them were excited to be there and to see it.

Though they were sure that they were recognized – after all it was less than a week before that they were married on television in front of a global audience – no one bothered them while they played in the water and explored the “shipwreck” on the beach. Though Alex did her best to convince Harry that she heard several people in the vicinity snicker about how her sandcastle making skills were clearly superior to his.

By the time they gathered their things and headed back to the yacht they both had wide smiles, sand all over themselves, and a bit of a sun burn as a souvenir of their fun day spent at Smuggler’s Cove.

*************

“Feel refreshed?”

Harry turned towards his wife’s voice as he stepped out onto the deck of the boat later that evening, freshly showered and wearing shorts and a plain white t-shirt. He grinned and stepped over to where she sat at the table with her laptop. He thought she looked adorable in her light cotton camisole and shorts with her knees tucked up to her chest. Her hair had mostly air dried from her earlier shower and fell in soft waves down her back.

“Much better,” he chuckled as he leaned down to kiss her upturned lips. “You got some sun today,” he murmured, moving to kiss the tip of her pink nose.

“So did you,” she smiled up at him as he pressed his lips to hers once more and then moved to sit across from her at the table. The sun was setting on the horizon and his eyes traveled out to the picturesque scene before moving right back to her.

“Checking e-mails, love?”

“Emma sent us one,” she nodded. “She’s having a blast with Mimi and Poppy. Apparently Kate’s parents invited them out to Berkshire for a couple of days and they had a ton of fun. She also wanted to make sure we remembered to bring her a souvenir.”

“Ha! Of course,” he grinned, shaking his head with his laughter. “Like we would forget her.”

“Never,” Alex giggled. She reached for her wine and took a sip, her eyes moving back to the screen for a moment. She had just clicked from her email and her homepage had come back up where a news update that flashed across the screen caught her eye. “Shit,” she groaned, setting her wine glass back on the table and clicking the link before she could help herself.

“What?” Harry’s brows lifted and his lips turned down slightly as he watched her eyes moving fast across the page.

Her shoulders slumped and her lip pulled between her teeth. “There were photos snapped of us today at Smuggler’s Cove and it appears they’ve  _already_ been fucking sold.”

“Are you serious?” Harry groaned as his entire body sagged in disappointment. He ran his hands up over his face and into his hair and then took a deep breath, stood, moving over behind her to look. “Who is running them?”

“Some French magazine,” she murmured her reply.

“Fucking assholes,” Harry snapped. “Didn’t they learn after Will and Kate sued their asses off?”

“Didn’t anyone call you from London?” she asked, ignoring his outburst.

“Probably, but I haven’t checked my phone since we got back,” he shrugged. “And Charlotte knows not to try anything further to get in touch with me unless it’s an absolute emergency, which certainly isn’t this. I’m sure she’s handling it fine for us though.” He leaned in a bit further and squinted at the photos as Alex clicked through.

They weren’t bad, of course. Nothing revealing or risqué; just various shots of them walking on the beach, splashing and playing in the water, and one or two photos of quick kisses they had shared. Although it was annoying, it wasn’t anything that he knew they couldn’t shrug off so they could enjoy the rest of their honeymoon.

That was until they came to a photo that made Harry’s hackles rise instantly.

“What in the…” Alex breathed, her eyes flashing wide and her entire body stiffening as she took in the photo and the caption.

It was a zoomed in version of a previous picture that was centered over her stomach. There was a bright yellow arrow pointing to the small c-section scar that was right above the top of her bikini bottoms with a snarky caption that gleefully pointed out the perceived imperfection of Harry’s new duchess.

“What the actual fuck?!” Harry barked out, his cheeks going red and his fists clenching at the sides. In his anger he almost didn’t catch her in time, he almost missed Alex scrolling down the page, heading right towards the comments section. “No! No, Alex,” he said, reaching out to stop her. “Don’t read that stuff, love.” His voice was softer as he closed her laptop, pulling her eyes swinging up to his. “That’s not going to do anything but make you upset. You know those comments are always ridiculous crap anyway.”

“I know,” she sighed, her voice small as she leaned back into her chair. And she did know; she’d always stayed away from articles about her and she’d especially always stayed away from the comments sections on news sites, knowing that the public who commented on those things were often so jaded or biased that they failed to realize the person they were speaking of was a real person. “I know. But Jesus Harry, that picture? That’s so…demeaning. My c-section scar? That’s tabloid fodder?”

“I’m so sorry, Alex.” His voice was soft and sweet as he moved to sit in the chair next to hers. He reached out for her hand, pulling it into his. “It shouldn’t be. You know it’s not something to be ashamed of.”

“Of course I know that. But what do they expect? And the way that commentary was so…gleeful; like they were so smug with themselves for finding something to pick apart on my body. I mean, they could have picked at my cellulite or the way my right boob is slightly larger than my left, but they went with something that came as a result of my daughter. It’s so…”

“Hey…” he interrupted her, pulling his chair closer to her and bringing her hand to his lips. He took a deep breath and then his forehead scrunched together as a thought momentarily sidetracked him. “Hang on. Your right boob is not larger than your left.”

Alex snorted. “Yes it is. Not like…a full cup size bigger. But just a little bit.”

He peered at her and then shook his head. “How have I never...”

“Because usually your mental facilities aren’t on high alert when they’re out,” she quipped, her lips twisting in amusement.

Harry narrowed his eyes playfully and then shook his head. “That’s…fair. Anyway, before I got sidetracked I was going to say that that’s how they operate; the tabloids. It’s wrong and it’s mean but…you know that. Regardless, it’s an unbelievably shitty dig at you and I hate that it’s making you feel bad. I hate that those scum are making you feel bed.”

Alex’s eyes softened with her husband’s words and a small smile pulled at her lips. “I don’t feel bad. Just…stunned a bit for a moment I guess. I’ll be fine.”

Harry’s eyes searched hers for a long moment, hoping that she was actually as certain that she would be fine as she said she was. Finally he nodded and took a deep breath before smiling up at her. “Well if it makes you feel at all better, I love that little scar.”

“I know.” Her lips curled up even higher and some of the color she’d lost when she found the pictures flushed back into her cheeks.

“I love that Emma came into the world from there,” he continued as he brought her fingers to his lips once more, kissing them slowly. He watched as she softened a bit more with his words. “I love to kiss that spot on my way down that amazing body of yours.”

Alex bit her bottom lip as memories of him doing exactly that flashed through her head. “I know you’re trying to distract me.” She smirked as his lips moved down to the inside of her wrist.

“Is it working?” He grinned up at her.

“Doesn’t it always?”

He chuckled against her skin and then abandoned her wrist, leaning up to kiss her lips. “I love you so much, Alexandra. You’re so beautiful. You’re just…the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“Oh-kay,” she giggled against his lips. “Let’s not go that far.”

“I absolutely will,” he laughed. He pressed his lips to hers once more before pulling back to look at her. “Honestly, are you okay love? Is there anything that I can do besides…” He stopped and wiggled his eyebrows, making her laugh. “To take your mind from this?”

“Hmmm…” She tilted her head to the side. “Maybe…dinner? And wine?”

“Done,” he nodded. He kissed her once more and then moved to stand. “I’ll call down and have something made up. Want to eat on the deck tonight?”

“Mhhmm,” she nodded. “It’s a lovely night.”

“It absolutely is,” he winked.

**********

After ending a quick phone call to Charlotte to get up to date on what was being done to handle the release of the pictures and the way they had treated his wife in the tabloid, Harry stepped from the deck and made his way down to their bedroom where Alex was waiting on him. When he pushed through the door and into the room, he wasn’t even a little bit surprised to find her curled up under the covers and fast asleep, her chest rising and falling slowly with her deep, even breaths.

A bit of relief washed through him, knowing that she had fallen asleep so easily. She had been quiet that evening and although there was every chance that she was simply exhausted from the incredibly fun but busy few days they’d had, he was a bit worried that the nasty dig that the tabloid magazine had taken at her was getting to her more than she was letting on. He hadn’t brought it up again or pushed her to tell him if it was still bothering her, wanting to let her process it without him pressing the issue and making it worse.

He moved through the room, divesting himself of his t-shirt and shorts before flipping off the beside light she’d left on and pulling back the covers to slide into bed with wife. He immediately reached for her and pulled her close, loving the feel of her there and smiling at the tiny noises she made in her sleep as he cuddled her close and drifted off to sleep with her.

**********

It was immediately clear the next morning that Alex wasn’t handling the photos and the mean comments about her well at all.

She was quiet and withdrawn and she had insisted on eating breakfast inside, even though the day was beautiful. She had picked at her food and barely responded with more than a yes or no when Harry had tried to ask her questions.

And he’d let her wallow for a bit. He’d always hated when someone tried to poke and prod when he was clearly trying to process or come to terms with something the press had thrown at him. But after breakfast, when he’d suggested they go for a swim and her face had gone white as a sheet before she’d shaken her head and mumbled something about how she’d gotten too much sun the day before, he knew she was beyond processing. She had let it affect her in a way she’d always seem to be able to avoid with the press attention.

As he watched her move off from the table, sink into the couch, and flip on the large TV that they hadn’t even turned on for the entire trip, he knew that he couldn’t let her do this to herself. So he stepped from the room and quickly set about making some quick calls and arrangements; knowing exactly how he was going to try and help pull her from the low she’d dipped into.

*************

“Alright Alexandra,” Harry announced as he walked into the living area where Alex was curled up watching a movie. “We’re going out.”

“Going out?” Her eyes flashed wide as she sat up to look at him. “But…”

“No buts, love,” he interrupted, though his tone wasn’t at all harsh. “You can’t hide in here all day.”

She shook her head and she felt heat flush her cheeks as her natural defenses rose. “I’m not hiding.”

“Alex…” Harry sighed as he moved in to sit next to her. “Yes you are. And listen, I’m not mad or upset with you…just concerned. You haven’t stepped outside today and you should have seen the blood drain from your face when I suggested going for a swim earlier.”

Alex’s breath hitched and she blinked at the tears that rose unexpectedly in her eyes. “I…I’m sorry. I know I’m being ridiculous.”

“Hey,” he breathed and reached for her instantly, pulling her into his arms. “You are  _not_  being ridiculous, baby. You aren’t. I’m not saying that at all. It’s completely normal to feel how you are feeling right now.” He pulled back slightly so he could look down at her. Her light blue eyes were wide and wet as they met his and his heart hurt for her. “I don’t want you to try to hide that it’s bothering you or act like it isn’t. Alex,  _let_  it bother you. Cry and yell and break something if it helps you to get it out. But don’t hide. If you hide, you let them win.”

“Break something?” she sniffed as her lips twitched up into a small smile. “On our rented yacht?”

“Or…” Harry chuckled as he narrowed his eyes playfully. “Let’s get off this boat and go enjoy our day in a way that won’t make you feel like you’re on display.”

“And what way would that be?”

“Did you bring jeans with you?” Harry asked, deliberately side stepping her question.

“Yes…” She drew out the word and her lips twisted as she peered at him. “Should I even bother trying to ask again what your plan is?”

“Nope,” Harry grinned. “Just trust me?”

“Oh see, when you say it like that with those puppy dog eyes…” She laughed lightly and rolled her eyes playfully. “Of course. I trust you.”

“Excellent,” Harry nodded. He leaned in to kiss her and then stood from the couch. “Can you be ready in an hour?” At her nod he grinned and clapped his hands together. “Okay, I’m going to go make sure the plans are all set and we’ll leave in an hour.”

“Aye aye, Captain,” she snickered as she rose from the couch and gave him a salute, bringing a shout of laughter from him as he watched her walk away and then moved off to finalize his plans for their day.

**********

“A motorcycle?” Alex’s eyes widened as they walked toward the sleek black bike that was parked and waiting for them at the marina.

“If you want to,” he nodded. They stopped walking and he turned to her, his lips tilting into a soft smile as he pulled her hands into his. “It’s just…when I was younger and I’d let the press and the pressures and the unfairness of…” He trailed off and shrugged and she knew he was referring to his life, the life she was now a part of. “When I would let it get to me, taking out my bike would always help. The scenery, the fresh air, the wind…I don’t know why, but always put it into perspective a little bit. But if you’re not comfortable with it…”

“Yes!” Alex interrupted, excitement blooming in her eyes. “I want to go. I can’t think of a better way to see the coast and…yes, I want to go.”

“Yeah?” His eyebrows lifted and his smile pulled wide. “I was really hoping you would say that.” He bent forward to kiss her sweetly and then turned to his protection officer. “Mark, do you have the items I asked to be secured for us.”

“Of course, sir,” Mark nodded and looked to Patrick, Alex’s PO, who stepped forward with a bag in his hands. But instead of handing the bag over right away, his eyes moved to Alex and he shifted slightly on his feet before clearing his throat.

“Ma’am, are you sure you’re comfortable with this?”

Alex’s eyes flashed wide. “I’m sorry, what?”

Harry’s brows furrowed as he looked at Alex’s PO. “Are you new or something? You don’t need to be worried about Alex with me. Do you really see me as a threat right now?” His eyes flashed to Mark who nodded immediately, understanding with just a quick look that he was going to have to speak to Patrick about lines that they were never supposed to cross.

“No, of course not. I apologize, sir,” Patrick replied quickly. He stepped back and his eyes darted between Harry and Alex quickly. “It wasn’t my place to ask.”

“As long as you guys stay in the tail car behind us, we’re as safe as anyone else would be,” Harry replied, his stance softening just a bit.

“Yes, of course,” Patrick said quietly, nodded, and then turned towards the Range Rover they would be tailing the motorcycle in. Mark turned to follow, no doubt ready to offer Patrick an earful once they were in the car and tailing Harry and Alex on the bike.

 “I’ve never seen a PO overstep their bounds like that,” Harry murmured, his brows still furrowed in surprise.

“That was rather…” She wrinkled her nose and then shrugged. “Interesting…for lack of a better word.”

He turned to her then, his eyes searching as they found hers. “You know I would never, ever put you in harm’s way, right?”

“Harry, of course I know that. You know I know that. He was out of line, you put him back in, and it’s over. I’m sure it won’t happen again. Now come on,” she smiled up at him and he couldn’t help but match her smile in return. “Take me on a motorcycle ride.”

***********

Harry had been right; the motorcycle ride had been exactly what Alex had needed.

As the coast of Greece flew by them - the scenery, the water sparkling in the distance, the wind in her hair – it all worked to calm her, to clear her head; to take away the worry and the sting of the way that French magazine had come after her.

Because really, who cared? Who cared if they pointed out her c-section scar with barely disguised glee? She  _loved_  that little scar. It had come from bringing her daughter into the world and she would be damned if she was going to let anyone take that and make her ashamed of it. Because really, the only person who’s opinion mattered at all was hers and Harry’s. And she knew his opinion – he thought she was beautiful. Nothing about her was flawed to him, even the small things that she thought were. He simply saw it as part of her – and he  _loved_  her. Those magazines could be catty all they wanted. The truth was that in the end, she wouldn’t be thinking about them at all when her husband kissed that little scar on his way down her body.

So with lighter shoulders and an easier smile, Alex held on tight to Harry as he drove them down the coast.

By the time they stopped for lunch at a small place that had come highly recommended to Harry, he could tell from the moment she pulled off her helmet that she was going better. It seemed as if the ride had helped to clear her head that he had hoped it would.

“Look at that smile,” he said, his own lips pulling into a grin as he reached out to take her helmet from her.

“So smug,” Alex smirked as she moved to pull of her jacket so she could enjoy the sunshine.

“I’m not!” He laughed and held up his hands, his eyes going wide and honest. “I’m just incredibly happy to see that beautiful smile. And that the ride may have had something to do with that smile?” His eyebrows lifted with the question.

“The ride helped,” she nodded as she moved to wrap her arms around his waist. “That and the fact that my husband knew exactly what to do to shake me out of my funk.”

“Well, it was my pleasure. Do you think that your husband could buy you lunch now?”

“No.” Alex shook her head and tilted her lips up to his. “I’m going to buy you lunch now.”

“Fair enough, love.” He chuckled, kissed her once more, and then with a slap to her ass he moved from her arms, pulled her hand into his, and led her down the small path towards their lunch destination.

*******************

“Harry!” Alex shrieked as she turned her face from yet another splash that was coming her way courtesy of her husband.

They were out for another day at the beach – although this time they were alone. Charlotte’s father, it turned out, owned a private bit of coast in Greece near where their yacht was currently anchored. And when Harry had called her to get an update on what was happening in the press, she’d been quick to offer it up to them if they wanted to use it on one of their remaining days. It was very private and very secluded and though the possibility of being sighted was there, the press had been warned off of them and Charlotte said her contacts in the media told her they seemed to be taking the threat of legal action seriously.

In the end, there was simply no way that Harry and Alex could turn the opportunity of another beach day down and they took her up on her offer without hesitation.

And they were having a blast. They’d played and swam and when Alex had made fun of Harry’s sandcastle making skills once again, he had chased her from the beach back into the water, where the splash war they were currently involved in had begun.

When another wave of water came towards her from Harry’s direction, Alex let out another squeal and finally turned and dove into the surf, a smile on her lips even as she tried to escape his attack. But Harry had no intentions of letting her get away and before she could even get two full strokes of her arms in, she felt his fingers clamp firmly around her ankle. She came up sputtering but laughing, pushing her hair back from her face and wiping water away from her eyes as he pulled her slowly closer to him in the chest deep water by her ankle. “No more splashing! Truce!” she giggled, throwing him the best version of a stern face as she could in the moment.

Harry laughed and shook his head. “Now, I’m not sure you deserve a truce, Alexandra. You’re the one who started it.”

“I did not!” she shook her head frantically, though a wide, happy smile was on her face as he pulled her closer and closer.

“Lies,” he grinned as he pulled her the final bit of the way to him, moving her leg around his waist. She moved her other leg up and around him as well then and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, loving this playful, silly side of him. “Fine,” his voice dropped and his smile turned slightly smug. “What do I get as an incentive to agree to this truce?”

Alex smirked. “You think this is a negotiation?”

His hands smoothed up her back, pressing her closer as they bobbed in the water with the gentle rocking of the waves. “Hmmm. You know what I think? I think you look incredibly sexy in this teeny tiny bikini.” His fingers moved to tap against the string of material across her back as if to accentuate his point.

Alex’s lips curled up at his words, at the way he changed the topic. “It’s not  _that_  teeny tiny.”

“Oh I disagree, Mrs. Sussex,” he smirked as he leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. “It’s very tiny and very, very sexy. In fact, I’m having the most terrible time keeping my hands off of you today.”

“That’s funny,” Alex laughed. “Because I’d say right now your hands are very much on me.”

“Fair point.” He grinned as he hands tightened on her, one sliding down her back to her ass and the other sliding up to her neck, cupping her head and pulling her lips to his again.

It was intended to be a soft, playful kiss – part of the flirty banter that had been going on between them since they’d gotten to the beach. But when her arms tightened around his neck and she pressed her chest tight against his, the feel of her in his arms and the friction of her wet skin against his instantly sent a wave of pure desire rolling through him. Harry groaned and his tongue tipped out, begging entry into her hot, sweet mouth. And when her lips opened under his and his tongue slid in to find hers, his hands began to move again. The one at her neck slid up into her hair, pulling her closer, keeping her lips to his; and the other curved down over her ass to the back of her thigh. His fingers slid up to tease along the edge of her bikini bottoms there and she gasped, her eyes sliding open to find his.

*M*

“Harry…” she warned, though her lips were still smiling and she made no effort to move away from him.

“Alex…” he breathed, his eyes dancing with something slightly wicked as he bit his lip and then – because he found her so sexy in that moment and he simply couldn’t fucking help himself – his fingers pushed under her bikini bottoms and slid in against her center. “Oh baby…” He grinned when he felt how hot and wet she was, as he watched her lips part and heard her breath suck in.

“What are you doing?” she asked softly, her lips curling up slowly and her eyes dancing as her hips arched out against his searching fingers.

His grin pulled wide and completely cheeky, his eyes dancing mischievously as he slid his thumb down into her wetness before moving back up to run a firm circle around her swollen clit. “Playing…”

“Oh my God,” Alex giggled into a moan. Her head tipped back only slightly before she pulled back up and her eyes found his. “You know I love when you do that.”

He chuckled, loving the playfulness and the easiness between them. “I do know that,” he murmured as he leaned in to kiss her again, catching her soft gasps and groans as his thumb continued its deliciously torturous pattern, circling and circling, firm and steady against her. His other hand left the back of her neck and moved under the water as well, only this time it wasn’t to her body but instead to his. His fingers were quick with the strings on his board shorts, undoing them just enough to pull himself from them. And then, his fingers moved from her clit and she whimpered, pulling her lips from his with a pout; a pout that was quickly replaced with a wide-eyed gasp when his fingers pulled her bikini bottoms to the side and he adjusted, pressing the tip of his length against her.

“Here?” she squeaked, making him laugh.

“Please?” he returned, sticking his lip out with an exaggerated pout of his own. He moved an arm up around her waist, pressing her closer, pushing the tip of his cock inside of her and making her moan and ache for more. “What do you say, Alexandra? Make love with me? Right here in the sea?”

Though she knew she should probably tell him no, that while they were on a private beach with no one in sight, it was very possible that someone could still see them without them knowing it. But the reality was that here was her sexy, sweet husband with his perfect, kissable lips and his gorgeous blue eyes and he wanted her; right there in the beautiful waters of Greece.

And there is simply no way she could have ever said no to that.

With a bite to her lip and her shoulders clutching at his in anticipation, she nodded her head slowly. His face immediately brightened but he didn’t waste any time being smug, he didn’t take the opportunity to tease her like he could have done. Instead, his arms circled around her waist, he pulled her closer, and then he pushed himself into her as far as he could, burying himself in one long, deep stroke that stole the breath right from her lungs.

“Jesus Alex…” he hissed, his fingers gripping into the skin of her waist. His eyes widened and he couldn’t help that his smiled pulled even wider when she clenched her muscles around him. “You feel fucking amazing.”

“So do you,” she said with a grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed closer, nudging his nose with hers, their lips less than an inch apart. He lifted another stroke into her in response, his arms around her pulling her down hard against him as he did and bringing a soft cry from her lips. And then he stilled completely, his arms tight around her, holding himself all of the way inside of her. She gasped and tried to move, tried to rock her hips against his, desperate for more friction. “Just relax,” he chuckled softly. He moved one arm from around her and brought it to her face, pushing a lock of wet hair from her forehead as he gently kissed her lips.

“Jesus…” she groaned, her breath blowing out warm against his lips as she stilled, as she let the gentle rocking of the waves take over all motion for them.

And the sensation was so much more intense than she had thought it would be. Their bodies rose and fell with the slow, smooth waves that moved through the water. And because he was buried so deep inside of her, the rise and fall caused him to slowly rub against her most sensitive places over and over and over again, creating an amazing, intense sort of friction between their wet bodies.

“You love doing this to me,” Alex murmured, her eyes flashing wise and a small burst of air falling from her lips as a larger wave moved through them, raising them up and dropping them down, causing him to press in incredibly deep and sharp for a moment.

“Doing what?” His voice was low and his eyes dark as he moved both hands hotly down her sides. He gripped at her hips, tilted them slightly, and a smug grin pulled at his lips when she gasped as he hit somewhere different inside of her, a place that made her entire body tingle.

“Fuck. That,” she moaned out, her eyes closing briefly and a soft giggle leaving her lips. “Fucking me in that way you do that makes me want to just…beg for more.”

Harry chuckled low, even with the way his entire body pulsed at his words. “You’ve got me figured out.” He leaned in closer then, his lips kissing lightly down her jaw until he reached her ear. “Do you want to beg for more now?”

She laughed; a low, throaty, incredibly sexy sound that made his breath catch and then she nodded slowly, her head moving against his. “Yes…”

He groaned lightly and because he was just as worked up as she was, because in all honesty he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take it, his fingers gripped tighter at her hips and he began to move her against him.

“Oh God,” she gasped, every nerve in her body seeming to light up as his hands gripped her, pulling her hard to him over and over again. He was hitting hard and deep and sharp and it felt so good that she could hardly stand it. “Oh please…Harry…” She pulled back to look at him, her eyes filled with heat as they met his. “Please…please…”

He grinned at her words, at how adorable and sexy she looked all at the same time. “Please what?”

She smirked and wrapped her arms tight around his neck, pressing her chest tight against his as she leaned forward and kissed him; full and hot and deep. She pressed closer and closer, wishing that her bikini top wasn’t in the way, desperately wanting to be able to press her naked chest against his in that moment. She whimpered as she tried to press even closer once again, her body instinctively reacting to the craving it had, and he caught it instantly; sensing exactly what her urgency and frustration was about.

Her eyes flew open wide and her mouth pulled from his when he suddenly dipped them lower into the water, bringing it up so it covered them to their shoulders. He curved one arm all the way around her hips so he wouldn’t lose the rhythm he’d established with her, while his now free hand slid up and in between them to her chest.  His fingers quickly pushed the material covering her breasts to the sides and she gasped as first the cool water hit her hard, tender nipples and then he pulled her tightly back against him, giving her exactly what she so desperately wanted.

“Yes,” she sighed, her lips curling up as she let it all wash over her; the way he was moving within her, the way it felt to be pressed up against him under the water, the delicious friction it created. Within moments she felt the burn begin deep in her belly, felt herself being pulled right to the edge.

Harry’s lips pulled into a smug smile as he watched her. He knew her so well; knew every single tell she had that meant she was close. Her eyes fell heavy and dark, her cheeks flushed, her lips parted, and her body tensed –readying itself for what was about to happen to her. Their gazes met – heat and lust flying between them as her breathed sucked in and he nodded.

“Yes, come on Alex…” he encouraged, a light groan leaving his lips as he felt the first tremors begin in her body. “You’re so sexy, so hot, so…fuck. Alexandra…come for me, baby…”

And she did. Her head fell forward, burying her face and muffling her cries in his neck as her body clenched furiously around his. And with a groan of his own and a bite to her shoulder, Harry pulled her hard and tight against him and flew right over the edge with her, pulsing heavily as he gave everything he had to the woman wrapped up in his arms.


	88. Chapter Eighty Eight

“I can’t believe we only have three more days,” Alex sighed. They were cuddled up on bed-like lounger on the top deck of the boat, looking up at the stars. Harry’s arms were wrapped around his wife, more than content with her back snuggled back into his chest as she sat between his legs.

“Wanna stay longer?” he murmured in her ear, making her giggle as his breath tickled the sensitive skin there.

“Sure,” she played along, allowing herself the moment. “We’ll fly Emma out and just…stay all summer on the yacht. The paps have left us alone since our office issued that warning and…no one would miss us, right?”

“Nah,” Harry grinned as his arms tucked tighter around her. “Certainly not the billion people who watched us get married.”

“Psh,” Alex snickered. “They’ve forgotten all about us by now.”

Harry chuckled and kissed the side of her head. “Unfortunately, there are responsibilities that await us in London.”

“It’s going to be a busy summer,” Alex agreed softly. “The Chelsea flower show is right after we get back. Then we’re set to go the derby, right?”

“Yes. And then Trooping the Colour,” he replied, his mind working over their calendar. “All amid polo season.”

“Polo season!” Alex exclaimed, turning a wide smile to him. “I love polo season!”

“Ha!” His head tipped back in laughter. “You love me in white pants.”

“And sweaty,” she said with a smug smile. “And riding that horse like…a polo playing God.”

“Jesus,” he laughed again with a shake of his head. “I think your drunk, love.”

She giggled and then sighed back into him, reveling in the warmth and love he provided. The best kind of contented silence fell between them for a few long moments before she took a deep breath and spoke again.

“You know today, when I ducked into that shop to get a souvenir for Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“When the sales clerk thanked me for my purchase, she curtsied to me.” Her nose scrunched up at the memory and she could almost feel her cheeks turning as pink as they had in the store. “And addressed me as ‘Your Royal Highness.’”

“Ah,” Harry’s lips tipped up into a small smile and he turned his eyes down from the sky to look at her. “Does that embarrass you?”

She shrugged. “I don’t think embarrassed is the right word. I’m proud of who I’m married to and so incredibly proud to be carrying your name and your title. And I love the family I’m now a part of.”

“But…” he encouraged her to continue.

She smiled, loving that he knew her so well. “I’m not entirely comfortable with people feeling that they should show deference to me, that they should bow or curtsy to me or feel required to address me so formally. Does it ever…I mean, do you ever get used to it?”

“Yes and no,” he said. “I mean, I was born into those traditions and from an early age I knew that it was part of it and that for the most part, people are just trying to be respectful. Most of us don’t want people to think that we  _expect_  that kind of thing, especially if we’re just going about every day business.” He took a deep breath and then sighed. “And it’s especially hard for me when people do it when I go out for charity visits. It’s hard for people to talk to us and open up about their problems if they feel that invisible barrier created by all the formality.”

“How do you get around that?” she asked, turning curious eyes up to him. “You’re always so amazing at making people feel comfortable. I certainly never felt like I had to walk a certain line the first time I met you.” She grinned up at him. “How did you do that?”

“Ha!” Harry laughed out into the night air. He shook his head and then bent to kiss her quickly. “I’m not certain that’s a fair question.”

“What do you mean?”

“Jesus Alex, I was a bumbling idiot when I laid eyes on you for the first time. You completely blindsided me.” He smiled as he remembered it and then shrugged his shoulders. “Which is how I know that I don’t really have to give you any kinds of tips on how to make people comfortable; the first time we met, you were the one to put me at ease.”

She peered up at him, her twisting up in that smile she had that told him she didn’t quite believe him. “That’s insane, Harry.”

“It is not,” he quickly rebutted. He was still smiling down at her but his eyes turned a bit more serious as he contemplated his next words. “I felt comfortable with you instantly, Alexandra. You have to understand how rare that is. Normally I’m focused on putting the other person at ease; it’s part of my job, knowing how to do that. It’s a skill I’ve acquired over time. But you,” his voice lowered as he dipped to kiss her again. “I’ve seen you in action and you make people feel comfortable with you naturally. I cannot tell you how much I adore that about you.”

“Mmmm…you know what I think, Wales?” she murmured, her lips curving up into a smile and her cheeks flushing with his compliment, however much she was sure that he was absolutely biased in his assessment. “I think it’s you that’s drunk.”

“Nice,” he grinned, his chest rumbling with laughter behind her. “You don’t have to take the compliment, but it’s true. And I get to work with you now, full time. As much as I’d love to stay right here on this boat with you all summer, I do have to admit that I’m looking forward to being out there as a team.”

“Yeah?” Alex murmured, turning back to look up at him.

“Yeah,” he whispered, his smile a bit smug but his eyes full of love and pride as he looked down on her. “And you love, are you looking forward to it?”

“I really, really am,” she nodded quickly.  “I’ve missed working. I’m really looking forward to jumping into everything; picking my first patronages, delving into some different things, getting to meet new people.” Her eyes brightened as she spoke and he was filled with pride as he watched her. “Although, I do have to tell you,” she continued, looking a bit sheepish. “I’ve really enjoyed being able to devote more attention to Emma in the time I haven’t been working. Even with all of the crazy wedding planning and moving and the changes our lives have been going through, it’s been so much easier to be there for all of the things she’s involved in and to help her with homework or projects. I’ve loved being able to be with her more. I’m just…” She smiled and shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m hoping we can find a balance that allows our time as a family like that to continue.”

“Of course we can,” Harry said instantly. “In no way is anyone expecting that you and I will be running around like crazy while Emma stays home with a nanny or something.”

“No, I know,” Alex said, turning in his arms and moving to sit on her knees so she could look at him while they talked. “But what are the rules? Where is the line drawn? How much control do we have over our schedules?”

“There are no ‘rules,’” Harry said. “Alexandra, of course we will make sure there is a balance to our home life and our work life. That’s always been a given. But I feel like…I don’t know, that maybe you’re thinking on more specific terms here.”

“I don’t want to leave her,” Alex said quietly, her eyes holding steady with his as she spoke. “The idea of a tour to the U.S. for later this year has been tossed about recently. There will be other tours. There will be trips out of the country. Harry, at least while she’s still so young, I cannot be okay with leaving her in England while we’re gone for weeks at a time.”

“I would never, ever expect that you would be,” Harry answered, his eyes wide and serious with his words. “I wouldn’t be okay with that either.”

“No?”

“Absolutely not,” he said firmly. He reached for her then, his hands wrapping around her arms and pulling her closer. “Here’s the thing, Alexandra…you get to dictate how this all works.”

Her head tilted to the side at his words. “What do you mean?”

“It means that our family comes first. We make sure we are there for our daughter. We make sure she isn’t without us for more than a night or two at a time. We make sure we’re there to help her with school projects and go to her school plays and her riding competitions. She’s priority number one. Everything else is negotiable. Emma is not. Our family is not. No one is going to draw a line against that. You and I are the only ones who get to draw lines to make sure our family life is first and our royal life is second.”

“That easy?” she asked softly, her lips turning up into a soft smile.

“Of course it’s that easy,” he nodded. “You know, my mother really worked hard to find that balance for me and William. She was incredibly firm that she would be our mother first and foremost and Princess of Wales second. That’s not always how it was done in my family, but she changed that for us.”

Everything about Alex softened; it always did when Harry talked about his mother. “She was a wonderful mother to you both.”

Harry smiled at her words and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her to him. “And you’re a wonderful mother to Emma,” he said. “I would have never brought you both into this if I thought for one second that this life would affect your relationship with her. I hope you know that.”

“I know that,” she nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed into him. “I guess I just needed reassurance that my role as her mother wouldn’t be viewed as less important than my role as the Duchess – not by you but by others.”

“If anyone ever tries to tell you that your duty as the Duchess comes before your daughter – whether it is someone who works for the us or the family or anyone in my family – you tell me. I’ll make sure it never happens again.”

Alex’s lips twitched. “You gonna do some ass kicking?”

“You think I wouldn’t?”

“I mean, I know you’re this big, strong, powerful Captain in the British Army…” she shrugged, her eyes dancing a bit as her hands moved to his shoulders and she pushed gently, moving him back onto the lounger. “But the truth is, Harry…” She moved in above him, her knees straddling his hips as she leaned over him. “You’re really more of a lover than a fighter.”

He grinned, wide and happy and a tad naughty as his hands moved to her hips. “You think so?”

She leaned in further, her chest pressing into his. “Oh, I know so.”

“Maybe…” His smile was smug as his hands moved into her hair and he pulled her mouth down to his, his tongue pushing between her lips to stroke at hers until she let out a soft, breath of a moan into his mouth and he pulled back. His blood surged in his veins when her eyes opened to his, filled with lust. “But you know what I know for sure?” 

“That you’re a big, fat tease?” she pouted as she tried to get back to his mouth, to his hot lips.

Laughter rumbled through him and he shook his head. “I know for sure that your big, strong, powerful Army Captain of a husband is about to take you down to our room and make love to you all night long.”

“All night?” Excitement and heat flashed in her wide blue eyes. “You promise?”

“Wanna find out?”

“God yes,” Alex breathed.

Then with a clear mission in his eyes he rose and, bringing a peal of laughter from his wife, he hoisted her up and over his shoulder and moved towards the stairs, completely ready to do exactly as he told her he would; love her all night long.

************

The next morning dawn bright and sunny and, after a delicious breakfast, Alex and Harry were determined to spend a day in the sun and in the water, forgoing going the mainland in favor of a relaxing day on the boat.

They swam and played in the clear blue waters for quite a while, wearing themselves out a bit before they climbed back on the boat and headed straight up to the top deck. It had become their favorite part of the boat during their trip, with the large comfortable loungers that allowed them to relax together in the sun or at night under the starts. It seemed like they were in their own little world up there – something they both wanted to take advantage of.

They had lying out in the Sun for a little less than an hour when Alex’s attention pulled from the book she was reading on her Kindle and over to her husband. He was laying on his back next to her, soaking up the sun on his broad torso. She smiled at how tan he had become and how good it looked on him. And as she sat there for a moment and studied him, a thought moved into her brain and before she realized it, she was calling out to him, wanting to share her thoughts with him.

“Harry?”

His eyes pulled open and his lips curled up as he turned to look at her. She had lifted her sunglasses from her eyes and pushed them up onto her head and so he did the same, though he had to squint in the bright sun to see her. “Yes love?”

“How long will it take to renovate the apartment?”

He tilted his head curiously. “Probably about a year. Why?”

She shrugged and her bottom lip pulled into her teeth for a moment before she took a deep breath. “Well…I figure it's a big place for just three people and a dog and...once it's done, we should probably work on filling it up a bit more.”

And his heart thumped so loudly in his chest that it was simply reactionary for his hand to move there, to cover his heart as he took a deep breath to steady himself. A slow smile moved across his face and he rolled onto his side so he could look straight in her eyes, so he could be closer to her. “I swear to God Alexandra, if you're talking about getting a cat or something instead of…”

“I'm definitely not talking about cats, Harry,” she laughed lightly with a shake of her head. And then she grew a touch more serious, her eyes holding his for a long beat, emotion and heat and the potential of making plans for making a long talked about dream into a reality flying between them. “I'm talking about babies, Harry. And when we should start trying for one…”

“Wow,” Harry let out a breath of a laugh. He shook his head at the way his heart was beating, at the way he seemed not to be able to form an articulate sentence. He moved into a sitting position, stretching his legs out in front of him and his eyes staying trained on her as she followed suit, moving to sit on her knees between his legs. “I mean, I knew that eventually we’d start to make a plan for…”

“Eventually?” she interrupted with a snicker, humor dancing in her big blue eyes. “I’m honestly surprised I’m the one bringing it up, Harry.”

Harry grinned and then reached out to her, his hands moving to her hips and tugging her closer. “I’m not as impatient as you think I am.”

“Liar,” she laughed, a warm, happy sound that only made his heart beat faster. “You can’t tell me that if I said, ‘Harry, let’s go make a baby right now,’ you wouldn’t have me down in that bedroom so fast…”

“Don’t joke, love,” he warned her with narrowed eyes, though his lips were smiling. “Okay,” he said, taking a breath as he let his mind accept that this conversation was really happening and let a bit of seriousness come into the moment. His hands slid from her hips up to her arms and then he pulled her hands into his, their fingers tangling together. “A year,” he said slowly, letting the idea settle. “Do you think that’s long enough?”

“Long enough?” Alex asked, a little bit of surprise in her voice. “I was actually thinking that was longer than I’d like…”

“God Alex,” he groaned, her words making just ache with want – desire for her and desire to make babies with her, to add another child to their family. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and then reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear her. “But…” he whispered, knowing there was more to what she wanted to say.

“I need to settle into my role,” she said softly, referencing their conversation the day before. “And we need to make sure Emma settles into royal life before we bring a new baby in.”

“I agree,” he said with a slow nod. “Are you sure a year is long enough? I don’t want you to feel like I’m rushing you to have children…”

“You’re not rushing me into anything,” Alex shook her head, moisture rising unexpectedly in her eyes. She pulled her hands from his and moved them to his face, her fingers smoothing softly along his cheeks as she scooted even closer. “God Harry, I  _want_  children with you. I want to give Emma little sisters and brothers. I want a gaggle of little ginger kiddos running around our home, driving us completely crazy.” She grinned when he chuckled at the vision her words created. She moved in closer then, her arms circling his neck as she moved over his lap. She blinked and a small tear escaped the corner of one of her eyes but Harry was right there, swiping it away with the soft pad of his thumb. His eyes were wide and filled with emotion as he waited for her to continue. “I’ve wanted it for so long, Henry. It’s been this…sweet ache right in the middle of my chest ever since you pressed me into the wall at my parent’s house and told me you wanted to make my belly swell with your babies. And if it would have been at all practical, I would have wanted to be pregnant already. But…” She smiled down at him as his strong arms circled around her, pulling her tighter. She could feel his heart beating fast in his chest, just as hers was. “We’ll wait a year. We’ll settle into our life together. We’ll renovate our new home. And then…”

“We make a baby?” he asked, his voice low and tight with the emotion her speech as brought.

She grinned. “Damn right we do.”

*********

It was the second to last day of the honeymoon when they woke to find it raining outside the windows of their cabin. It was coming down in sheets, the sky was dark, and after checking the weather report it was confirmed – it didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon.

Though Alex thought about pouting for a split second with the news, she pulled it back as quickly as it had sprung forward. With the kind of determined positivity that Harry simply loved about her, she pulled a bright smile, shrugged her shoulders and said a lazy day was just fine with her.

“We can play board games and snuggle up in our bed in our PJs and watch movies and eat snacks that are terribly bad for us and enjoy each other if we can’t enjoy the outdoors,” she told him as she stood from the breakfast table, moving over to his chair and leaning over to kiss him. “But first, I’m going to go shower.”

“Mmmm,” he smiled against her lips and then kissed her once more before she stood back up. “Okay. Sounds like a plan.”

She winked at him playfully and then turned towards the stairs that would take her down to their cabin. “Harry?” she called out just as she was about to disappear around the corner.

He turned to face her, finding her adorable as she looked at him with a hand thrown on her hip. “Hmmm?”

She threw him a smirk of a smile and lifted her eyebrows. “I honestly didn’t think I’d have to ask you to  _join_  me in the shower.” She giggled when he immediately stood from his chair and came striding in her direction, the look on his face a mixture of sheepishness and excitement was so cute that she didn’t know if she wanted to slap him or kiss him.

Or let him push her up against the wall of the shower and do some very naughty things to her.

Which is of course, exactly what she did. And it was the perfect activity to occupy an hour of their day indoors together.

***********

Their day indoors turned out to be more fun than either of them had really thought it would be.

After their shower that morning, they had gone back up to the living area where they spent two hours in a heated and a highly competitive game of Monopoly, which only ended when Harry discovered Alex’s hidden stash of stolen $500 Monopoly bills and she promptly responded to being found out by “accidentally” knocking the entire board off the table and sending it crashing to the ground.

“I can’t believe my wife cheats at bored games,” Harry shook his head as he stared at the little green houses, red hotels, and colorful paper money scattered all over the floor.

“Listen,” she said, letting an adorable giggle slip from her lips. “You know what it’s like to grow up with an older brother; you’ll do anything to beat them and wipe that smug smile off of their face.”

“Ha!” Harry’s head tipped back with his laughter and he nodded. “Does Matt know you’re such a cheat?”

She grinned as she moved to join him in picking up the pieces off of the floor. “Yeah, after about the fifth time he caught me he called a lifetime ban on Monopoly. You should ask him about it sometime; he still gets all riled up. It’s hilarious.”

After the game was cleaned up and safely back in its box, they moved on to an activity that would decidedly less likely to end as dramatically as their attempt at monopoly. After gathering up some snacks, they snuggled up in their bed and turned on the TV mounted in front of them on the wall and settled in for an afternoon of movie watching.

It was during the second movie that Harry got restless. He loved being snuggled up with her, adored being about to hold her close to him for hours at a time with no interruptions; but the simple truth of it was that he wasn’t used to sitting still for so long. He tried to focus a few times, training his eyes towards the movie that his wife was engrossed in, but it simply wasn’t working.

It was only natural that his attention turned to her. His eyes slid over her and he smiled to himself, loving how she was so engrossed in the movie that she didn’t even notice that his attentions had been diverted. He reached over and poked at her side with his index finger and his grin pulled higher when she turned playfully narrowed eyes at him and swatted him away before turning back to the movie. He chuckled softly and then reached over and poked her again, he couldn’t help himself.

“Stop!” she laughed, swatting at his hand again. “If you value the use your hands you’ll quit poking me.”

“Empty threats, Alexandra,” he laughed, ignoring her warning and moving in again, landing a harder poke in her side that made her squeal and move slightly away from him. “You value the use of my hands just as much as I do.”

“Henry Charles,” she slapped at his searching fingers, trying to fend him off as he attempted to get her again. “We’re supposed to be watching a movie.”

“I’m bored with movie watching,” he replied as he got past her defenses and his fingers found her sides, moving in to tickle her this time.

“Stop! Stop!” she squealed, unable to help the giggles that started falling from her lips and she tried to wiggle away from him. “This is not how you cure boredom, Sussex!”

“It’s working for me,” he chuckled and continued his quest, this time tickling her a bit harder, grinning wide when her eyes went wide and a squeal of laughter left her lips.

“Damn it, Harry!” She sucked in a deep breath and then instead of trying to get away from him, she reached out and, with a look of pure determination in her eyes, she wrapped her fingers around his wrists. Taking advantage of his momentary falter at how quick she had been, she quickly rolled over him and pulled his wrists above his head, effectively pinning him underneath of her. “No more tickling,” she shook her head slowly, though her lips tipped up until a smile at the look on his face – playful and teasing and not at all afraid of her.

“You can’t keep my hands like this forever,” he taunted. He was so smug she wanted to smack him.

*M*

She settled on top of him, prepared to sit there for as long as it took for him to call a truce, but her eyes flashed wide when she felt him under her, hard and ready in his shorts. Her lips twitched up and her eyebrows lifted as she looked down at him. “Really?”

He smirked. “Fuck yes. My gorgeous wife has me pinned down and at her mercy and…” He groaned as she pressed her hips down harder on his.

“And what?” she teased as she leaned in further. Her hands still held his wrists firmly above his head as she pressed her chest to his. Her eyes danced with something a bit naughty as they held his. “You like being at my mercy?”

“Why?” He asked, his eyebrows raising in somewhat of a challenge. “Did you have something particular in mind, Alexandra?”

She smiled then, slow and sexy and making his blood surge. She tilted her lips to his, pressing the softest of kisses to his lips while she began to rock her hips in an agonizingly slow rhythm over his. “Maybe…” she whispered against his lips. He lifted his head, aching to take her mouth with his, but she pulled back, making him groan with the tease, with the power she was exerting over him.

“Just maybe?” he goaded, watching as the tiniest bit of indignation flashed across her face. “If you aren’t up to…”

She sat up straight on him then, her eyes full of lust and a determination and whatever else he was going to say fell straight to the ground. She shifted her hands, one moving to hold both of his wrists as she moved the other to the tie on the soft, satin robe she wore and began to pull it loose. “Harry,” she said, her voice low and throaty as the tie came completely loose. She rose up on her knees, her chest rising and falling as she looked down at him. “Stop talking.”

He grinned wide and his eyes danced. “Make me.”

Her eyes danced and she moved right into action. Leaning forward over him, she quickly wrapped one end of the satin tie of her robe around his wrists and then tied the other securely to the headboard, effectively assuring that he was completely at her mercy.

Her entire body felt flushed with anticipation as she moved back down his long, lean body. She was almost overcome for a moment with not knowing where to start; with what part of his body she wanted to touch and kiss first. But as her eyes met his as her knees moved back down around his hips, as she saw the lust in his deep blue gaze and the way his lips were parted to allow deep breaths to pass through, her momentary indecision was forgotten.

“Harry,” she breathed, her hands smoothing up his flat stomach to his broad chest before moving his shoulders as she leaned down over him, her lips coming so close to his that she swore she could already taste his kiss. “You want me to make you shut your mouth?”

“I want to see you try,” he bantered back, loving the way she rose to his challenges.

“You’re such a shit,” she laughed softly, leaning in to press a light kiss to his lips. “But by the time I’m done with you, you’re not going to be able to form a complete sentence.”

“Jesus…Alex…” he groaned, his fingers flexing against the satin the bound his wrists together as his hips arched toward her almost involuntarily.

She grinned and then sat back up tall on him. Her bottom lip tugged between her teeth as she pulled her robe from her shoulders, revealing the satin and lace camisole and boy shorts she wore underneath. She tossed it to the side and then went right for the camisole as well, her face watching Harry’s the entire time. His face darkened and his fingers flexed and it shot her ego sky high, knowing those reactions were from seeing her undressing for him, from seeing her naked body and not being able to touch her; she loved that he wanted her like that, that she did that to him.

“You want to touch me, don’t you?” she asked, her eyes coy but her smile knowing as she did.

“Yes,” Harry nodded slowly. “Very much.”

“Well, you can’t,” she smirked she leaned over him, her hard nipples brushing against his chest and making him moan. “But…” She dropped her lips close to his again. “I am going to let you kiss me.”

Her lips dropped to his and this time it wasn’t soft and teasing. It was full and firm and when his tongue tipped out against her lips she immediately opened her mouth over his, moaning when his tongue pushed into her mouth to tangle with hers. She settled her body against his and her hands moved to him, sliding up over his sides to his chest, moving up the sides of his neck and then burying her fingers in his soft hair. She held his head as she took control of the kiss, her tongue dancing around his and then sucking into her mouth for a moment before she tore her lips from his.

“God you’re sexy,” Harry breathed. His blue eyes met hers, dark with lust and Alex threw him a sexy, knowing smile.

“I’m glad you think so,” she said. She pressed her lips to his once more and then she began to kiss down the side of his jaw, dragging her lips along the slight scruff he had grown since he’d last shaved a few days before. She moved down to his neck, moaning at the heat of his skin against her lips and making his cock ache even further in his shorts. “I like having you like this,” she whispered as she moved down to his chest. Her eyes turned up to his as her lips pressed to his skin right over his pounding heart. “I almost can’t decide what I want to do with you.”

Harry chuckled into a groan, his hips shifting under hers. “I can think of a few options.”

Alex’s lips curled into a smile against his skin and she shifted further down, kissing down his flat stomach. Her tongue tipped out, running along the lines of his tight muscles, loving the way they jumped and flexed with every flick of her tongue against him. “Well, as it so happens,” she murmured as she kissed under his belly button and then moved to right above the top of his shorts. Her fingers moved to curl into the waistband of his shorts and her bottom teeth tucked into her lip, her eyes wide and purposely innocent as they met his and began to tug on his shorts. “I can think of a few options too.”

“Jesus…” Harry let out a harsh breath as she pulled his shorts over his hips and he sprang free, completely hard and throbbing for her.

She smiled up at him as she tossed his shorts to the side and then she moved in, wrapping her hot little fingers around him. He groaned and his eyes slid closed for a moment as she ran a long, slow stroke up and down his length.

“Mmmm…” She kissed the tip of him and his hips jerked. “Are you sure you can handle this, Harry?” she asked as she tipped her tongue out around the head of him. Her eyes never left his, her ego feeding off of the way he was reacting to what she was doing.

“Alex…please…” he moaned, his tongue tipping out to swipe against his dry lips and his chest rising and falling with his deep breaths. “Please…”

“That’s a whole lot of please,” she smirked. She ran another hot stroke up and down his length and then her head finally dipped.

“Ohhh fuck!” Harry called out into the room as she took him in over and over again. His fingers gripped at the tie around his wrists and there was part of him ached to be able to touch her, to shove his fingers in the thick mane of her hair as her magic mouth moved over him again and again. But the other part of him was enjoying this too much, being at her mercy. Her sexy, sassy confidence combined with the way she was working him over was so incredibly erotic that her could barely stand it.

“Mmmm…” she moaned around him, loving the shudder it pulled from him.

“Oh God…Alex,” he moaned, his breath starting to come in pants and his cheeks flushing darker and Alex knew – he was close.

So she moved faster, deeper, harder – working to bring him right to the edge. And when she had him there, when she knew that all it would take would be a few more flicks of her tongue and a few more strokes of her hand and he would be coming apart, she pulled completely from him, her lips smacking as they left his cock and her eyes rose to meet his.

“No!” he called out, his eyes wide and desperate as he shook his head back and forth. “Baby please…”

“Tsk tsk…” She help up her index finger and moved it back and forth before moving to crawl up his body and press her lips softly to his. “You really think I’m going to let it end like that? You know better than that, Harry.”

“You’re killing me,” he panted, struggling against his desire to rip his wrists from the tie that held him, pull her under him, and fuck her senseless.

She grinned and then moved from him, leaving the bed only to slip her shorts and panties from her body and then she was back and just as naked as he was. “You love it,” she taunted as she straddled him again. She wrapped her fingers around his aching cock and adjusted over him, placing the tip of him at her warm, wet center.

“Fuck,” he groaned as he watched her. His entire body was on fire for her. All of his nerves felt like they were frayed and standing on end. And as she bit her lip and held his eyes as she began to sink down onto him, he was absolutely certain that there was no way he was going to last any time at all. “Jesus Alexandra,” he moaned as she settled in his lap, her chest flushing pink at the way it felt with him inside of her. “You’re so wet…Oh God…”

“Yes,” she nodded. She sat tall and proud above him, admiring her broad, strong, powerful husband tied up beneath her and at her mercy. Her movements were slow and deliberate over him, her hips rocking gently, creating an intense sort of friction that made Harry ache with need in every part of his body.

“Alexandra…” His voice was laced with lust and want and an undercurrent of warning that made Alex’s blood run even hotter than it was.

“Harry?” She responded as she leaned over him, her body pressing against his as she began to really move – up and down, up and down, up and down.

“Baby…I’m…” he groaned as his eyes snapped shut at the pleasure of it all; the way she felt and the rhythm she found as she moved over him.

Her smile was smug as she kissed him, her lips pressing hotly to his. “You’re what, Harry? Tell me…”

“Fuck Alex…” He fought to get closer to her lips, to get more of her. “If you keep doing that, if you don’t slow down…” His eyes flew open when all of the sudden her movements stopped, her hips going completely still as she looked down on him with an amused, smirk of a smile. “Damn it, Alex…” he moaned, his eyes pleading.

Her brows lifted and she sat up tall again. “What’s this? You told me to stop and now…”

“I didn’t…” He shook his head, his wits completely scattered.

“You don’t know what you want, Harry?” she asked, her lips forming into a playful pout.

“I…don’t…” He groaned into a chuckle, realizing that no matter how hard he tried to form the words, he simply couldn’t articulate exactly what he wanted in that moment.

“That’s okay,” she cooed softly. “Because I know what I want, baby.”

He watched with wide eyes and parted lips as she brought her hands to her own body, one moving to cup a breast and the other sliding down over her flat stomach to her center. His entire body pulsed as her fingers slid down to where they were joined before sliding back up to the swollen number at the top of her cleft.

“Alexandra…” he gasped. His hips arched up into her as her fingers began to move, stroking both at her clit and pinching at her hard nipple.

“Mmmm…yes,” she moaned as her eyes fluttered closed and her head tipped back. Her hips began to move over his, driving him mad as he watched her pleasure herself.

It was the strangest sort of situation he found himself in. He wanted it to be his hands on her. He wanted his fingers to be what made the heavy sighs and moans she was making fall from her lips. But he  _loved_  what she was doing. He  _loooooooooved_  every single second of the way she was driving him mad and how much she seemed to be enjoying it.

“God, you’re sexy,” he called up to her. His desire pulsed hot and heavy when her head tipped forward and her eyes met his, heavy and dark. “I want to touch you so badly…”

“Nuh-uh,” her lips twisted and she shook her head, never missing a beat as she began to move faster and faster over him. “I’m so…” She sucked in a deep breath and let it out again as her skin flushed even pinker. “I’m so close…and if I stop to untie you…”

“Jesus Christ,” Harry groaned, his own desire racing closer to the finish with her words. She moaned and he felt her body start to tense, he felt the first of the tremors start within her. “Yes baby,” he encouraged, his need to touch her replaced instantly by the need to feel her come apart around him. He pushed his hips up into her, his bottom lip tucking between his teeth as did all that he could to get her there before he completely lost it himself. “Come on Alex…it’s yours baby…take it...”

And she did. With a primal cry out into the room, her body clenched fiercely around his and she fell apart around him. And Harry, who wasn’t even sure how he had held on in the first place, pushed his hips up into once more her and exploded, a wild groan leaving his lips as he did.

“Oh my God…” She let out a long breath and fell forward onto his chest, her own chest moving rapidly up and down against his as they both came down from their shared orgasm.

*EM*

Harry chuckled and looked down at his wife spread out across his chest and he just ached to hold her in that moment, to wrap his arms around her as they came down from their passion. “Alex?”

“Hmmm?” Her eyebrows lifted slightly but she stayed sprawled out on him.

“Can you untie me now, love? I’m dying to hold you.”

Her eyes turned up to him and she giggled, finding him unbelievable cute in that moment. “I suppose,” she sighed, winking playfully as she lifted herself from him and rose to untie him. The moment his wrists were free, his arms moved around her. He pulled her back down to him, cuddling her against his chest as he kissed the top of her head.

“I love you so much, Alexandra,” he murmured, the best kind of happy contentment settling between them.

“Because I tied you up?” she snickered as she tucked herself into his chest, loving his arms wrapped so solidly around her.

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head again. “One of many, many reasons,” he said softly, bringing a soft laugh from her.

“I love you too, Harry,” she whispered against his chest.

“For letting you tie me up?”

“You know it.”

A burst of laughter left his lips and his chest rumbled beneath her as he reached for the blankets and tucked them up around both of them. “I suppose I’ll take it,” he murmured as they adjusted in the bed; he rolled to his side and took her with him, never letting up his hold on her as they settled into the luxurious pillows and blankets around them. Even though it was late afternoon, they both found their eyes growing heavy as they laid there.

And that’s exactly how they both drifted off to sleep for a little while in that bed, completely wrapped up in each other.

*************

“I thought I would be sad to leave,” Alex murmured as they watched their packed bags being pulled from the boat as they prepared to disembark themselves.

It was time to go home; back to London, back to Emma, back to the new life that awaited them as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

“You’re not?” Harry asked softly as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.

“No,” she shook her head and turned to look up at him. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved every moment of our honeymoon. But…”

“You miss Emma.” He said it with a smile, warm and full of love for her and their daughter.

“So much,” she nodded and smiled back. “I miss us as a family.”

“Me too,” Harry whispered as he leaned down to kiss her. “What do you say we go home and be a family for you know…the next sixty or seventy years?”

She grinned up at him and stood on her toes to kiss him against. “I think I can work with that.”

“Alright then,” he nodded as he straightened up and reached for her hand, taking it and moving them towards the walkway from the boat to the dock in the marina. “Let’s go home.”

And just like that, they were on their way home and on to the next adventure that awaited them in their new life together.


	89. Chapter Eighty Nine

They had barely stepped from the car in front of their home at Kensington Palace before their front door opened and Emma came running out, her wild blonde hair flying behind her as she ran full speed towards Harry and Alex, beyond excited that they were finally home.

“Em!” Alex laughed as she opened her arms and caught her daughter. Emma wrapped her arms tightly around her mother’s waist and it made tears spring right to Alex’s eyes. “Oh, I missed you so much baby,” she whispered. She bent down to kiss the top of her daughter’s head as it hit her in the gut, at how much she had missed having Emma with them.

“I missed you too, Mummy,” Emma mumbled against Alex’s stomach as she squeezed her arms tighter for a moment and then stepped back, looking for Harry and finding him standing there with a gigantic smile, waiting his turn. Alex couldn’t help but laugh softly as Emma turned then and ran straight into Harry’s arms, hugging him just as tightly as she had hugged Alex.

“Oh I missed you, Princess,” Harry grinned as he squeezed her tight and lifted her off of the ground, making her giggle sweetly before he set her back down.

“I missed you too, Dad,” she said, looking up at him adoringly. “And I can’t wait to see what you brought me.”

“Of course,” Harry nodded with a laugh. “Before we get to that, are you by yourself here or…”

“We’re here! We’re here,” Charlotte’s voice called from the doorway as she stepped out, both Zuko and Gus bounding out in excitement and a smiling Matt stepping out behind her. “It just takes me a little longer to get up and around these days.” She waved her hands at her belly as they made their way towards them.

“Oh my!” Alex smiled wide as she reached down to pet an enthusiastic Gus and then, letting their dog move on to Harry, she turned her full attention to Charlotte. “You were nowhere near that big when we left.”

“Thanks,” Charlotte rolled her eyes with a chuckle as she stepped up to Alex.

“Oh, you know what I mean,” Alex laughed as they leaned in to kiss each other cheeks and then hugged each other. “You look amazing; like you’ve got a very healthy Emerson baby in there.”

“That’s what the doctor says,” Matt grinned as he shook Harry’s hand and then moved to hug Alex. “How was the honeymoon?”

“Amazing,” Alex sighed. “I can’t wait to tell you guys all about it. Where’s Mom and Dad?”

“They went out to Berkshire for the day,” Matt answered. “They made fast friends with the Middletons. But they should be back anytime now.”

“Excellent,” Harry smiled. “We can all have dinner together then? I’ll call Will and Kate and see if they can come over with Henry. Is that alright with you, love?” He lifted his eyebrows and he looked over at Alex.

“Sounds like a wonderful way to spend our first night at home,” she smiled back. “Now, let’s all go inside and relax. I’m dying to know everything about your time while we were gone,” she said to Emma as she pulled her daughter to her for another hug.

“Okay,” Emma nodded her head excitedly. “But presents first, Mum. Pleeease?”

“Of course,” Alex laughed. “Presents first, Em.”

***********

“Need any help?”

Alex looked up at the familiar voice and her smile pulled wide. “Kate! No no,” she shook her head as she opened the oven, slid in the lasagna her mother had helped her whip up, and shut the door. “It’s all done. It just has to cook.” She leaned in to kiss her sister-in-law’s cheeks and then hugged her warmly.

“How was the honeymoon?” Kate asked with a knowing grin, moving further into the room and taking a seat at the breakfast bar.

“Wonderful,” Alex sighed and then winked at Kate, bringing both of them to a giggle. “Where’s Henry?”

“Harry got to him first,” Kate shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Ah, of course,” Alex laughed. “I never get my hands on him first.”

“I’ll commandeer him for you later,” Kate promised with a laugh. “So tell me about Greece, was it just gorgeous?”

“You’ve never been?” Alex lifted her eyebrows in surprise as she moved to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine, stopping by the cabinet for two glasses before moving back to the counter in front of Kate.

“No,” Kate shook her head with a smile. “I’d absolutely love to though.”

“You should,” Alex said brightly as she uncorked the wine bottle and moved to pour the glasses. “It was so gorgeous. The water is so clear and the scenery was  _amazing_. It was a perfect place for us. And you know, a private yacht for ten days isn’t a bad deal.” She grinned at Kate as she finished pouring the glasses and lifted one to the brunette across the counter from her. “Here, we brought this back with us from Greece.”

“Ooooh…” Kate’s smiled as she reached for the glass. But as quick as she reached for the glass, she pulled her hand back. Her eyes flashed wide and then she blinked, all traces of any falter she’d had disappearing. “Sorry, Alex. I’d love to but I’ve had a bit of a headache today…”

Alex peered at Kate, having caught her moment, however small it might have been. “Okay…”

“I’m sorry,” Kate pulled a bright smile and apologetic eyes. “That was terribly rude of me.”

Alex chuckled and shook her head. “It wasn’t rude of you. You just seemed flustered that’s all.” Her eyes held her sister-in-law’s for a moment. And then she pulled in a deep breath, shrugged her shoulders, reached for one of the glasses she had just filled, and took a giant chance. “I just thought maybe you might be pregnant, that’s all.”

Kate’s lips parted in surprise and then she couldn’t help the smile that slowly tilted the corners of her mouth up. And Alex couldn’t help the squeal that left her lips at the revelation, at the fact that she had been right and that Kate had let her in on it.

“Shhhh!” Kate waved a hand and shook her head quickly, her eyes darting towards the kitchen door. “We just found out, like less than a week ago. It’s still so early.”

“Oh my God,” Alex whispered, her free hand coming up to cover her mouth as the happy news moved between the two friends; the two sisters. “Okay, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to push and I was about ninety percent sure you’d tell me I was nuts but…”

“It’s okay,” Kate laughed softly, the tension easing from her body now that Alex knew; now that she wasn’t keeping a giant secret. “It’s really fine, Alex.”

“And I promise I won’t breath a word; not even to Harry,” Alex rushed ahead, leaning a bit closer as both of their voices had dropped to a whisper.

“I hate to ask that…” Kate murmured.  “But it won’t be very long until we let the families in.”

“Please,” Alex waved a hand, almost laughing at herself and the way she was almost bouncing on her feet. “It’s not my news to share. But congratulations!” She stepped around the counter to pull Kate into a tight hug. “Is Will excited? And how are you feeling?”

“So far, so good,” Kate said softly. “We’ll see. I felt fine with Henry until about week six, but hopefully this little one doesn’t give me so much trouble.”

“Little one,” Alex sighed. Her eyes went completely soft at the words and it made Kate giggle just as the door to the kitchen opened up, pulling them both from their secret conversation.

“Look who I found, Henry,” Harry grinned as he stepped into the room with his handsome, chubby, smiling nephew in his arms. “It’s your mum and your Aunt Alex.”

“Ooooo!” Alex’s smile pulled wide and happy as she turned towards her husband and her nephew. “Look how big you are, handsome man!” She moved over to Harry and plucked the giggling little boy from his arms, taking her opportunity to snuggle and kiss Henry’s cheeks while she could. She was grateful that the appearance of Henry allowed her secret conversation with Kate to be tucked aside without Harry noticing. “What do you say we go in the living room with everyone else? We can play with your toys?” she cooed to Henry, who immediately nodded quickly and clapped his hands together in excitement.

“Toys! Toys!”

“Ha!” Alex laughed as she nuzzled him again. “Toys it is.”

**********

“I’m so sad that you’re leaving tomorrow,” Alex sighed later that night as she sat next to Donna on one of the couches in the living room.  Will and Kate had left not long before to put Henry to bed, leaving the newly blended Emerson and Sussex families for some quality time together. They were all spread out, relaxing on the chairs and couches with the exception of Emma, who had taken Gus out back for a bit of playtime. “I hope you enjoyed your stay.”

“Oh honey, we did. Very much,” Donna smiled warmly at Alex as she reached over to pat her hand. Her gaze slid over to Mike’s, she lifted her eyebrows, and after a long moment, he chuckled and nodded at her.

“What’s going on?” Matt asked, watching the silent communication between his parents and knowing that meant something big was up.

Donna took a deep breath and her eyes traveled around her family sitting around the room. “When we went out to the Middleton’s today it wasn’t just to visit.”

“Okay…” Alex said, peering at Donna as she waited to be let in on whatever it was.

“We went to meet with a realtor they recommended and to view a property that has just come on the market in Berkshire,” Donna said, her eyes dancing with excitement.

“You’re buying a house in England?” Charlotte called out from the couch across from Donna, her lips already curling into a smile at the idea of it.

“We are,” Mike confirmed with a wink and a smile at his wife.

“Wait,” Alex held up a hand, trying to tamper her excitement for the moment until she was clear on exactly what was happening. “Like, a vacation home or…”

“We’re moving to England, Boot,” Mike said, bringing Alex’s gaze swinging to his, her eyes wide and filling with tears. “I’m retiring; it’s time. And we’re going to move to England where you and Matt and Harry and Charlotte and our grandkids are.”

“That’s amazing,” Harry grinned wide as his gaze shifted to his wife. Her fingers flew up and pressed against her lips and her eyes filled with tears as she took in the news.

“I can’t believe it…I mean…” Matt grinned and shook his head as tears pricked his own eyes. “You guys are just going to leave Texas? You love it there.”

Mike peered at his son, his lips twitching. “So does Alex. So do you. But you also have people here that you love more. And so do we…unless you’d rather we didn’t move…”

“Of course we want you here!” Charlotte broke in, a wide smile on her face as she pushed at her husband’s shoulder.  “What is wrong with you guys? Your parents are  _moving_ here and you act like you’re worried they’re being too impulsive or something.”

Donna laughed and winked at Charlotte. “I promise we’re not being impulsive. We’ve actually given it a lot of thought, even before we came out for the wedding. Mike wants to retire; he doesn’t need the stress and we’re more than financially set. And we’re about to have a new grandchild,” her eyes filled with moisture as she smiled at Matt and Charlotte and then turned toward Alex and Harry. “And hopefully soon there will be more grandkids on the way.”

Harry grinned and turned to Alex. “Hopefully.”

“Easy,” Alex laughed, narrowing her eyes playfully before she turned back to look at Donna, tears rising in her own eyes. “You’re really moving here? I’ll get to see you all the time?”

“Anytime you’d like,” Donna nodded.

Alex squealed as the news finally sank in, as she allowed it hit her that it was real. She leaned forward and pulled Donna into a tight hug before moving from the couch and going over to hug Mike as well.

“What’s happening?” Emma asked, appearing back in the room with a tired out Gus, confused by the excitement unfolding before her.

“Your Mimi and I are moving to England in about a month,” Mike called out, watching as Emma’s eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open.

“Really?!” she squeaked, looking around the room for confirmation.

“Really, bug,” Mike nodded, laughing as Emma immediately ran from the doorway, launching herself at her Poppy, jumping right into the middle as everyone celebrated the amazing new development in their lives.

***********

“Knock, Knock! Is everyone decent in here?” Harry called out as he cracked open the door to the spare bedroom. Alex was in the room with Anna and Mia, the former putting the final touches on her hair and make-up while the latter ran over last minute items for her very first public engagement as royal that morning.

“You can come in,” Alex called out with a laugh.

The door pushed all the way open and he stepped into the room. He was already dressed in his suit and tie, ready to go. “Good morning, ladies,” he grinned, nodding to Mia and Anna before his gaze settled on Alex and his smile widened even further. “You look beautiful, love.”

“Thank you,” she smiled, her cheeks flushed a bit as he stepped a bit closer, his gaze unabashedly appreciative as it moved over her. “Not so bad yourself there, Sussex.”

“And on that note…” Mia snapped her file shut and shared a small, humored look with Anna. “I’m going to go check in with Charlotte and make sure everything is in order.”

“And I’m going to go get Emma in her shoes and make sure she hasn’t gotten dog hair all over her dress,” Anna said, her lips twitching up into a smirk of a smile as she followed Mia from the room and shut the door behind her, leaving Alex and Harry alone.

Alex snickered at Harry as he moved closer, a smug smile on his face. “You ran my staff away.”

He shrugged in that rakish yet charming way that was completely him and stepped up to her, his hands moving right to her waist. “If it means that I get to kiss my wife…”

She rolled her eyes at him but the truth was that as soon as his bent his head towards her, she couldn’t help but tip up on her toes to meet him, almost sighing as his lips moved hotly over hers.

“You do look beautiful,” he murmured against her lips. His eyes opened to meet hers and his lips tipped up. “Are you nervous?”

“No,” she shook her head and smiled up at him. Her hands moved to rest on his chest, her fingers tracing the tiny turtles on his tie. “I’m excited that Emma and I are able to go support you – as a family.”

“Ah love, you have no idea,” he grinned as he tugged her a bit closer. He was just leaning down to kiss her again when his phone buzzed from his pants pocket, pulling a groan of irritation from him. “Sorry,” he huffed in disappointment and regretfully stepped back from her. He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out, his disappointment easing just a bit when he saw the name on the caller ID. He swiped his finger across the screen and pulled it to his ear. “William, I hope you know that you just interrupted something incredibly important and I am absolutely going to pay you back for that later.” He chuckled at his own humor and then Alex watched as his express changed from playful to concern, his eyebrows pulling together and his lips turning down. “You’re not coming? Is everything alright?”

Alex’s eyes widened slightly with his words. But when she saw his lips pull back up at the corners and his eyes flashed up to hers, wide and bright with excitement, she knew. Will was telling him Kate was pregnant, that he was going to be an uncle again.

“Will!” He laughed and shook his head. “That’s fantastic! Congratulations to both you and Kate. And I’m so sorry she’s sick again this time around.” He paused for a moment to listen and he reached out to Alex, pulling his hand into hers and toying with her fingers. “No, don’t worry about it. Take care of your wife,” he assured, his voice firm but gently. “Please tell her that Alex, Emma, and I all send our love. Okay. Okay…bye.”

“He told you?” Alex asked the moment Harry pulled the phone from her ear, her eyes shining with excitement.

“He did!” Harry nodded, his grin spreading from ear to ear as he slid his phone back into his pocket. He went to step to her and then suddenly halted. His eyes narrowed and he pointed at her as realization washed over him. “Wait. How did…did you know already that Kate is pregnant?”

“Oops!” She clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes went wide as she realized her mistake.

“You did know!” He crossed his arms over his chest and peered at her, though truth be told, he was struggling to keep a straight face as he looked down at her.

“I’m so sorry!” She groaned, rolling her eyes at herself for slipping up. “She turned down wine the night we came back from the honeymoon and I…I accidentally guessed. But she made me swear not to tell anyone, even you. I promised her. I’m so sorry.”

 He only managed to hold his stern face for a few more seconds before he laughed and uncrossed his arms, reached out to pull her to him. “I’m not mad, Alex,” he smiled. “Amused a bit that you outed yourself like that, but I’m glad you kept your word to Kate.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course.”

She grinned up at him. “Well, it was the least I could do. Anyway, they’re not coming?”

“No,” he said as he took a deep breath and shook his head. “Kate has HG again. Her doctors are monitoring her at their place though, so no need for the hospital this time. It still puts them in a bit of a spot though; they were scheduled to come to the Sentebale Garden today and if they pull out, people are going to start speculating and…” He waved his hand in the air and she nodded in response, understanding exactly what the press would do. “So, they’re announcing within the hour.”

“Oh wow,” Alex breathed, concern flashing on her face. “I really hate that they have to tell the whole world so early. She’s just barely past six weeks along.”

“I know,” he nodded and then, deciding that they didn’t really need to delve into how unfair it all was, that they both knew and understood that sometimes they had to swallow it and move on, he straightened his shoulders, reached for her hand, and smiled. “Alright love, let’s go downstairs and get info from Charlotte on how the press office is handling it. Chances are we will get some baby questions today from reporters so we need to see exactly what info they’re releasing.”

“Baby questions,” Alex sighed as she took his hand and let him lead her from the room. “It’s going to take everything I have not to gush about how excited I am.”

“Ha!” Harry laughed and turned to her with a wink. “Just do what I do, baby.”

“And what’s that?”

“Make jokes about William. The press eats that shit up.”

*************

Alex and Emma’s first official engagement as members of the royal family went amazingly well. Because of the announcement of a new royal baby that morning and because there were quite a few members of Harry’s family that came by to look around the garden, the attention on the two newest royals was considerably less intense than it could have been. Even with the flashes and the whir of the snapping cameras and the going off around them, Alex felt at ease and comfortable as Susan, the woman who had headed up the design team and worked with Harry in designing the garden, toured them around.

Alex couldn’t help the intense warmth that settled inside of her as they moved around the beautiful garden. She was so incredibly proud to be there as a family. She was insanely proud of her husband, of the work her did and how he was so involved and it meant so much to him. She was proud of her daughter; the way Emma took it all in stride that so much attention was focused on her, the way she shook hands firmly with everyone she was introduced to. And Alex would be lying if she didn’t think it was the cutest thing in the world when someone said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Emma,” and Emma giggled and said, “You can just call me Emma, I’m much more used to that.”

And she was proud of the way Harry and Emma were together. She loved that Harry knelt down to show Emma things and to explain them to her, the way her got her involved and listen and took to heart what she thought about what he was showing her. She felt so lucky to have them both and even more so, that they had each other as well.

The mood was light and relaxed when Charles and Camilla made their appearance, smiles on their faces as they moved in to greet everyone and then look around. To the delight of the onlookers and the reporters present, Harry jokingly offered a discount to Charles on some of the flowers and plants if he wanted to use them at Highgrove, bringing a round of laughter from the group.

The only time Alex felt the smallest flutter of nerves was when Harry’s grandparents arrived, looking as regal and as elegant as ever. She wasn’t a stranger to his grandparents in any way, nor was she intimidated or worried about what they might think of her. Her nerves didn’t have anything to do with that. It was simply an effect of who they were, of how the importance of their lives and how much wisdom and experience they carried around with them.

But the nerves faded almost as fast as they came and after Harry had greeted them, bowing his head to his grandmother and then moving in to her cheeks before turning to Philip, Alex stepped up and with a smile on her face she curtsied quickly and then greeted them both with kisses on their cheeks. She turned and her smile pulled even wider when she saw Emma drop into her small, sweet curtsy that clearly delighted Harry’s grandparents, not because she followed protocol, but because she was incredibly cute as she did so.

“This is wonderful, Harry,” Elizabeth said as she looked around at the beautiful flowers and greenery.

“Thank you, Gran,” he nodded, a look of pride flashing across his face. “That means a lot. What do you think grandfather?” he asked, turning with a grin to Philip.

“Lovely,” Philip answered immediately. “Did you choose the flowers yourself, Harry?”

“Some,” Harry nodded. “Would you like me to show you which ones?”

“I can show you,” Emma said brightly, walking right up to Philip and reaching for his hand.

“Ah, my favorite little sassy one,” Philip chuckled, stooping a bit to talk to Emma. “You know all about the flowers?”

“Yes, of course,” she nodded quickly. “Daddy told me the flowers earlier and I know all about them now,” she said, very matter of fact as she tugged on his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Philip, clearly delighted and amused with his newest great-grandchild, chuckled as he let her lead him off from the group, listening intently as she launched into telling him some of the knowledge Harry had given her earlier.

They were there for well over an hour, not only enjoying the garden but spending time with Harry’s family as well. Though there were reporters there who were anxious to be able to speak with the family, Harry had instructed Charlotte to hold them off until the very end, ensuring that they got full coverage of the presentation of the garden.

But as Charles and Camilla and then Harry’s grandparents began to take their leave, Harry finally nodded to Charlotte, ready to go over and talk to the reporters that had gathered. He put a hand at Alex’s back and led her over to the cameras with him, leaving with Charlotte; deciding it best not to put the spotlight on her with any questions the reporters might ask.

The reporters – most of whom knew and respected Harry and how he felt about his work – were careful to ask about the garden, about his input and what it meant to him. But after a few rounds of questions regarding the event, it was one of the reporters from The Express who went first, clearing his throat and then grinning as he asked his next question.

 “Are you excited for the news that your brother and sister-in-law are expecting another baby?”

“Yes, of course,” Harry chuckled.

“And you, ma’am?” The reported turned towards Alex.

“Very much,” she nodded with a smile. “They’re wonderful parents and of course, now Harry and I can charge double for our babysitting fees.”

Harry’s shoulders shook with laughter next to her and she turned a glance at him, smiling wide up at him as the reporters in front of them laughed at her joke.

“Any preference for a boy or a girl?” a reporter from The Sun joined in.

“Oh, with any luck it will be a girl,” Harry smirked. “I would love to watch my brother suffer every day like I do, knowing that one day she’s going to grow up and think she can start dating.”

Another round of laughter went through the reporters gathered and Alex shook her head, unable to help but laugh along with them.

“Alright, thank you guys,” Harry said with a chuckle and a nod, ending the interview. His hand moved to Alex’s back and they moved back to Emma and Charlotte. “Okay now listen, love,” he leaned down close to her ear as they walked. “I said make jokes; I didn’t say make jokes funnier than mine.”

Alex laughed and threw him a smug smile. “I’m always funnier than you. You really shouldn’t be surprised.”

**********

“You know, I feel ridiculous for being so tired,” Alex said as she walked into their living room later that evening. She had shed her dress and heels in favor of a pair pajama pants and a t-shirt and was looking forward to a relaxing evening. Matt and Charlotte were staying for dinner, wanting to celebrate their milestone of a day with them. She sank into one of the comfortable chairs and smiled as she saw Emma crashed out on the sofa, her head on a pillow and her feet on Harry’s lap. “I see Emma was exhausted too. All we did was smile and stand there for the most part.”

“Don’t knock that,” Charlotte said from the couch opposite of Harry and Emma. “You basically had to be ‘on’ for hours. That’s hard. And tiring.”

Matt chuckled next to her. “You’re ‘on’ all the time,” he shook his head. “Yet you’re never exhausted. Even pregnant.”

“Because I’m a freak of nature,” Charlotte grinned up at her husband.

“That’s true,” Harry smiled. “No one would ever accuse you of being normal.”

“Listen, Wales…” Charlotte narrowed her eyes. She opened her mouth to snark right back at him, but her phone buzzed where it sat on the coffee table and rolled her eyes as she reached to answer it, hating that it pulled her from dressing down Harry. “Charlotte Emerson,” she said into the phone, snapping right into business mode.

“She’ll have forgotten what she was going to say when she gets off the phone,” Harry teased, earning a glare from Charlotte and making Matt and Alex laugh.

“Okay, thank you. I’ll check and call you right back,” Charlotte said as she pulled the phone from her ear. “That was the press office,” she informed Harry. “The Daily Mail called to get a comment on the talk that you’re upset with Will and Kate for making the announcement today and ‘stealing your thunder.’”

“Stealing your thunder?” Alex couldn’t help but laugh as she turned to Harry. “Do people really think that?”

“Yes,” Harry rolled his eyes and turned his gaze back to Charlotte. “You can tell the Daily Mail that I think that’s the most ridiculous fucking thing I’ve ever heard.”

Charlotte smirked and then nodded as picked up her phone to dial. “Right. So no comment?”

Harry sighed. “Of course. No comment.”

“I can’t believe people would think you would be mad about that,” Matt said with a shake of his head.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. “People love to create rivalry. I don’t know why, but they do. It’s irritating but you know…everyone who matters knows it’s crap.”

“Remember when that story came out that suggested Charlotte was jealous of me and trying to get you to dump me so she could have you for herself?” Alex giggled.

Harry’s head tipped back against the couch with his laughter as he remembered the ridiculous story that had run towards the beginning of their relationship. “And then when it kind of became public knowledge that she was seeing Matt, they tried to say that you had gotten your brother to distract her so she’d stop trying to sabotage us?”

“People are crazy,” Charlotte joined in as she hung up the phone with the press office. “But just so you know Alex, if that was your intention…well played.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed and then covered her mouth when Emma stirred on the couch from the noise. “Sorry,” she whispered when Emma’s eyes slid open to her, slightly glaring from being woken up. It only lasted for a moment though, and soon her daughter’s eyes were sliding back closed.

“What do you say we let her sleep and move into the kitchen?” Alex suggested quietly. “Charlotte can help me whip up something for dinner.”

Charlotte snorted. “It’s like you don’t know me at all.”

Laughter moved through them again as the four of them stood, leaving Emma to sleep and moving into the kitchen, eager to continue to relaxed, easy conversation they all had together.

It was absolutely the best way to end their amazing day.


	90. Chapter Ninety

“Goodness Alexandra, you’ve got quite a summer planned here.”

Alex glanced up from the tea kettle she was putting on the stove, her lips tugging up into a smile when she saw Molly’s eyes scanning the large calendar laid out on the kitchen table. She hadn’t seen her mother-in-law very much since they had gotten back from the honeymoon, but today that was being corrected. Her entire afternoon was free and she had jumped at the chance to spend some time with one of her favorite people in the world.

“Yeah,” she answered. “Summers are always busy for the family. I’m kind of jumping right into the craziest few months of the year.

“Royal Ascot…Trooping the Colour…oh! Another carriage ride?” Molly turned to her with wide eyes and an bright smile.

Alex laughed lightly. “Yes, another carriage ride and another balcony appearance. Emma is beyond excited.”

“I imagine she is,” Molly chuckled as her eyes moved back to the calendar. “Harry’s got quite a few polo matches too.”

“He does,” Alex smiled wide. “His first is actually on Father’s Day. And I’ll be presenting the prizes to the winners at that match.”

“Really?” Molly lifted her eyebrows with the question and when Alex nodded in the affirmative she couldn’t help but shake her head with a soft laugh. “You know, sometimes I still can’t believe the same shy, sweet nineteen year old that my son married all those years ago is the very same woman who has very often been the focus of the entire world recently.”

A soft smile tilted Alex’s lips. “Me either. To be fair, quite a bit happened between then and now. I’m fairly certain that nineteen year old girl couldn’t have handled being the focus of the entire world.”

“Oh, I think you could have,” Molly shrugged.

“It’s because of John, you know…” Alex said softly, her eyes turning to the side to meet Molly’s.

“That you’re with Harry?”

“No,” Alex shook her head. “I mean, I wouldn’t be with Harry if John had lived, of course. But…I made it through his death, through carrying our daughter and giving birth to her and being a single mom at twenty. Because of him, because I was able to make it through losing him; through losing someone I loved so much…” She took a deep breath and her smile pulled wide, as it did when she thought of John most times. “When I started seeing Harry, when I fell in love so quickly with him, I wasn’t going to let any of the ridiculous press speculation or paparazzi or any of that take it from me. I’d lost love once, and to give it up a second time over something so…” She shrugged and smiled at Molly, not being able to find the right words, but knowing Molly would understand what she was saying.

“Both men you’ve loved have been very lucky to have you, my dear,” Molly said, her motherly affection and pride for Alex evident in her voice.

The kettle began to whistle out into the room, breaking the heavy moment. Alex took a deep breath and moved to lift it from the stove as Molly let her eyes wander back to the calendar in front of her.

“I see Emma has a riding competition next month,” Molly said, changing the subject and moving on to a lighter, easier topic of conversation.

“She does,” Alex confirmed. She moved to the breakfast bar with the tea tray and motioned for Molly to sit before she joined her. “My parents will have moved here by then. I’m sure they’ll want to go. Would you like to join us?”

Molly smiled, wide and warm. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

**********

Harry’s eyes slid to the side as he caught Alex walk into the bathroom in his peripheral vision. His lips curled up slightly as he watched her lean against the counter, watching him as he ran his razor slowly over his jaw. She was clad in shorts and one of his button downs and her hair – still wet from her earlier shower – was pulled up on top of her head.

“Whatcha doin’, love?”

“I just sent Emma off to Louise’s. Now I’m just waiting for Anna to get here to get me done up for today,” she answered, moving to sit on the counter as she continued to watch him. They were due to make their appearance at the Royal Ascot later that morning – their first event that kicked off a very busy month of June for them. Harry’s grandparents would be attending, of course, as well as Edward and Sophie and his Uncle Andrew.

“Who came to get Emma? Edward?” Harry asked. His gaze moved to her for a moment while he ran his razor under the faucet.

“Louise and James’ nanny,” she replied. “Louise was with her. She’s so sweet. I’m glad her and Emma get along so well.”

“Me too,” Harry nodded as he pulled the razor back to his face.

Silence fell in the room for a few moments as he methodically shaved and Alex watched. Her lip tugged between her teeth for a moment and he could almost hear the wheels turning in her head, knowing that something was on her mind. But he was quiet, letting her work it over until she was ready to let him in on what was going on in her head.

“Harry?” she finally spoke, breaking the silence in a soft voice.

“Yes, love?”

“We’re not expected to hire a nanny for Emma, are we?”

Harry turned from his reflection in the mirror, finding Alex’s wide blue eyes with his. He chuckled as he set his razor on the counter and turned his attention to her for the time being. “Why do you ask, Alexandra?”

She shrugged. “Louise and James have one. Henry has one. I just didn’t know if that is something that’s standard for royal children, if it’s expected that Emma should have one.”

He couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped from his lips. “Alex, nannies aren’t royal accessories…”

“Don’t make fun of me!” she interrupted with a laugh, reaching out to smack his arm.

“I’m not!” He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling it into his.  She narrowed her eyes at him and he laughed, shrugging his shoulders. “Okay. Okay. I’m sorry.”

“Be honest, Harry,” she continued, though her lips were smiling. “Don't get me wrong, I don't want to go out and hire a nanny, but I'm curious to know what’s expected, what's traditional.”

“Nothing, Alex. Nothing is expected. Emma is eight years old and for all intents and purposes Molly fills the role that a nanny fills at that age.”

“You mean somewhat of a babysitter?”

“Yes and no,” he answered. He took a deep breath before he continued. “I would never call a nanny a babysitter, just like I would never call Molly a babysitter. She’s a caretaker when we’re working, when we can’t be there to make sure the necessities are taken care of – homework and meals and that kind of thing. There is no need to bring in a nanny now, not when Emma is set in her routines and how she likes things. Unless Molly doesn’t want to watch Emma anymore…”

“Please,” Alex laughed. “She’d kill me if I tried to push her aside for a nanny.”

“Exactly,” he grinned.

“What about when we have more children?” Alex continued, her head tilting to the side slightly with the question.

His eyebrows lifted and he stepped closer to her, forgetting that his face was still half covered in shaving cream. “I think that while Emma is old enough to do things like travel on tour with us without a nanny, when we have small children…”

“They’ll need someone that can travel with us, someone whose job it is to do so,” she finished for him, smiling at how he didn’t tell her how it should be, but still voiced his thoughts and opened it up for discussion.

“Most likely,” he shrugged. “But we don’t have to make decisions on that right now,” he continued. His hands moved to her bare thighs and hers rose to his bare chest as he stepped a bit closer. “Unless you want to go ahead and make a reason to make those decisions now…”

Alex’s eyes flashed wide and a giggle left her lips as he wagged his eyebrows at her, his grin turning a bit smug.

“Oh, is that funny, Alexandra?” he murmured, his lips curving up even higher at the sides.

“It is when you say it with half of your face covered in shaving cream.” She reached up and swiped her finger along his cheek, lifting it to show him the white foam she’d scooped up. He grinned wide and then leaned in without warning, pressing his lips to hers, making her squeal with laughter as he nuzzled his face against hers, spreading the shaving cream from his face to all over hers.

“Harry!” she giggled as his arms moved around her, pulling her closer. Her arms twisted around his neck and just as she was prepared to relax into his arms, to give in to the path the lips now pressing against the skin under her ear would eventually take them, the doorbell rang out into the house. She sighed just as Harry groaned lightly and then chuckled against her neck.

“I suppose that would be Anna,” he murmured as he pulled back, a sight to see with shaving cream haphazardly covering his face and neck. Alex bit back a giggle, knowing she probably looked just as silly.

“It would be,” she nodded as he turned and reached for a hand towel. He quickly wiped the shaving cream from her face for her and then gave her a cheeky grin and a wink as he lifted her from the counter.

“Go get ready, love,” he murmured as he toweled off his on face and then bent to kiss her quickly.  “I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done.”

She smiled and then stretched up on her toes to kiss him once more. “Mmmm…promise?”

He grinned. “With my top hat on.”

***********

Their outing to the Royal Ascot went wonderfully. Alex was a little surprised to find that it was an absolutele blast watching the races with Harry’s family. They were lively and competitive and funny and she was delighted to join them in their revelry.

The two weeks after the Royal Ascot that led into one of the biggest events of the year for the British Royal Family – Trooping the Colour – were incredibly busy. Due to Harry’s new job in London, helping to plan out ceremonial events, he was up at the crack of dawn and crawling into bed at midnight, though Alex could tell he was happy and enjoying his work. But not once in those two weeks did let work come in the way of eating dinner with his wife and daughter and tucking Emma in at night. He made time for them amid his impending deadlines and Alex loved him even more.

Alex had been increasingly busy herself. She had begun taking meetings for potential patronages as well as meeting with Cathy Ferrier, the Chief Executive of Sentebale, to discuss and plan out a direct role alongside Harry as she joined him in supporting the cause so close to his heart. She had jumped right in, getting her feet wet by volunteering to help plan and organize the Summer Sentebale party which would be taking place in late July.

Though the day of Trooping the Colour dawned grey and overcast, it couldn’t damper Alex’s happiness to be attending such an amazing, important event with her husband and daughter. She simply loved the pageantry and the traditions of the event. She had watched it on TV most of the years she’d lived in London, and had even stood on the Mall with John the first year she had lived there, in awe of it all as it went by.

By the time they’d made it out of their house at Kensington Palace, Harry looking handsome in his uniform and Alex and Emma dressed in new dresses and light coats to match, and slid into the car that would take them to Buckhouse, the light drizzling rain of the early morning had stopped, making way for just the tiniest bit of sunshine that would hopefully hold for the duration of the ceremony.

And it did, holding off throughout the procession down the Mall and through the balcony appearance. Though they had been in a similar position only a month before for their wedding, it was still exciting and a bit surreal to climb into the carriage and settle in, waiting to pull into the processional behind carriages carrying the other members of Harry’s family. Most everyone was there, with the exception of Kate, who was unfortunately still suffering from HG, and Harry’s grandfather who had a bit of a cold and was staying home at his doctor’s suggestion just in case it rained and became chilly.

They smiled and waved at the people who had lined the processional route down the Mall, Harry and Alex seated on one side of the carriage and Emma on the other. Alex loved that Emma wasn’t shy, that she understood and took their new roles seriously. And she loved how Harry pointed out certain things along the route, talking and keeping them entertained and in that way he had, making sure that even through the waving and the smiling, they looked at ease and comfortable and frankly, like old pros.

A flutter of nerves went through Alex just before they stepped out onto the balcony, remembering the massive crowds that had been out on the Mall just a month before. But when she stepped out she instantly relaxed. The crowds, though huge, weren’t as heavy nor as intense. The focus wasn’t directly on them, though she was more than aware of the sheer number of photos and videos that were certainly being shot from the second they stepped out of the doors.

But the best part of it all – as she had known it would be and was so much looking forward to – was the ceremony outside of Buckingham Palace. She giggled as Harry made some joke about William and his giant black hat as he participated in the ceremony down below. She smiled wide while Harry bent down and explained different parts of it all to Emma, and she listened intently as Harry told her about the planes that moved in formation over them during the flyover.

It was as traditional and beautiful as it always was and Alex felt so grateful and so lucky to watch it from where she stood.

But more than anything, she felt the most enormous sense of pride in being part of it all.

***********

The next event on their calendar wasn’t really an event at all. But in terms of importance, but for Harry it downright trumped anything else that had happened that summer.

One week after their appearance at Trooping the Colour came Father’s Day. It was Harry’s first as Emma’s father and it was Emma’s first where she had someone to make presents for, where there was someone who would be there to open them and express their excitement and moon over the thought and effort she’d put into them.

The truth was that for the Sussex household, Father’s Day that year was almost better than Christmas.

Though Harry had a polo match that day, Emma – with the help of Alex – had planned out a day full of surprises for Harry, starting with a surprise pancake breakfast.

Alex and Emma rose early to get to work in the kitchen. They made a giant stack of pancakes and set up the breakfast bar with every kind of topping that anyone could possibly want on their pancakes. Once they were done, Emma headed upstairs with a giant smile on her face and excitement that she could barely contain to wake up her dad.

She pushed open the door to the room and giggled when she saw Harry, sleeping on his back with his arms flung over his head. She stepped quietly into the room and then with another giggle she ran straight for the bed and jumped on it, startling Harry and sending his eyes flying open.

“What in the…”

“Happy Father’s Day!” Emma sang out, throwing her arms in the air as she did. Her face was happy and bright and Harry immediately just melted, his entire body warming with the emotion of hearing that phrase for the first time.

“Emma,” he laughed as he sat up and pulled her into a tight hug. “Aw, thank you so much, sweet girl.”

“You can’t thank me before I’ve even showed you your surprise or given you your present,” Emma giggled, rolling her eyes slightly.

“I absolutely can.” He bent to kiss her little nose before he pulled back and grinned down at her. “But if you’re telling me there is a surprise and a present, then I have to tell you that I’m dying to know what they are.”

“Okay!” Emma said, clapping her hands in excitement. “Everything is downstairs. Come on, let’s go.”

“Is your mother downstairs too?” Harry asked as he moved from the bed and reached for his robe, pulling it on over his t-shirt and sweatpants.

“Of cooouuuurse,” Emma drawled as she reached out to grab his hand. “Come on, let’s go before it all going gets cold!”

Harry chuckled and let her lead him from the room and quickly down the stairs towards the kitchen. He was more than amused at her excitement and was dying to know for himself what in the world his girls had gotten up to.

“I got him up!” Emma called out to Alex as they pushed through the kitchen door and everything came into view.

“You did!” Alex grinned wide, watching as Harry took in the spread before him. “Happy Father’s Day, Harry.”

“Wow,” he laughed softly, blown away by how much effort they’d put into everything. “This is amazing, ladies.” He stepped further in, moving first to Alex to kiss her good morning. “I’m stunned.”

“And hungry, I hope?” Alex said with a soft smile, her eyes shining up at him. She knew just how much all of this meant to him, how he was probably just swimming in emotion. She loved that about him.

“Very hungry,” he nodded quickly.

“You go first, Daddy,” Emma directed, holding out a plate for him. “It’s your special day.”

“Well, thank you Emma.” He took the plate from her and then kissed the top of her head. “Though it’s a special day for all of us, really.”

**********

After breakfast, after they had all stuffed themselves silly and frankly, all had a bit of a sugar rush from the various toppings they had put on their pancakes, Emma decided that she couldn’t wait a second longer to give Harry his present. She went and pulled it off of the counter and went right back over to where he sat at the table, holding it out to him with an excited, impatient grin on her face.

“What’s this?” he asked, his eyes lighting up as he took the wrapped box carefully in his hands.

“A present, duh,” Emma giggled. She moved back to her seat and plopped down, waiting eagerly for him to open it.

“I can see that,” Harry chuckled. His eyes slid to Alex and he took in the look on her face, how her eyes were soft and she bit her lip in anticipation, waiting for him to open it. “I take it that you know what this is?” he asked her teasingly.

“A present, duhhhh,” she answered with a smirk, bringing a shout of laughter from him.

“Fair enough,” Harry nodded. His eyes moved back down to the present and his fingers carefully pulled at the paper, tearing it away to reveal a slim, plain white box. He lifted the top from the box and pushed the folded tissue paper inside of it aside. “Emma…” His lips spread into a slow smile as he lifted the item from the box, his eyes still taking it in. “This is…”

“It’s a tie,” Emma said, matter of fact. She moved from her chair and over to him, wanting more than anything to explain it to him.

“I can see that,” he grinned and looked up to her. “Did you make this?”

“I did,” she nodded proudly. “Well, sort of,” she giggled. “I know you love animal ties so I drew all of the animals that Mummy and I could possibly think of. I made them all small and neat so they would all fit and look good. Then I signed it here,” she pointed to her signature on the tie. “And then Mummy took it and had my drawing made into a tie for you.”

“That’s amazing!” Harry said, genuinely thrilled with the thought they’d put into it. And it looked really good too. The tie maker had taken Emma’s drawings and put it with a fabric and a pattern around the small animals that really tied it all together. “Thank you. I love it so much.”

“Really?” Emma’s eyebrows lifted hopefully. “You don’t have to wear it if you…”

“Of course I’ll wear it,” Harry interrupted. He reached for her and pulled her into a tight hug. “I would be honored to wear it. Thank you so much, Emma.”

She grinned as she hugged her arms tightly around his neck. “You’re welcome, Daddy. I love you. Happy Father’s Day.”

***********

After breakfast and after Emma had given Harry her amazing present, they’d spent a bit more time wrapped up in their warm family moment before having to start getting ready for the day; for Harry’s polo match that afternoon.

The day was absolutely beautiful. The air was warm and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky as Harry drove them out of London and into the country towards the Beaufort Polo Club. He relished opportunities like that; driving easily along the roads with Alex right next to him and Emma in the backseat with Gus next to her, his head hanging out of the half-open window, tongue hanging out and ears flapping in the wind. It felt normal and relaxed and these were the types of moments that he absolutely cherished.

“I love it when you smile like that,” Alex said, drawing his attention to her for a moment. His smile widened before he turned his attention back to the road.

“Smile like what?”

“Like you’re so content.” Her voice was soft and sweet. “With everything.”

“Well then, you must see this smile a lot, my love.”

Alex grinned. “Quite a bit lately, actually.”

Harry turned and winked at her before reaching for her hand and pulling it to his lips. He kissed her fingers softly before entwining them with his and moving them to rest on his leg. “Thank you for coming out today, for taking part in all of this. I know you had a busy week, but it means a lot to me that you and Emma will be there…especially today.”

“We wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Alex said with a wide smile and a shrug. “Especially today. Right Emma?”

“Right!” Emma immediately answered from the backseat.

Harry chuckled as he glanced at her in the rearview mirror, her little blonde head bent over the book she was reading. “You don’t even know what you’re agreeing too, Em.”

Emma lifted her head to look up to the front seat and she shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Mummy is always right so I agreed.”

Alex laughed and turned a smug smile in Harry’s direction, whose shoulders were shaking with laughter as he turned a corner and the polo fields came into view.

************

The polo match was quick and fast paced and just as he’d assured her so smugly before it all began, his team had won easily. No doubt boosted by Harry’s high spirits and his desire to be on the team that Alex would be presenting the prizes too at the end of the match.

Alex couldn’t help the way her cheeks flushed when the announcer called her name to come up to do just that - present the prizes to the members of the winning team, including her husband. Her lips curled up in a smile as she made her way to stand by the podium. Her eyes caught Harry’s as she went and her cheeks pinkened more at his gaze, at the smug, smirk of a smile he flashed at her.

She reached out to shake the announcer’s hand when she stepped up to him, her smile turning wide and friendly as he handed her the first trophy. He called out the player’s name and he strode over, grinning as he accepted the trophy from her and then kissing her cheeks.

“Watch it!” Harry jokingly called out to his teammate, bringing a loud laugh from the crowd and his wife. The next player was called out, followed by a smiling William and Alex handed them their prizes as they came up and kissed their cheeks, just as she had the first. Harry was last in line and Alex’s eyes danced when the announcer pulled the microphone to his lips to call up Harry.

“As much as our final team member, the Duke of Sussex, would probably love to be presented his prize by his lovely new bride, there is another lady in his life who would like to do the honor today.”

“Uh oh!” Harry called out as he pulled at his collar with a joking look of nervousness, pulling a rumble of laughter from the crowd.  Alex laughed as well and shook her head before sending a playful wink in Harry’s direction.

“As it is Father’s Day,” the announcer continued. “Princess Emma would like to come present the Duke with his prize.”

Harry’s face lit up as a murmur of delight went through the watching crowd. Alex waved at Emma to come up and she did so instantly, walking swiftly with a wide grin on her face. She shook the announcer’s hand just as Alex had done and then took the trophy as the announcer called for Harry to come collect his prize. He strode over, his smile so wide that Alex had to suppress a giggle at the thought that his face might split in two.

“Here you go, Daddy,” Emma smiled wide and proud up at him as she handed him the trophy. “Congratulations!”

“Thank you, Emma Rose.” The pride was evident in his voice as he took the trophy from her. He knelt down to her level, pressed a kiss to each of her cheeks, and chuckled when she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight.

Alex watched, her smile bright and her eyes full of love as her daughter and husband hugged and then spoke a few words to each other, both of them laughing as they pulled apart and Harry stood back up again. Holding tight to Emma’s hand, he made his way over to Alex, his smile widening just before he leaned in to kiss her cheeks.

“You two are conspiring to take me down today, aren’t you?”

“Of course,” she winked up at him, trying not to let herself get affected by how he looked right then – slightly sweaty with his wide, happy smile and flushed cheeks. “Though I think you and Emma took down the entire crowd just then.”

“Fair enough,” he chuckled with a shake of his head. “Alright ladies, we’ve got some pictures to pose for with the team and then we can head out to Highgrove. Father is already there waiting on us, I’m sure.”

**************

“I hear you’ve chosen most of your first patronages, Alexandra.”

Alex turned a warm smile to her father-in-law as they walked the grounds from the treehouse back to the main house. They had helped Emma surprise Harry with an arsenal of Nerf Guns and Super Soakers in the treehouse, to replace all of the old toy guns that he and Emma had played with up in the treehouse two summers before. With her husband and daughter caught up in playing soldiers with all of their new toys, she chose to walk back to the house with Charles and let them have some alone time for a bit.  

“I have,” she answered as she pulled her cardigan tighter around her against the cool breeze of the late afternoon.

“And?” Charles chuckled. “May I ask what you’ve chosen?”

“I’m fairly certain you already know,” Alex laughed, turned a glance at him. “I’m thinking that maybe you have an opinion or suggestion for me?”

Charles’ warm laugh rumbled through him, his eyes crinkling up at the sides, much like Harry’s did when he laughed like that. “Straight to the point, much like my son. Very well then, I am familiar with your choices so far. You’re joining Sentebale with Harry, of course. And then your former organization, Healing Families Through Friends, which is wonderful.”

“It’s too close to my heart not to continue to lend my support,” Alex murmured with a soft smile.

“Of course, of course,” Charles nodded. “And then you’ve chose The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. I have to admit, that one surprised me, though pleasantly so. No royal has ever been patron of the RSPCA before.”

Alex’s smile pulled wide. “I know it’s not a traditional choice, that it deals with animals and not people…but it’s something I believe that people need to get more heavily involved in. There are far too many animals that are being mistreated and going unloved out there. There are too many animals in shelters that need good homes. There are too many animals that get put down because there is no more room in those shelters.”

“I think it’s a wonderful cause, Alexandra. And I understand that Gus came from a shelter?”

“He certainly did.”

“That’s good. Being patron of the RSPCA and having a dog from a breeder would raise some eyebrows certainly.”

“Certainly,” Alex chuckled, bringing a shake of the head and a laugh from Charles.

“I realize you still have a couple more patronages to choose, but if it’s alright I thought I might bring one up for your consideration. Would you mind?”

“No at all,” Alex answered, her voice lifting with her curiosity.

“Camilla is involved with several literacy programs for young people, one of which is called Book Trust.” Charles stopped walking for a moment and Alex halted with him, turning to look at him as he spoke to her. “I know how you’ve instilled your love of reading in Emma, how important it was to you that she developed a love of reading herself. Book Trust aims to do that for young people and it seems like something you’d really love to get involved in.”

A bright smile lit up Alex’s face and her eyes went wide. “Wow. Charles, I’m so touched that you would suggest Book Trust to me. What about Camilla? She’s on board with this suggestion?”

“Oh yes,” Charles smiled and laughed. “She wanted to ask you herself but she couldn’t be here this weekend, so she asked me to do so for her. She would love to work with you on things for Book Trust.”

“I would love that,” Alex exclaimed with a quick nod of her head. “Can you have her send over some information on Book trust for me? Maybe let me know who our office needs to contact to set up a meeting?”

“Absolutely,” Charles nodded. “And you’re sure you don’t mind at all? It’s just a suggestion and there is no pressure to feel like you have to choose it or even consider it.”

“No no, I don’t mind,” she assured him. “Not at all. I’m thrilled that you and Camilla thought of me.”

“Good, good,” he smiled warmly as he turned towards the house against and Alex followed suit. “Now tell me, Alexandra, who do you think is going to win that game of play soldiers going on in that treehouse right now? My money is on Emma.”

Alex’s peal of laughter rang through the gardens as she nodded her head in agreement. “I think you’re right, Charles. He never had a chance against her.”

************

It was much later that night when things finally wound down. After dinner and a rowdy game of Go Fish in the Library, Emma had finally crashed, barely keeping her eyes open long enough to change into her pajamas and crawl into bed. Charles had bid them a good night and Alex and Harry had retired to their room, both tired but happy as they moved about and dressed for bed.

Alex had just pulled back the sheets on her side and climbed into the bed, more than ready to move in next to her warm, handsome husband and give him her own special brand of Father’s Day present, when her phone rang out from her bedside table.

“Who could possibly be calling me now?” she groaned as she reached for it to look at the caller ID.

“Tell them to bugger off. Or better off, don’t answer,” Harry grumbled as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, his lips pressing against the back of her neck.

“It’s Matt…” she said softly, her eyes flashing wide as she ignored Harry’s instructions and slid her finger across the screen before pulling it to her ear. “Hello?”

Harry sighed but kept his arms around her as she listened and then turned to him with wide, excited eyes.

“Okay Matt, be safe,” she said softly, a soft smile moving across her face. “We’ll see you soon. Keep me updated until then.” She hung up the phone and then turned towards Harry, her eyes filling with tears.

Harry grinned, immediately knowing what was going on and no longer caring about the interruption. “Well love, what did Matt have to say?”

“Sorry baby, but we’ve got to go back to London.” She grabbed his face between two hands and pressed a firm kiss on his lips. “Charlotte’s in labor.”


	91. Chapter Ninety One

“Knock, knock…” Alex peeked around the door with a smile before she pushed it open into Matt and Charlotte’s hospital room, Harry following hot on her heels. Her smile pulled even wide when she saw them both. Charlotte was sitting on the edge of the bed, her hand firmly clasped in Matt’s, who had almost certainly been coaching her through every single contraction. “Hi, Mummy and Daddy.”

“Well, we will be if he ever decides to come out,” Charlotte joked, smiling at their two new visitors.

“You’ve only been in labor for a few hours,” Matt chuckled. He squeezed her hands and leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead before turning to greet his sister and Harry.

“Impatient as always,” Harry teased, earning a glare from Charlotte. “I’m sorry, love,” he apologized as he stepped over to kiss her cheeks. “Not the time, I know.”

“Not if you want to live to see your nephew,” she replied with narrowed eyes, bringing a laugh from the others around her.

“How are you feeling?” Alex asked softly as she stepped over to kiss Charlotte’s cheeks. Her hands moved gently to her friend’s belly and she couldn’t help the emotion that bubbled up within her. “Are the contractions bad?”

“Well, they’re not a walk in the park,” Charlotte shrugged. “But they’re still manageable.”

“Are you still thinking you’re not going to do the epidural?” Alex asked.

“I’m going to hold out as long as I can,” Charlotte nodded, determination flashing in her eyes.

“Brave woman,” Alex grinned.

“Very brave,” Matt echoed. His entire face was full of love and pride and Charlotte couldn’t help but smile up at him, loving him for being so supportive.

“Jesus,” Alex sniffed. “You two are going to make me cry.”

Harry chuckled as he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. “Darling, you cry at everything.”

“I know,” Alex sighed, bringing laughter from everyone before she turned to Matt. “Have you called Mom and Dad?”

“Yep,” he nodded. “They were hoping the baby would wait till they moved here, but it’s only two weeks, so they’ll see him then.”

“Mom’s probably dying having to wait that long,” Alex giggled. “You can Skype them after he’s here.”

“Of course,” Matt chuckled. “Where’s Emma?”

“She stayed at Highgrove with my father and Camilla,” Harry offered. “We didn’t want to drag her from bed at ten at night. They’ll bring her back into the city with them tomorrow and she can come meet her baby cousin.”

“That sounds – oh!” Charlotte gasped. One hand flew to her belly and the other reached for Matt, her fingers wrapping tightly around his as a contraction began to move through her.

Alex’s eyes widened and she looked up at Harry who squeezed her shoulder and smiled down at her. “Let’s let them concentrate on having a baby, what do you say?”

“Of course,” she smiled back. She reached out and rubbed Matt’s shoulder, offering a wave and nodding towards the door to let him know they were going to let them have their privacy. Matt nodded and mouthed a quick ‘thank you’ before turning back to his wife, all of his attention moving to doing everything he could to help her as she worked to bring their son into the world.

***************

Alex’s eyes slid to the side and she couldn’t help but smile as she took in her husband. He was sitting in the chair next to her in the small, private waiting room that had been set aside for them. His phone was out his hands and his eyes were cast downward, but his fingers hadn’t moved over the screen in several minutes. She knew without having to look that he had that look in his eyes, that hazy, lost in thought look.

She leaned over and bumped his shoulder with hers. “Care to share?”

He blinked and then his gaze swung up to meet hers. “Share?”

“Mhmmm,” she nodded. “You know…tell me about whatever you’re over there daydreaming about?”

“Ah,” he chuckled. He shifted to stuff his phone back in his pocket and then turned to face her. “I was thinking over the day when it might be us in there doing that. Having a baby.”

She smiled smugly. “I knew it.”

“Ha!” Harry’s head tipped back with his laughter. “Of course you did, love.”

She laughed and then leaned in a bit closer, her voice dropping a bit lower. “I was thinking of that too.”

Harry’s eyes flashed wide and he swore his heart skipped a beat in his chest. “Yeah?”

“I love it when you get that look on your face,” she giggled.

“What look?”

“Like you want to go make babies right now.”

He grinned wide and leaned in even closer. “I do want to go make babies right now,” he whispered.

Alex held his gaze and everything in her body wanted the exact same thing – to throw caution to the wind and start working on adding to their family right that very moment. And just as she was about to ask him to remind her why they decide to wait a year, there was a knock at the door and their attention shifted; moving to the baby they wanted to meet rather than the one they wanted to make.

“Come in,” Harry called out, winking at Alex as he moved back from her and they both stood. Patrick, Alex’s PO, opened the door and Charlotte’s doctor came in quickly.

“You have news for us?” Alex asked with a wide smile.

“Ma’am,” the doctor nodded and something about the way he kept his voice low and the way his eyes flashed with urgency made Alex’s smile fall and made her hair stand on end.

“Is everything…”

“There’s been a complication,” the doctor rushed ahead, calm but with urgency in his voice. “The baby is fine – he’s out and healthy but Charlotte began to bleed heavily.”

“Oh God,” Harry groaned as Alex gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

“I worked on her in the delivery room but I couldn’t stop the bleeding fully. I had the surgeon called in and she was taken into emergency surgery,” he continued, sympathy evident in his voice

“Is she going to be okay?” Alex whispered, her eyes widening and tears surging with the news.

“I’m confident that Dr. Martin can stop the bleeding,” the doctor said firmly. “He is one of the best and he’s in there right now working on her. I’m going to go up there and check on her progress. Best case scenario – he can stop it quickly and she should be out in under an hour. But until then, Matt is…”

“Oh my God…Matt,” she gasped. “My brother…”

“He’s with his son in a recovery room,” the doctor said. “Like I said, the baby is healthy. We got him out and cleaned off and gave him the baby when we pulled them from the room to work on Charlotte. But he’s frightened and nervous and we don’t really want to leave him alone with the baby in the state. He asked us to come get you,” he said to Alex, who immediately nodded and looked to Harry with wide eyes.

“Go, go,” Harry said instantly, nodding his agreement that she should go.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I’m sorry to leave you alone. I know you…”

“Go,” he repeated, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “They’ll give me updates. Go take care of your brother.”

“Okay,” she whispered again. She moved forward into him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He hugged her close and kissed the top of her head before she pulled back and wiped her eyes. And then with one last look at him she nodded to the doctor and stepped out of the room with him. The door shut behind them with a whoosh and click and he was left inside the room alone.

And the silence was deafening.

He understood that Alex had to go. She was the only person on the entire continent that could help her brother right then; that could give him the type of support he needed to get through the next hour of his life. And he knew that in no way was the twisting in his gut and the emotions swirling inside of him as bad as what Matt must be feeling. It wasn’t even a fraction of what Matt was going through he was sure. But Charlotte was one of his best friends – his oldest friend – and she was in emergency surgery. She’d just had a baby and instead of experiencing the wonder and amazement of her son’s first moments, she was unconscious and her life was in danger.

“Fuck,” he choked out, blinking as tears surged in his eyes. He ran his hands through his hair and turned towards the window in the room. His eyes moved over the city in front of him, now bathed in early morning light. Rush hour was in full force and people were rushing about, going about their normal lives and Harry fought to find a way to channel that, to find some sense of normality that would stop his brain from spiraling out. He knew he needed that, but he couldn’t turn to Alex for that right that moment and he was struggling.

And then it occurred to him that there was one other person who could do that for him without even trying. He pulled his phone from his pocket and slid his finger across the screen to unlock it. He quickly scrolled through is phone book and then dialed the number. He pulled the phone to his ear and bit at his lip, his nerves getting to him while the phone rang on the other end. And then finally, the ringing stopped and the familiar voice came on the line.

“Dad?” Harry cleared his throat, trying to make his voice as steady as possible. “Yes, we’re still at the hospital,” he said in response to his father’s question. “Hey listen, is Emma right there with you? Alex had to step out of the room for a few minutes and I thought I might take the time to say good morning to our daughter.” He took a deep breath and listed as his father said that she was there with him and then handed the phone off to her.

“Hi Daddy!”

Harry let out a breath at her adorably happy little voice and his smile pulled wide. “Hi munchkin,” he replied. He blinked back the emotions that had bubbled forth moments before and then moved back over to his chair, feeling more relaxed as he sat. “Whatcha doin?”

“We just had breakfast. Did you know that Grandpa Charles has chickens here and gets the eggs himself? Oh! Is my new cousin here yet? Did you meet him yet? Does he have a name?”

Harry couldn’t help but chuckle, loving her rapid fire questions. “I haven’t met him yet,” he said softly. “But he’s been born. Hopefully soon, kiddo. Maybe by the time you get here he’ll have a name.”

“Oh, I hope so,” Emma said excitedly.

“Me too,” Harry said, nodding his head and swallowing back the lump that formed in his throat. “But tell me more about these chickens, Em.”

And as he sat back in his chair and listen to Emma chatter on, he felt himself calm down a bit, he felt his brain stop spinning. He had been right to call her, to reach out to his daughter for the bit or normality that he needed. Hearing her happy little voice made the wait for news a bit more bearable.

**************

Alex’s fingers twisted nervously in front of her as the doctor led her to the room and pushed open the door. The room was dim, just a soft light over the hospital bed turned on. There was a nurse stationed in the corner, her eyes trained on the other two people in the room; Matt and his newborn son.

“Matt?” Alex called out softly when she saw him, standing and facing the window. He turned and her stomach clenched at the look on his face. She could tell he had been crying and his eyes were wide – more fear and anxiety in them than she’d ever seen and it stunned her. He had a tiny little bundle swaddled in a white blanket in his arms, tucked right up into his chest. She glanced over to the nurse waiting near the door and then back to Matt, and she saw his arms flex around the baby. He was terrified that the nurse was going to take the baby and she knew it.  She knew she had to calm him down or they weren’t going to let that baby stay in the room, much less clutched so tightly to his chest.

“They told you what…that Charlotte…” Matt stammered out. The baby stirred in his arms, letting out a tiny cry and Matt’s eyes swung down, his face twisting up as he moved to bounce his son softly in his arms.

“They did,” Alex murmured, stepping in a bit closer. “Do you want me to take him for a minute? Do you need…”

“No…I can’t let him go, Alex,” he whispered, his gaze swinging back up to meet hers. “Not when I don’t know what happening with my  _wife._ ”

“No one wants to take him from you,” Alex soothed as she stepped up to him. “I was just asking if you needed a minute to take a breath. But if you don’t, then I’m not going to take him. You are the best person for him right now. They’re just worried about you.  _I’m_  worried about you.”

“Alex…” His voice broke and tears slipped from his eyes and Alex’s heart broke for him, for this situation he was suddenly in. “What if she…”

“Hey…” Alex shook her head and blinked back her own emotions. “She has the best working on her right now. And they know what they’re doing and they’ll do everything they can to make sure she’s okay.”

Matt’s face twisted up again and Alex stepped in; her hands moved to his cheeks and pulled his gaze up to hers. “Matthew…listen to me, I know you’re hurting and that you’re scared but you’ve got to calm down just a bit. This baby right here…” One of her hands moved to smooth over the top of her nephew’s head. “He needs to feel how much you love him, how happy you are that he’s here. And he can’t feel any of that if you don’t take a breath and focus on him.”

“I don’t know what to do without…I don’t…” His voice shook and was so low that Alex could barely hear him. “She’s supposed to be here. She’s supposed to be experiencing these moments with me…with  _him_ …”

“I know, Matt,” Alex nodded. Tears fell from her eyes and she pressed her hand to her heart. “I know better than anyone. I know what it’s like to have this brand new baby and not have the person who helped make that baby there to share it with.”

“Alex…”

“But that’s not his fault, Matt. Please don’t let your son’s first moments with you be about worry or sadness or what should be.”

Matt blinked several times and she saw him take a breath, she saw him try the best he could to start to calm himself just a little. “You’re right. I know…I don’t…” He shook his head and took another deep breath and then another, closing his eyes for just a moment as he let the second breath out. His eyes were a touch clearer when they opened back up to hers. “Can you help me? Can you sit with me?”

“Absolutely,” Alex nodded. “I would love to.”

“Okay,” Matt took another breath and nodded. He glanced down at his son once more before he turned and moved to the bed, sitting down on it slowly. Alex moved over and sat down next to him and she couldn’t help but smile a bit as she looked down at her sleeping nephew.

“He’s beautiful, Matthew,” she whispered. “Can you tell me his name or do you want to wait…”

“Cooper,” Matt said a bit hoarsely, his eyes swinging up to meet hers. “Cooper Michael.”

“Oh wow,” she breathed. “Cooper Michael Emerson. Dad’s going to be so happy.”

“I hope so,” he replied softly. “God, Alex. What should I do? What should I say to Cooper? What did you say to Emma?”

Alex smiled and her hand reached out slowly, smoothing over her nephew’s head for a moment before her gaze moved back up to Matt. “Tell him you love him. Tell him how much Charlotte loves him. Tell him about his mother and how much he’s going to love her when she gets to meet him. Tell him about her – all about her. Tell him how much you love her.”

“God, I do love her,” Matt whispered, turning sad eyes to his sister and Alex’s heart just broke for him. “And she already loves him so much. I just…I hope she’s…”

“Me too,” Alex murmured, tears pooling her eyes once more. “I really hope so too.”

_To Be Continued…._


	92. Chapter Ninety Two

Alex sighed as she pulled her phone away from her ear. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, tears pressing from the corners of them as she took deep breath after deep breath, trying to get her emotions under control.

She’d just called her parents back in Texas and told them what was going on – that they were now grandparents to a beautiful new baby, but that Charlotte was in emergency surgery and they didn’t know if she would pull through.

And it had broken her heart once again. Hearing her mother crying and her father’s soft, low voice as he begged her to call him as soon as they knew anything had shattered any hope she had of trying to be strong and keep herself together until they found something out. It had already been close to an hour and she was beginning to struggle; waiting for news had never been easy on her and this was so big, so important, so potentially devastating that she was beginning to feel helpless and scattered.

She took another deep breath, and then another, before she opened her eyes. She sniffed and reached up to wipe her tears from her face with her fingers, finding a lot more than she expected to be there.

“Here you go, ma’am.”

Her eyes shifted and she smiled when she saw Patrick – her P.O. – holding out a tissue to her. “Thank you,” she murmured, taking it from him and using it to dry her eyes. “I think…” she sniffed and took another breath. “I think before I go back in there I’m going to go get Harry and have him wait out here. That way he’s close.”

“Are you sure, ma’am?” Patrick asked as she went to move past him. “You don’t want to miss your sister-in-law’s doctor if he comes in.”

Alex blinked and then her brows furrowed together. “I also don't want my husband to wait alone in that room any longer. I wasn't really asking what you thought I should do, but telling you what I was going to do so that you could do your job and follow me there.”

“Of course,” Patrick nodded instantly. “I apologize. I was just…”

“It’s fine,” Alex waved her hand. “I’d just like to go get my husband.”

She spun on her heel then and strode down the hallway and Patrick’s shoes clicked on the hallway as he trailed her. There was a tiny little part of her that felt a bit bad for being so short with her P.O. She assumed he was only trying to help, but right then she didn’t need his help or advice. She just needed her husband. She needed Harry.

When she reached the door to the private waiting room she nodded and gave a small smile to Mark, Harry’s P.O., before she pushed through the door. He was seated in one of the chairs and his gaze flew to hers and he instantly rose to his feet. She moved into the room and shut the door behind her.

“Oh God, Alex…” He breathed. “Is she?”

“We don’t know yet,” she shook her head. “But Matt is doing a bit better and I called my parents and…” Her eyes bubbled up with tears. “And I’m sorry I left you alone in here…”

“No, no. Don’t apologize darling.” Her reached out and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his embrace. “You needed to be with Matt and his son.”

“Cooper,” Alex sniffed into his chest.

“Cooper?”

“That’s his name – our new nephew. Cooper Michael Emerson.”

“That’s a great name,” Harry whispered, his eyes closing tight against his emotions as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“It is,” Alex nodded. She pulled back and looked up at him. “Do you want to come back and wait with me? It wouldn’t be a private room but…”

“Yes,” Harry said, not caring at all where he waited as long as it was with her. “Yes, I want to come wait with you.”

***********

The minutes seemed to crawl by as they waited. Alex checked on Matt several times, making sure he was doing okay. But otherwise she let him have his time with his son.

And then finally, just as they passed the hour mark since they had been told – and just as Alex was sure she was going to break down from the anxiety of it all – Charlotte’s doctor appeared around the corner.

Alex and Harry both rose to their feet instantly. Harry reached out for her, his hand moving to her shoulder and her hand moved up to cover his, both of them giving each other silent support.

“Dr. Woods,” Alex said softly, her eyes wide and her heart beating fast.

“Sir, ma’am,” he nodded to both of them. And though he did look a bit tired, nothing in his face gave anything away. “Why don’t you step inside with me so that I can talk to all of you at the same time, including Matt?”

“Absolutely,” Alex nodded. She turned to Harry and he nodded, motioning for her to go ahead and then moving in behind her, followed by the doctor.

Matt looked up from where he stood with Cooper by the window and Alex saw the fear and anxiety creep into his eyes, she saw him tense up and bring the bundle in his arms closer to his chest as he turned to look at them.

Dr. Woods took a deep breath and wasted no time in letting them all know the news he came in to give them. “I figured I should bring you all in together to let you know that Charlotte is out of surgery – and will be just fine. We expect her to make a full recovery.”

Alex let out a small cry of relief and Harry exhaled loudly, as if he had just held the longest breath of his life. And then their eyes swung to Matt and Alex couldn’t help but cry as she watched him take it in – the news that his wife and the mother of his child was going to be okay.

He let out a breath and the tension visibly eased from his shoulders – tension that Alex wasn’t quite sure he’d ever experienced until today. He shook his head slowly and then moved just to his left and sank right into the rocking chair that was there, his gaze staying on his son the entire time.

“See, I told you Cooper. Strongest woman I know, your Mommy. Absolutely the strongest woman I know,” he whispered, his voice breaking just a bit with the words. He pressed his lips to his son's head and closed his eyes and they could see the tears press from his eyes as he held just like that for a long moment. And when his eyes opened they moved straight to the doctor, a hint of a smile finally moved across Matt’s face. “Thank Dr. Woods. Thank you so much.”

“Dr. Martin did all the work up there today, but you’re right, Mr. Emerson,” the doctor nodded and gave him a warm smile. “She a very strong woman. I’d say there’s no way she wasn’t going to fight to stay here with you two.”

Matt nodded and looked back down at his son, his smile slipping a little bit higher – the weight of it all pulling from him some more. “Is she awake or…?”

“Not yet,” Dr. Woods smiled. “She’ll be out for a bit longer and probably pretty groggy when she wakes up. And for how serious the condition was, the surgery wasn’t very invasive. Once she wakes up and comes out of the fog, she’ll be able to handle your baby boy there and get to know him with you. They’ll probably bring her in here in the next half an hour or so and she’ll start waking up soon after that.”

“Thank you,” Matt said again, earing another warm smile from Dr. Woods before he took his leave, promising to be back in a bit with Charlotte.

“Oh Matt,” Alex breathed once they were alone in the room again. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around her brother’s neck, pulling a surprised chuckle from him. “I’m so happy for you and Cooper. I’m so happy that she’s going to be okay.”

Keeping one arm cradling his son against him, he hugged her back with the other. “Me too, Boot. Me too.”

Alex sniffed and pulled back to look down at her nephew. “His eyes are open,” she breathed. “He looks like you I think. He’s perfect.”

“Well, of course he is,” Matt said, just a tint of smugness in his voice, bringing a giggle from Alex. “Do you want to hold him?”

Alex’s eyes widened and she pressed a hand to her chest. “Can I?”

“Of course,” Matt said softly. “You  _are_  his Aunt Alex.” He stood and leaned over, passing over Cooper gently to his sister, who couldn’t help the brilliant smile that lit up her face.

“Hello little guy, I’m your Aunt Alex,” she cooed. “Your most favorite Aunt in the whole world.”

“His only Aunt,” Harry chuckled from behind her, bringing her gaze around to him.

“Minor details,” Alex shrugged with a smile before she turned back down to her nephew. “And that guy – the one who thinks he’s so funny – that is your Uncle Harry.” She leaned in closer and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Don’t tell him I said this, but he’s your favorite Uncle too.”

“Well, that goes without saying,” Harry joked.

Alex turned to him again and nodded her head, motioning for him to come over closer. His entire body softened as he moved over next to her. He’d wanted to let Alex have her moment with her brother, but now that she was inviting him in, he wasn’t going to miss it for the world.

“Hey there, Cooper,” Harry murmured, reaching out to run his index finger down the baby’s soft cheek. “He’s beautiful, Matt…” He looked up to Alex’s brother and then stepped over to him, giving him a handshake and a warm hug. “Congratulations, Dad.”

“Thank you,” Matt grinned, hugging his brother-in-law back. He watched with warm eyes as Harry stepped back over to Alex, both of them cooing over his son. “Alex, I think your husband is going to start getting desperate soon if you don’t let him hold Cooper.”

Alex pouted and then laughed when Harry turned puppy dog eyes to her. “Oh alright,” she sighed playfully, gladly turning to pass her new nephew to her husband.

***********

Alex’s eyes were already starting drop when they walked through the door to their home. They had taken their leave from the hospital, wanting to let Matt have alone time with Charlotte and their son when she woke up. It was mid-morning and it had been a long, stressful night and they were both exhausted.

“How long until your father and Camilla are back with Emma?” Alex asked Harry through a big yawn.

“A few hours,” he murmured, following her as she turned to move up the stairs.

“Perfect amount of time for a nap.”

“I think you’re right, love,” he agreed, smiling up at her as she reached the top of the stairs and turned around to him for a moment.

When they moved into their room, Alex went straight for the closet, not even sure if she would stay awake long enough to shed her clothes and pull on her pajamas. She was worn out – physically and mentally – and was looking forward to letting herself recharge for a few hours.

She stepped from the closet, flipping the light off behind her. She lifted her heavy eyes to find Harry and when she did she stopped in her tracks, her heart thudding in her chest at what she saw.

He was sitting on the edge of their bed, his feet on the ground in front of him. His head was hanging forward with his face in his hands and when she saw the shake in his shoulders she wanted to cry.

Because he was crying.

“Harry?” When he didn’t answer she went to him, sliding in on the bed next to him. Her hands moved to him, one rubbing at his back with the other slid to his cheek to bring his face up to her. “Baby…are you okay?”

“No,” he shook his head and tears slipped from his eyes. “I…we almost lost her.”

“Oh honey…” Her eyes welled with tears for him and she rubbed her thumb along his cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

“There are…four women,” Harry choked out, reaching up to wipe at his eyes. “Four women in my life who could never, ever be replaced, who have had such an impact on me…” He stopped, shaking his head and sniffing at his emotions. “I lost one when I was twelve and tonight I almost lost the second. And I know it’s nothing next to what Matt and Cooper would have lost…”

“It’s not nothing,” Alex interrupted, her eyes wide as she shook her head. “She’s your best friend. You’ve known her longer than almost anyone other than your family. She  _is_  family Harry. Not just because she’s married to my brother. She’s your family. It’s not nothing.”

“I just…didn’t want to make any of it about me,” he whispered as he hung his head again. His shoulders began to shake and he began to cry again, finally letting out all of the emotions that he’d been battling for the last twelve hours. And Alex did the only thing that she could – she wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could and she held on to him while he cried.

And when he was finished, when his sobs faded out to sniffles, she kept her arms around him until he pulled back to look up at her. And when he did she couldn’t help the way she automatically pulled his lips up to hers. She didn’t want to let go of the closeness and she needed to give him something good, something soft and sweet after the night they’d had. Even then, she was surprised when he returned her kiss with more passion and fervor than she’d expected, when his hands moved to her and pulled her tight against him.

But she went without hesitation in his arms. Her lips met his over and over again. Their tongues twisted and tangled passionately together. And even though she’d been so exhausted she was ready to fall flat on her face into the bed just minutes before, when her husband pulled her back onto the bed with him, when he began to pull her clothes off with passionate determination, she suddenly found she wasn’t so tired anymore.

They clung to each other as they made love that morning, wrapped up tightly and tangled together as they helped each other heal from the emotional roller coaster they’d been through. Her fingers threaded into his hair and she held his mouth to her as he moved above her, strong and slow and deep. And after it was over, after he pulled her over the edge with him in an intense, body shaking climax, he kept his arms tight around her as he pulled the blankets up around them.

And then, tired and satisfied and feeling a bit more at peace about all that had happened that night, they drifted off to sleep together, wrapped up in each other for a few more hours.

**********

“Oh my gosh, Mummy! I’m so excited to meet my new cousin. Are you  _sure_  you can’t tell me his name?”

“No way,” Alex laughed, completely amused by her daughter. It was later that evening, and after confirming with Matt that Charlotte was awake and feeling up to having visitors, they were on the way back up to the hospital. “You’ll have to wait for Uncle Matt and Aunt Charlotte to tell you.”

“I don’t know if I  _caaaaaaaaaaaaan_ ,” Emma drawled dramatically before turning wide, puppy dog eyes to Harry, who was seated on the other side of her.

“Oh no!” Harry chuckled, shaking his head down at her. “Don’t even try it. I’m not going to tell you.”

Emma sighed but there was no way she could keep the smile from her face or the excitement from her eyes. Ever since she had gotten home in the early afternoon she had talked of little else. Alex and Harry had sat her down and told her about how Charlotte had a problem while having the baby and had to have surgery. They were quick to assure her that she was alright – but that she might be tired so they had to wait until she was ready to have people come see her. As soon as they had been given the okay though, Emma was dragging them out the door within minutes.

They pulled up to the hospital, moving through the back entrance to avoid the paparazzi who’d been tipped off to their presence at the hospital and were waiting with their cameras at the ready. Emma was almost dancing on her feet as they made their way up to the floor that Matt, Charlotte, and Cooper were on, and when they finally reached the room, Alex had to but her lip to keep from giggling at how worked up her daughter was. She tossed a look over Emma’s head at Harry, who just chuckled and shook his head.

“You ready, Emma?” he asked as he reached out for the handle on the door.

“Yeeeeeeeeees,” She groaned in exaggerated impatience. “I’ve been ready  _forever_.”

“Ha! Of course,” Harry laughed and then winked down at her before pushing open the door.

“Aunt Charlotte!” Emma clapped her hands excitedly and went running over. And before anyone could stop her, she was climbing up onto the bed and wrapping her arms right around Charlotte.

“Emma! Honey, she’s just had surgery remember,” Alex called out with a grimace.

“It’s okay,” Charlotte waved a hand, smiling brightly as she hugged Emma back. “She didn’t hurt me at all.”

Harry grinned and moved over with Alex to kiss Charlotte’s cheeks, happier to see her in that moment than either of them could express. And then he turned, noticing the two other visitors in the room with them.

“Mr. Blakely…and Mrs. Blakely,” he said, barely managing to conceal his surprise at seeing both of them in the same room as he stepped over to greet them. He shook Charlotte’s father’s hand and leaned in to kiss Fiona’s cheeks, being careful of the baby she held bundled up in her arms. “It’s lovely to see you both.”

“You as well, Harry,” Fiona smiled, bouncing Cooper in her arms. “We flew back as soon as we could. But thank you for being here.”

“Of course,” Harry nodded with a smile. “You remember my wife, Alexandra?”

As Alex stepped in to greet them, Harry turned, looking to Charlotte and Matt as he pulled a face and mouthed,  _“We?”_ Referring to Mr. and Mrs. Blakely flying back from somewhere  _together_.

Matt chuckled and shrugged his shoulders and Charlotte rolled her eyes, but the topic was pulled on hold as Emma piped up, unable to wait any longer to learn all about her baby cousin.

“Aunt Charlotte, Uncle Matt,” she addressed, bringing their attention to her. “Mummy and Daddy won’t tell me my new cousin’s name. Can you please tell me?” Puh-leeeease?”

Matt chuckled and leaned in to pinch her nose playfully. “Absolutely, Bug. How about I bring him over and you can meet him officially?”

“Oh my gosh. Yes, please,” she nodded, her eyes wide with excitement.

Matt rose from his chair and his smile moved wide and charming as he stepped over to his mother-in-law. “Fiona, I really hate to take him away from you, but you mind if I took him to meet his cousin?”

“Of course not,” Fiona smiled. “Stewart and I should be going anyway. I’ll hand him over as long as I can come back and see him again tomorrow?”

“Absolutely,” Matt chuckled.

“Excellent,” Fiona nodded before leaning down to kiss her grandson’s forehead softly. “Grandmother and grandfather love you precious. See you tomorrow,” she cooed sweetly before gently handing him over to Matt.

“Thank you,” Matt said. He leaned in to accept a kiss on the cheek from Fiona and nodded and smiled at Stewart before turning back to Emma while Charlotte’s parents big everyone else a good-bye. “Okay, Bug,” he said as he moved to the chair by Charlotte’s bed. He sat in it and then motioned for Emma to join him, adjusting her onto his lap so that she could hold the baby with him. “Princess Emma of Sussex, meet Cooper Michael Emerson.”

“Ooohh, I like his name,” Emma said softly. Her eyes moved over him, taking him in. “He’s so small…and kind of squishy.” Laughter moved through the room and Emma’s cheeks turned a bit pink. “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything bad by that.”

“We know,” Charlotte assured her with a grin. “He is a little squishy though, you’re right. He’ll grow out of it soon.”

“That’s good,” Emma nodded. Her gaze turned back down to her cousin and she spoke in low tones as she continued to get to know him with her Uncle Matt.

“How are you feeling?” Alex asked Charlotte softly, moving to sit on the side of the bed so she could look at her friend.

“Good,” Charlotte nodded. “I’m tired and still a bit loopy from all the meds and…you know…” Her eyes filled with moisture as she turned to look at her son. “A bit sad that I missed the first few hours of his life. But he’s perfect and I’m okay so I really can’t complain at all.”

“We were really worried,” Harry murmured, bringing her gaze up to him.

“I know,” she replied softly. “I’m okay though.”

“And we’re very, very happy about that,” Alex smiled, reaching out to squeeze Charlotte’s hand in hers.

“We are,” Harry agreed. “And listen, I definitely want you to know I plan on kicking your ass at some point for scaring us all like that…”

“Of course,” Charlotte smirked.

“But first…what in the hell is going on with your parents?”

“Harry,” Alex groaned, reaching up to poke him in the side.

“What?” he laughed. “You don’t understand – Mr. and Mrs. Blakely can’t stand each other. That whole thing was…bizarre.”

“Ugh,” Charlotte rolled her eyes. It  _is_  bizarre. My parents are…dating.”

“Each other?” Harry’s forehead scrunched up and Alex couldn’t help but snicker.

“Yes,” Charlotte sighed. “Apparently they got to talking at the wedding…”

“Your wedding?” Harry asked. “That was months ago.”

“No,  _your_  wedding.” She narrowed her eyes up at him. “This is all your fault. Both of you.”

“Nice,” Harry laughed. “I’m glad that Alex and I could contribute.”

“Bite me,” Charlotte grumbled. “I do have to tell you, sometimes it feels like I’m living in an alternate universe. I’m married and have a baby and my parents not only don’t hate each other, but are…in a  _relationship_. It’s almost surreal sometimes.”

“Aw, but you love it,” Alex said, her smile sweet as she looked at her friend.

Charlotte’s eyes moved over to Matt and Cooper – her  _family_  – and she sighed. “I really, really do.”

**********

Harry groaned as he was jolted awake by the loud, intrusive ring of the telephone. After having very little sleep in the past few days, he was not at all happy that someone was ringing them this late at night.

“Who the heck could that be? And why are they calling on the land line?” Alex mumbled, blinking against the light of his bedside lamp as he flipped it on.

“I have no idea,” he shook his head. “But whoever it is, they’re my least favorite person in the world right now.”

“Mine too,” Alex mumbled, burying her head back into her pillow.

“This is Harry,” he sighed into the phone. He ran his hand through his hair and tried in vain to blink his eyes all the way open. “Dad?”

Alex’s head lifted at that – why on earth would Charles be calling in the middle of the night? She blinked several times and then sat up, suddenly very awake as she watched Harry listen to his father on the other end.

“Oh my God,” Harry breathed, his voice catching. His eyes slid closed and his face twisted up. “Dad…Oh God. I’m…when?”

“What is it?” Alex whispered, but he just shook his head, still listening intently to his father.

“Jesus Dad,” he groaned, shaking his head. “Okay. No, we’ll be there. Tomorrow morning, yes. Okay…see you then…I love you too. Bye.”

“Harry?” Alex’s voice wavered with the terrible sense of unease she felt. “Baby what is it? What’s going on?”

Harry turned to drop the receiver into the cradle and when his gaze moved back around to meet hers, Alex felt her stomach drop.

Something was really, really wrong.

“Alex…” A sob escaped his throat and tears appeared in his eyes. “He’s dead…”

“Who?!” Alex gasped, her eyes flying wide. “Who Harry?”

“My grandfather.”


	93. Chapter Ninety Three

"Hello," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “You look lovely.”

“Thank you,” Alex replied with a small smile, smoothing her hands down the skirt of her simple but classic black dress.

“And you,” he said, turning his eyes down to Emma and feeling his smile brighten just a bit more. “You look very pretty. As always.”

“Thank you,” Emma said, her voice quiet. Her eyes widened, darting back and forth between Alex and Harry. “Is that okay?  That I look pretty?”

“Yes,” Alex nodded, reaching out to tuck a piece of Emma’s long blonde hair behind her ear. “That’s okay, Em.”

“Okay,” Emma nodded, looking relieved.

“Good morning,” Kate said softly as she stepped up to them with William by her side.

“Good morning,” Alex greeted her first, stepping in to kiss her cheeks before doing to same to William. Harry greeted them both as well, and Alex and Harry both smiled as Will and Kate each bent to greet Emma in the same manner, making her feel more grown up on such a grown up day.

“Harry, Father wanted to see us both privately for a few moments,” Will said, visibly swallowing back emotion at the thought of what might come from the words from Charles.

“Okay,” Harry nodded, taking a deep breath and then turning to Alex. “You’ll be alright?”

“Of course,” she smiled softly. She reached up and laid her hand on his arm, offering her silent support as she rubbed his arm quickly before he pressed a kiss to her cheek and moved off with Will.

“Mummy?” Emma called up quietly at the same time as she reached up and tugged on Alex’s hand. “Louise and James are here. May I go say hi?”

Alex glanced over to make sure that Edward and Sophie weren’t in the middle of something that shouldn’t be interrupted and then nodded down to Emma. “Yes you may. But just for a few minutes. We’re about to go in and see Gran shortly.”

“Okay,” Emma nodded and then moved off. Alex turned back to Kate – the two Duchesses sharing a look of sadness and of sympathy for their husbands.

“How’s Harry holding up?” Kate asked.

“He’s sad. He was a lot like Philip in a lot ways. I don’t think he realized just how much he would miss him. How is Will doing?”

“You know Will, he’s not terribly open with his emotions – especially about things like this,” Kate sighed. “But he’s been determined to give a eulogy that really honors Philip. He’s been pouring himself into that and I’m proud of him for that. He doesn’t take things lightly but he’s been very dedicated to this.”

“Oh I’m sure he had. I’ll bet it will be wonderful. And you?” Alex smiled a bit, her gaze moving down to Kate’s tiny baby bump and moving back up. “How are you and the little one doing?”

“So much better,” Kate nodded. “I think the worst of the sickness has passed. I’ll be getting back to work in a couple of weeks. I’ve been looking forward to getting out of the house but…”

“Not for something like this,” Alex murmured.

“No,” Kate whispered as both of their eyes filled with moisture. “Not at all.”

*************

“William, Henry,” Charles’ voice was low and a bit gruff as he greeted his sons in turn, pressing kisses to their cheeks. He motioned for them to sit and they did, taking two chairs next to each other as Charles sat slowly in the one across from them.

“I wanted to see both of you privately for a moment to talk to you about…well, about fatherhood.”

“Fatherhood?” Harry murmured, his eyes lifting in surprise.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking in the past week,” Charles continued. He clasped his hands in front of him and took a deep breath. “We’ve spent more than enough time over the years talking about the transgressions that have transpired between members of this family. My father and I…we never really did though. Lord knows how I tried to force him into it, even taking my feelings public. The truth is though – we were just different. He thought I was too sensitive and I thought he lacked emotion and we just never really saw eye to eye.”

“Dad…” William sat forward but Charles shook his head and held his hand up and William sat back in his chair, understanding and giving his father room to say what he wanted to say.

“It took a long time for me to accept that he was never going give me what I wanted from him. But when I did realize that – when I finally accepted that – it was because of the two of you.”

“Because of us?” Harry asked, surprise evident on his face.

“What do you mean by that?” William joined in, his expression every bit as surprised as Harry’s.

Charles smiled and leaned forward in his chair a bit. “William, when Henry was born, did you think to yourself, ‘I know exactly how to do this’? Did you walk out of that hospital without fears that you didn’t know what the hell you were doing?”

“Of course not,” William chuckled. “I have no idea what I was doing.”

“And you, Harry,” Charles continued, turning towards his youngest son. “When you adopted Emma and brought her into this family, were you free from worrying about becoming a father? Were you not scared about how to raise that little girl in this world?”

“I still worry about those things every single day,” Harry smiled. “I’m not sure it will ever go away.

“It doesn’t go away,” Charles laughed. “Like everything else in life, you simply do the best you know how to do. It may not always be the perfect way. There are many, many times your children won’t like it and you may feel like you’ve completely failed sometimes.” He stopped and took a deep breath. “But you haven’t, not if you’re doing the best you can.”

“I hope you aren’t worried that we think you are a bad father,” William said, his eyes filled with worry.

“No,” Charles shook his head. “I know I raised two fine young men who in turn, are wonderful fathers themselves. I just…” He trailed off and swallowed at the lump in his throat. “I wish my father would have said this to me – would have told me he was only being the best father he knew how to be. I eventually understood – but I would have loved to hear it from him.”

“Thank you,” Harry said, his voice tight with emotion. “For saying this to us. I think – and I’m sure Will feels the same – that we could both only hope to be the kind of father you were – and still are – to us.”

“Mhmm,” Charles smiled and reached out to cover Harry’s hand with his. “Thank you, son. Though that’s not why I told you this. I just…when I was reflecting on my relationship with your grandfather, I decided that I needed you to hear the words from me.”

The grandfather clock in the room chimed out just then, its tones signaling that it was half past ten and Charles eyes shifted to it for a moment before moving back to his sons.

“Alright, my darling boys. It’s time for us to go join the rest of the family before it’s time to go,” he said, taking a deep breath as he stood. Harry and William rose with him and after Charles had hugged and kissed each of his boys, together the three men moved from the room.

And on to the next part of the day, which would surely bring just as many – if not more – emotions than this one had.

**********

The cars were lined up and waiting when the family began the process of leaving Buckingham Palace. One large van left with quite a few family members and then the cars from the Royal Mews began to pull up one by one, the doors opening for their passengers and then pulling away.

Harry, Alex, and Emma were ushered into a Rolls Royce when it was their turn to go and once the doors were closed, the car immediately pulled out into the courtyard and toward the large ornate gates that would lead them out onto The Mall. Will and Kate would be following behind them; little Henry had been left behind – he wasn’t quite two yet and sitting quiet and still for two hours would undoubtedly be too difficult for him. Charles and Camilla would leave after Will and Kate and of course, the last person to leave and the last one to arrive at the Abbey would be The Queen herself.

“Wow,” Emma breathed, her eyes widening as the car proceeded down The Mall and she took in all of the people lined up on the side of the street, not allowing the drizzling rain to get in the way of paying respects to the Duke of Edinburgh. “I think maybe there are more people out here than there were for your wedding.”

“I think so too,” Alex murmured, her eyes filling with moisture at the thought.

“They loved him,” Harry nodded – though he couldn’t quite bring himself to look at the crowds for too long without fear of breaking down into tears.

It was really quite amazing – just how much the public had voiced their love of Philip and just how sad they were at his death. And now, as they drove the route to Westminster Abbey – he saw the physical representation of all of the wonderful words of condolence that had been printed in the paper and broadcast on TV during that week. His grandfather had been a fixture in the lives of the people standing out on that street for all of their lives – and in some cases, the lives of their parents, grandparents, and even great grandparents.

“It’s sad that so many people are sad,” Emma said softly, her face growing a bit sadder as she watched the faces go by. “But it’s nice that so many people loved him.”

The drive to the Abbey wasn’t long – just under five minutes. When they arrived, their doors were very quickly pulled open and all three of them stepped from the vehicle. Alex couldn’t help but think just how happy and excited she had been the last time she had stepped out of a car in front of the Abbey. It was quite a strange thing, to be back at this place that held such a big place in her heart not even two months later for something that made her heart ache with sadness.

They stayed close together as they walked up through the drizzling rain to the doors of the beautiful church, Emma’s hand tucked securely in Alex’s. They stopped to be created by the Bishop and the Archbishop and then were escorted down the aisle towards their seats in the front. They passed many people they knew and even more that they didn’t, but every single one of them had something in common – their faces were etched in sadness.

Will and Kate arrived just after them, followed by Charles and Camilla. And then right before eleven AM, the trumpeters sounded out and a hush fell over all of the guests in the Abbey.

Her Majesty the Queen had arrived for her husband’s funeral.

************

If there was any influence that Philip had in Harry’s life, it was the desire to be strong, to hold himself together when he needed to. Though he had more of his father’s emotional range, Harry was very much like Philip in the way he strove to present an appearance of strength and solitude on occasions when he felt the people around him needed it.

It had begun all those years ago when Philip walked beside Harry, William, Charles, and their uncle, Charles Spencer, behind their mother’s coffin. Neither him nor William had wanted to walk; they were so heartbroken, so devastated by the loss of their mother, that the act of walking behind her coffin in view of the entire world had seemed too daunting.

But Philip had stepped in and offered to walk with the boys, to stay strong with them. He wanted them to show how proud they were of their mother, how they wanted to walk with her as long as they could. And they had. It had been one of the hardest things Harry and William had ever done, but it gave their earliest lesson in being strong for the people around them.

And the day of Philip’s funeral, as they sat in the Abbey and listened to music that had probably been selected for this occasion many, many years ago, Harry kept that lesson close to him. He listened to the readings and to the lessons spoken by the Bishop and the Archbishop of Canterbury, taking the words to heart, knowing that his grandfather had chosen them for specific reasons.

The only moment that he faltered, that made the emotions surge to the surface, was when it was time for William to step up to the front of the Abbey to deliver the eulogy. He took a deep, shuddery breath and swallowed hard, but before he’d even let that breath out, Alex had reached for his hand hand, her fingers curling tightly around his. His eyes turned to hers and he knew she had sensed his emotions rising before he’d even realized what was happening. He loved her more in that moment than he could possibly say. And when Emma looked over at that moment too and gave him and sweet, encouraging smile, he was able to pull it together – needing to be as strong for his girls as they were being for him.

His fingers squeezed hers in return in a silent thank you as his brother’s deep voice began to fill the air around them and their attention turned fully to him, to the words he had so carefully crafted to honor their grandfather.

************

“Look, all of the people are still here,” Emma said, turning her wide blue eyes up to Harry as they moved to the doors of the Abbey, the family preparing to depart in their cars very shortly. The service was over and the royals were the first to leave and head back to Buckingham Palace. There would be a private reception for close friends and relatives of Philip to be held that afternoon.

“They are,” Harry nodded, exchanging a smile with Alex as she listened to her husband and daughter. “They’ll be there until everyone leaves probably.

“Oh,” Emma said. Her bottom lip pulled between her think and Harry knew she was thinking about something, working over an idea in her head. “Hey Dad?”

“Yes, Emma?” He smiled down at her, waiting for her to tell him what was going on in her mind.

“Before we go back to Buckingham, can we go meet some of them?”

“Some of the people waiting?” Harry asked, his eyes widening a bit in surprise.

“Is that not allowed?” Emma rushed out, thinking Harry’s reaction meant he thought the idea was crazy.

“No,” Harry shook his head and then laughed softly. “I mean, of course it’s allowed, Emma. Do you want to go meet some of them? We wouldn’t have very long, but we can certainly spend a few minutes talking to some people.”

“I would really like that, Daddy,” she nodded. “Do you think they would like that?”

“I think they would love that,” Harry smiled, so taken with just how big his daughter’s heart was. He turned to Alex and lifted his eyebrows. “Do you want to join us?”

“Of course,” Alex nodded, her smile soft and her eyes bright with the idea.

And so, joined by William and Kate and with the Queen’s blessing of the idea, they stepped out of the Abbey and to the happiness of the crowd waiting, made an impromptu walkabout – thanking people who had been there for hours and hours for their support. It helped to see them smile, to see their expressions of gratefulness at being thanked for coming out.

And as Alex watched her daughter shake hands like a pro, sticking close to her and Harry while she did, she had honestly never been more proud of her daughter in all of her life.

**************

“Harry looks so much like him in that photograph.”

Alex spun at the words, her face softening when she saw Harry's grandmother standing behind her. The private reception was long over but most of the family had taken the opportunity to stay gathered together. Alex, in a particular habit of hers, had found herself wandering around, looking at picture after picture of the family. She’d come across one of Philip when he was probably Harry’s age, dressed up in his navy uniform and had stopped to take it in for a moment, thinking to herself exactly what Harry’s grandmother had voiced to her.

 “Ma'am,” Alex said with a small smile as she dipped into a curtsy. Her gaze flickered back to the picture she’d been looking at for a moment before turning a smile back to The Queen. “He really does.”

"Harry often reminds me of him," Elizabeth murmured. "And please Alexandra, call me Gran. All the grandchildren do."

"If I call you Gran, will you call me Alex?" She responded with a bit of a shy smile, bringing a small laugh from her Majesty.

"I think that is possible, yes," Elizabeth smiled.

"I'm very sorry for your loss," Alex said quietly. "I know it's not the same as almost seventy years, but...I know how hard it is to lose the person you've pledged your life to."

"Yes, you do," Elizabeth nodded. Her eyes drifted for a moment and when they turned back to Alex, she blinked back the moisture that had risen there. "It was a happy almost seventy years though.”

“You loved each other very much.” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement that Alex knew was true.

“He only ever said this to me mind you, but he told me from the moment he saw me that he just…knew,” Elizabeth murmured, drawing a smile to Alex’s lips and tears to her eyes.

“Harry said the same about when we met,” Alex whispered, blinking at the moisture in her eyes.

“Well, my dear,” Elizabeth said, reaching out to touch the picture frame from that held a young Philip smiling back at her. “If ancestry has anything to do with it, he’ll still feel the same way in seventy years.”

“Mhhmm. I hope so.”

“He will,” Elizabeth murmured. The two women turned away from the photo, beginning to walk slowly down the hallway and back toward the room the family was gathered in. “He absolutely will.”

Silence fell between the two of them as they walked and Alex’s thoughts ran over Elizabeth words.

Harry’s loving her for seventy years? God, she hoped so. A soft smile moved across her face as she pictured that in her mind; Harry as an elderly man – still as handsome in her eyes as ever – with grandchildren and maybe even great-grandchildren running around. He could picture the way he would smile with them and laugh with them and play with them and she knew without really knowing that they’d probably think he hung the moon, just as he did with Philip.

And then her thoughts ran over the thought of losing that – of losing the man who had all of that with her; to wake up one day without him next to her. She couldn’t imagine it without getting emotional and it only made her more in awe of Harry’s grandmother. She was standing tall and leading her country – giving them her whole life just as she had promised to do; even after she lost the man who’d given her his. Alex wasn’t sure she could ever do that, that she could walk strong and tall and not crumble without Harry by her side.

When they stepped back into the drawing room, Alex had damp eyes and an urge to turn to Gran and hug her tight. Her eyes lifted then and he was there; of course he was there. He lifted his eyebrows and she smiled back, nodding that she was okay.

And she couldn’t help but think how much she saw Philip in him right then – strong and tall and steady.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for just a brief moment, sending up a quick prayer to whatever God might be listening to her that she would get to have Harry for seventy years – that he would still be standing next to her then.

And when she opened her eyes and let out her deep breath, she moved from her spot and straight to him – moving into the place she always wanted to be.

Right next to Harry.

***********

Alex wasn’t at all surprised when Harry turned to her that night when they finally got into their bed. It had been an incredibly long day and the need to be with him was intense; they had been so close all day, almost able to read each other's minds. She wasn't ready to give that up and she guessed he wasn't either when he pulled her into his arms. She went without hesitation, her arms wrapping around his neck and her lips opening to his.

“Oh Alex,” Harry groaned as his lips moved to her jaw, pressing soft, slow kisses along her skin as his hands gently pushed at her clothes. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she breathed. Her fingers slid into his hair, pulling him closer as his lips moved over the sensitive skin of her neck to that spot right under her ear.

“I couldn’t have made it through today without you,” he murmured, lifting from her neck to find her eyes with his.

“Oh Harry,” she whispered. “You could have. You’re so much stronger than you think you are.”

“I’m so much stronger with you,” he shook his head, his lips dipping to find hers again, kissing her with a passion that made her gasp into his mouth. “Have you by my side makes everything so much better.”

Alex’s breath caught in her chest with his words. She knew he meant them, that he felt complete with her and Emma in his life. But the way he said them, the way they were laced with a hint of desperation sent off alarms in her head.

“Harry, no,” she said, her hands moving to grip at his shoulders. “Baby, stop and look at me.” He pulled his face up to look at her and her hands slid to his cheeks, her eyes searching his. “Harry, don’t do that. Please don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?” His voice was hoarse and his eyes dark with want as he tried to take her lips again.

“No,” she shook her head, not letting him kiss her. “You can’t use me to deal with your emotions.”

He stiffened just the tiniest bit - but Alex caught it and the alarm bells in her head only got louder. "You're doing the exact same thing, Alexandra."

"I'm not," she shook her head, her voice staying soft and soothing, trying to calm him. "I just wanted to stay close to you tonight - to keep the connection we shared all day. It's about being with you, it's not about my emotions over your grandfather's death."

“Jesus Christ, Alex,” Harry groaned, moving off of her and sitting up on the bed. “I can’t say I need you without you throwing my fucking PTSD in my face?”

She sighed and sat up, righting her pajama top and facing him. She couldn’t believe after the day they’d had, after the moments they’d shared, this is where this moment between them was going. “I’m not going to let you get mad and turn this around on me, Harry. I don’t want to fight with you. I  _want_  to make love with you, but you know I’m right. What you want from me right now is not the same as what I want from you.”

Harry’s jaw clenched for a moment and she knew he was working it over in his mind; trying to stay calm enough to think rationally and not deflect her words back on her.

“Fine,” he finally sighed with a shake of his head.

“Fine what?” she asked, lifting her eyebrows.

“We won’t have sex.”

“That is  _not_  what I meant, Henry.”

“Then what the hell did you mean, Alexandra?”

“You know what?” she sighed and rubbed at her tired eyes with her fingers before running them through her hair. “You’re right. We shouldn’t have sex.”

His eyes held hers for a long moment. “If that’s what you want.”

“It’s not what I want,” she said, her voice low. “But I can’t let you…”

“I get it,” Harry held up a hand and shook his head.

She bit her lip and then, because she couldn’t let them go to bed like this, she moved closer to him, rising on her knees and moving so the front of her knees were touching his. “I’m not mad at you, Harry. I love you.”

His eyes lifted to hers and he nodded, though the smile she wished to see never appeared. “I’m not mad at you either, Alex. And I love you too.”

“Okay,” she nodded and then took a chance and pushed a little bit further. “We can talk about this tomorrow?”

He took a deep breath and then nodded. “Of course.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, relief evident in her eyes as she leaned forward to kiss his lips. He returned her kiss but neither of them deepened it. Instead, they both pulled back and without discussing it any further, they both shifted back onto the bed and under the covers and into their pillows.

But even though they’d argued and there was still a bit of tension between them, Harry reached for her, pulling her into him and wrapping and arm around her from behind. And she went easily, not wanting the distance either.

Tomorrow they’d talk about it. Tomorrow they’d discuss the issue when they weren’t so tired and worked up emotionally.

But for tonight, they would sleep – wrapped up in each other.


	94. Chapter Ninety Four

"Alright Mia," Alex said as she slid onto one of the bar stools in her kitchen across from her assistant. She'd just dropped Emma off at school and come back to meet with Mia, determined to get back into the swing of things after the unbelievably emotional week they'd had. "What have we got coming up?"

Mia flipped open the cover on her iPad and opened up Alex and Harry's combined calendar. "Work wise - the engagement you and Harry had at the Goodwood track was pushed back a week due to everything going on. So you'll have that a week from today - next Tuesday. Other than that, Emma has a riding lesson on Wednesday with Zara, Henry's birthday party is on Saturday at Will and Kate's place, and on Sunday..." Mia's eyes lifted to Alex and she smiled wide. "Your parents will arrive to move into their new home."

Alex grinned, her mood lifting even higher as she realized Mia was right; her parents would be there in just a couple of days. It seemed like so much had happened since she'd seen them last, right after they'd gotten back from their honeymoon.

"Oh God, I can't wait," Alex sighed as she took a sip of her tea. "It's going to be amazing having them here. And I can't wait for them to meet Cooper."

"Can't wait for who to meet Cooper?"

Alex looked up as her husband strolled into the kitchen. He was straight from a run and he went to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water. "Mom and Dad," Alex replied with a smile.

"Ah yes," Harry swallowed a big gulp of water and then grinned as he walked over to kiss her hello. "They'll adore him. Who wouldn't?"

"No one I want to be related to," she joked before turning back to Mia. "Anything else to go over with me on the schedule?"

"Nope," Mia shook her head and snapped the cover on her iOS closed. "There's a few requests from different organizations who want to meet with you. I'll forward those on to you from the office to review?"

"Sounds good," Alex nodded.

"Alright then, I'm going back to the office to work on some things. Alex, call me if you need anything. Otherwise, I'll let you two lovebirds have your alone time." Mia smirked as she stood, bringing a chuckle from both Harry and Alex before moving from the kitchen.

Alex took a deep breath as she heard the front door close and turned to Harry, her eyes wide as she looked up at him. "How was your run?"

"Good," Harry's voice was soft as he turned his eyes down to hers. "Why don't you ask me what you really want to ask me though."

Alex's sighed. "Am I that obvious?"

“Mhmm,” he nodded. “You’re eyes get as big as saucers when you’re anxious.”

Her eyes held his for a moment and then she took a deep breath. “I wanted to talk about last night.”

He sighed, stepped away from her a bit, and leaned again the counter as he looked down on her. “I already told you last night that I’m not mad at you, Alex.”

“And you also told me that we could talk about it today,” she said softly.

“Alex, we don’t have to…”

“You and I get into trouble when we don’t communicate, Henry,” she interrupted, the tone of her voice indicating that she meant business.

His eyes narrowed and his cheeks flushed and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Did you mean to sound so damn superior when you said that just now?”

He had taken aim at her with his words; he was deflecting the question and putting everything back on her, but she was ready for that.

“No more than you meant to try and manipulate me just now when you said  _that_.”

Harry blinked as her words hit him, as he realized just how right she was. “Shit, Alex,” he groaned. His eyes closed for a moment and he shook his head before opening his eyes to meet her gaze once more. “I’m sorry. I’m such an asshole.”

Alex sighed and stood from her stool, moving to stand in front of him. “We know we have these issues, Harry. Both of us. I’m skittish when it comes to you and emotional and stressful situations. And you need to lean on me sometimes and that’s okay. I need to work on that, but you can’t shut me out if I do get worried.”

“I know,” he nodded and his face softened a touch as the tension eased between them. “I’m sorry, love. I am. I just…I needed you last night, Alexandra. Maybe my reasons for that were different than yours but you needed me and I needed to be wrapped up in you and…”

“I know,” she whispered, a small smile tilting her lips. “I know and I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he shook his head and reached for her. She let him pull her to him – not minding in the least that he was still a bit sweaty from his run. “I meant what I said though, about you being stronger than me.”

“Harry…”

“Please don’t brush that off, Alex,” he smiled, his hands gathering her closer to him. “It’s not a bad thing. It’s an  _amazing_  thing. It pulled me through some pretty crazy shit.”

Alex could have told him how that’s what worried her; that he could come to depend on her too much to pull him back when he got close to the edge instead of wanting to work to make sure he didn’t get too close in the edge in the first place. But as she looked up at him and she saw a bit of brightness in his eyes and his lips curled up in a smile, she decided to let it go. She was overthinking it; he wasn’t close to any sort of edge. He was sad over his grandfather’s death and that was completely understandable.

“I love you, Harry,” she murmured as she smiled up him and then tilted up on her toes to kiss him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she felt his breath pull in as his arms tightened around her.

“I love you, too,” he breathed as he tilted his head over hers, deepening the kiss.

She moaned lightly into his mouth. He tasted so good and she loved the way he smelled after he worked out hard; the smell of him she loved so much was magnified and when combined with the slight musk from his exertions; it was incredibly sexy.

“Alexandra…” he groaned her name as he lifted his lips from hers and her eyes opened to meet his. “Come shower with me?” Her smile pulled wide a bit naughty and he couldn’t help but chuckle; she was so damn cute he couldn’t help himself. “Is that a yes, baby?”

“God, yes,” she nodded, already reaching for his hands and moving to pull him upstairs. “Let’s go.”

************

Things began to inch slowly back towards normal as the week moved forward. Though they were all still mourning Philip’s passing doing their best to move on in the way Harry’s grandfather would have probably insisted that they should have.

Harry took Emma out to her riding lesson that Thursday while Alex, along with Camilla, took a last minute meeting with Book Trust for Alex to get to better know the organization she was now a patron of and to discuss a possible joint visit in the next couple of months.

On Saturday, their spirits were definitely lifted when they attended little Henry’s birthday party. Will and Kate’s adorable and rambunctious little boy was turning two and once again the family gathered together, only this time there were smiles on everyone’s faces. Even Harry’s grandmother stopped by for a few minutes, delighted to get to see her great grandson and remarking that maybe William needed to pass on his ‘wombat’ nickname to his son, drawing laughs from everyone gathered to celebrate.

And when Sunday came along, the mood around the Sussex household held more excitement than it had in the past couple of weeks. Later that afternoon, Alex and Matt’s parents were due to arrive for their official move to England. Their house was still being closed on, but they had come over to finish everything up with that and oversee all of the inspections. In the meantime, they would be staying with Charlotte and Matt for a week or so. There was plenty of room over there and Donna and Mike had jumped at the chance to spend some time in such close proximity to their new grandson and get to know him. Harry, Alex, and Emma were due to head over in advance of Mike and Donna’s arrival at Alex’s insistence that her assistance was needed at Matt and Charlotte’s.

“I want to help them get everything read for Mom and Dad,” Alex said, a wide smile on her face as she worked to rush Harry and Emma out of the house.

“You mean you want to get in snuggle time with Cooper before your Mom gets a monopoly on him for the next week,” Harry laughed as he pulled a cap over his red hair.

“Shhhh. Don’t ruin my fun, Henry Charles,” she playfully narrowed her eyes at him and then turned to the stairs. “Emma Rose Morgan Sussex! Hurry up or we’re going to leave without you!”

“Nooooo! I’m coming!” Her protest was followed quickly by the slamming of a door and within seconds she was running down the stairs, a wide smile on her face that only pulled higher when she reached the bottom. “You wouldn’t really leave without me, Mummy!”

“Well, luckily we don’t have to find out,” Alex said with a wink. “Is everyone ready?” Without waiting for anyone to answer she clapped her hands together and turned towards the door. “Good, let’s go!”

*************

“Look how much he’s grown,” Alex sighed as Matt passed her nephew into her arms. “It’s only been two weeks. Cooper, you’re already growing up too fast.” The tiny baby in her arms stared up at her as his fingers wrapped around her pinky, squeezing hard for just a small little guy.

“They do that,” Harry chuckled from where he sat next to her while Charlotte looked on with a smile from the couch across from them.

“It’s amazing how much they can change in just two weeks, isn’t it?” Charlotte said.

“It really is,” Alex nodded.

“And you?” Harry asked, looking across to Charlotte. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good,” she nodded. “Bouncing back quickly.” She was quiet for a long moment, her head tipping slightly to the side. “I’m sorry I couldn’t go to Philip’s funeral, Harry.”

“It’s okay,” Harry shook his head. “You just had a baby. No one expected you to leave your week old son at him to be there.”

“I know,” she nodded. “I’m still sorry. I would have liked to have been there.”

“It was a beautiful service,” Alex joined in, pulling her attention from the cooing baby in her arms for just a moment.

“We watched it on TV,” Matt said. “It was a nice service. William’s eulogy was so touching. Though I especially liked when you guys went out and talked to the people in the crowds afterwards. That wasn’t planned, was it?”

“No,” Harry grinned and turned towards his daughter, who was sitting next to her Uncle Matt. “And that was actually Emma’s idea.”

“No kidding?” Charlotte’s eyes widened and she turned towards her niece. “Look at you Princess Emma. Such a natural.”

Emma giggled a bit nervously as the eyes of all of the adults in the room focused on her. “Come on guuuuuys…it wasn’t  _that_  big of a deal.”

“Oh, I think it was, Bug,” Matt grinned, reaching over to tickle his niece, bringing a much lighter giggle from her than the one before. “You smiled that big, sweet smile and shook everyone’s hand and they loved you.”

“Psshhh,” Emma pulled a face. “You’re silly, Uncle Matt.”

“That’s very true,” Matt laughed. “And this silly man needs to go make up the guest bed for Mimi and Poppy so Aunt Charlotte doesn’t have to do it. Want to go help me, Bug?”

“Okay!” Emma jumped from the couch and Matt stood, winking at Charlotte before he followed Emma out of the room.

“Thank you,” Charlotte smiled as she watched them go and then turned her attention back to Harry and Alex and the little boy that Alex held in her arms. Her smile softened as her eyes moved over her son’s face.

“You love being a mum, don’t you?” Harry observed, smiling as he watched Charlotte.

Her eyes pulled up to his and she nodded, emotion evident in her eyes. “I really, really do. More than anything I’ve ever loved in my life. It’s hard and I’m just…exhausted. But God, I  _love_  it. He’s so worth it.”

Alex looked up at Charlotte and blinked at the moisture that rose in her eyes. “Cooper’s lucky to have such a wonderful mother.”

“He really is,” Charlotte smirked, bringing a laugh from the two people across from her.

“Aunt Charlotte!” Emma came running in, clearly on a mission. “Uncle Matt says you gave him the wrong size sheets for that bed. He wants to know where the right ones are.”

“Of course I did,” Charlotte groaned into a laugh. “I’ll come help you find them, Em.” She rose from the couch and turned to Alex and Harry. “I know this is a silly question, but do you mind watching him for a few minutes?”

“It  _is_  a silly question,” Alex grinned. “We’ll be fine, I promise.”

“I’m sure you will,” Charlotte laughed before following Emma from the room.

“You are just the sweetest thing in the world, Cooper. Aren’t you?” Alex cooed down and the wide eyed bundle in her arms. She bent down to press kisses to his adorable chubby little cheeks, inhaling his sweet baby smell as she did and then letting out a soft sigh. “You’re trying to make me forget why I ever agreed to wait a year to make one of you with your Uncle Harry aren’t you?” She giggled slightly and then glanced up to Harry, fully expecting him to have heard her and that he would be looking at her with that smug smile of his.

But his gaze wasn’t focused on her and Cooper as she assumed; instead it was transfixed out of the window beside the couch it looked like he was completely lost in thought – his expression unreadable and almost…blank.

“Hey,” she said lightly, nudging her shoulder into his arm. Her eyes widened as he visibly flinched, jumping back a bit and blinking as he turned toward her, obviously completely thrown by her presence. “Whoa…” She let out a nervous laugh. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” He blinked again and shook his head. “Sorry…”

“It’s okay,” she smiled softly. “I just thought maybe you were deep in thought about how to bribe me for some snuggle time.”

“Ha!” He laughed and whatever he’d actually been thinking about faded away completely as his big smile moved across his face. “And do I have to bribe you?”

“Not this time,” Alex teased, bringing another light laugh from him as she lifted Cooper into her husband’s arms.

Her gaze stayed on him as he tucked Cooper close, talking to him and being completely adorable as he always was with children. He’d obviously snapped out of whatever moment he’d been in, but she was still a little thrown by his reaction. “Hey Harry?”

“Hmmm?” He looked up, his eyes finding hers and his smile pulling a little higher.

She took a deep breath but before she could open her mouth and ask him what he’d been thinking so hard about, a knock sounded at the front door – signaling the arrival of her long awaited parents.

There was a flurry of activity as everyone in the house moved towards the door, anxious to see Mike and Donna and welcome them to London. Harry regretfully handed Cooper over to Matt as Charlotte pulled open the door, a big smile on her face as she welcomed her in-laws inside. Emma was the first to jump in for hugs and kisses from her Mimi and Poppy, followed by Alex and Harry and then, it finally came time for Mike and Donna to meet their grandson.

“Oh my goodness, it was the longest two weeks of my life, waiting to meet you,” Donna whispered as Matt lifted Cooper into her arms and she and Mike officially met their grandson. Her fingers moved to tuck back the blanket wrapped around him and not a single person in the room was surprised at the tears in her eyes. “And look at you, Cooper Michael Emerson. I have to say, you are one gorgeous kiddo.”

Mike reached out, running his finger along Cooper’s cheek, bringing an adorable sort of gurgle from his grandson. Mike’s smile pulled wide and he looked up to Matt and Charlotte. “He really is. Good job, Mom and Dad.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte grinned, earning laughter from the others in the room. “Although, I have to say…I think he looks like his father.”

“Oh God, he does,” Donna nodded with a wide smile. I was looking at pictures you sent next to Matt’s baby pictures and it’s almost uncanny.”

“Really?” Charlotte’s brows lifted. “Do you have the pictures? Of Matt as a baby? I mean, I’m sure they’re with your boxes and…”

“They’re in my carry-on,” Donna interrupted, though her eyes were already pulling back down to her grandson.

“Jesus. Of course they are,” Matt laughed and shook his head. “Of course they are.”

***********

“You want to drive?” Harry turned to Alex and she pulled a face, drawing a laugh from the staff of the Goodwood Track and the photographers around them as their cameras whirred, capturing the moment. After an enjoyable weekend spent with their family and friends, Alex and Harry were back to work, taking on their first engagement since Philip died. They were spending the morning out at the Goodwood Race Track and Harry was getting a chance to drive some of the cars – something that, judging from the wide smile on his face, clearly delighted him.

“No, my darling,” Alex laughed along with them. “You take it out for a spin. I’d just stall it.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Harry grinned. He rubbed a hand along her back and then bent to kiss her cheek before moving off to the side with a staff member so that he could get set up with a helmet and instructions.

“He’s like a little kid,” Mia remarked quietly as she moved in next to Alex, knowing that the attention was all focused on Harry at the moment and no one was listening to them.

“I know,” Alex laughed softly. “Like he won a prize.” Mia hid a giggle behind her hand and Alex turned a humored smile at to her before moving her eyes back to Harry. “He’s enjoying himself, that’s for sure.”

She didn’t elaborate, not in such a public setting, but the truth was that his smile was a bit brighter that she’d seen it since Philip died. The tension in his shoulders that had been almost constant in the past couple of weeks had faded. Alex knew the fresh air and the excitement at the driving the fast cars had brought some pep back into his step and in return, she felt herself relaxing just a bit as she watched the boyish delight move across his handsome face.

“You better be careful, Alex,” Mia murmured next to her as Harry slid into the car, offering a wink and a wave in Alex’s direction as he did. “He's going to be wanting one of those things now.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed and shrugged. “I’m actually surprised he doesn’t have one already. He loves his bike; it’s a little surprising he hasn’t sprung for a sports car.”

“Ahhhh. I forgot about the bike,” Mia murmured, her eyes focusing forward where Alex’s were, following Harry as he slowly maneuvered the red sports car out of the pit area and onto the track.

Alex smiled as Harry began to gain speed and smoothly curved around the first corner and then said, “He took me out on one in Greece.”

“Really?” Mia’s eyes widened and she leaned in closer as Alex continued.

“Yep. After that French magazine published those photos and tried their best to point out my ‘flaws’…”

“Ugh,” Mia groaned.

“Mhhmm,” Alex nodded. “Anyway, it got me down for a little bit so he took me out and drove us along the coast. It really lifted my spirits; the fresh air and the scenery.”

“Smart man,” Mia smirked, bumping her shoulder into Alex’s.

“Very,” Alex giggled.

Harry’s car zoomed around another corner and towards the finish line and Alex couldn’t help but grin as she spotted his own wide, excited smile as the car whizzed by them for another lap.

Mia’s phone rang out in her pocket and she excused herself to take the call as it was from the office. Alex nodded and smiled and then turned her attention back to the car on the track, her eyes following closely as he sped around another corner.

“Are you enjoying yourself today, ma’am?”

Alex turned in surprise at the voice, blinking as she realized her P.O was standing right next to her, closer than even Mia had been before she had gone to answer the phone. She stepped to the side slightly but smiled and said, “Yes,” before turning back around to the track.

“Is there anything I can get for you?” Patrick asked and Alex almost groaned. Her P.O. was nice, but he was very chatty and sometimes it wasn’t at an appropriate time or place when he should be just blending into the background. She really needed to talk to Harry about it – to see what he thought about getting him reassigned or at least some additional training.

“No thank you, Patrick. I’d just like to watch right now.” She turned back to the track then and her brows furrowed a bit as she saw the car struggled to stay straight as it came out of another curve, like it was going much faster than it should have been at that point. “Slow it down, Harry,” she murmured to herself. Her lip tugged into her teeth and she brought her hand up above her eyes, shielding them from the sun as she watched more closely. The car moved toward them, the rate of speed almost alarming. And this time when the car blew past them, the smile that had been on Harry’s face was gone; replaced by a combination of concentration and fear that send alarm bells ringing in Alex’s head.

“Something’s wrong,” she whispered, her voice unsteady as anxiety filled her entire body. She turned and took off towards the pit where the track staff was gathered; she could see a flurry of activity happening and it only heightened her sense of dread.

“Ma’am!” Patrick called after her, but she ignored him and walked faster.

Her heart began to pound as she approached the pit and she heard the word ‘brakes’ being called out several times in panic. But before she could reach them and ask them exactly what was going on, she heard tires squeal and she whirled toward the sound. Her hands flew to her mouth and she gasped as she watch the car barely navigate a corner, tipping up on the two side tires before righting itself and speeding down the track again.

“Oh my god!” she cried out as she watched the car approach the next curve, the worst sense of foreboding coming over her.

“Ma’am!” her P.O. was tugging at her arm, trying to pull her away from the side of the track. “Ma’am – the brakes are malfunctioning on the car and it’s not losing speed. You need to get away from the track.”

“STOP! Let me go!” she yelled, tearing her arms away from him, unable to take her eyes away from the careening vehicle. “HARRY!” she screamed as the car approached another turn, having no choice but to try and take it. The tires lifted from the ground, and when she realized that the car wasn’t going to be able to right itself this time, she screamed again – a sound of pure terror coming from her mouth.

The crash seemed to happen in slow motion – at least that’s how Alex would always remember those horrifying, life altering moments. The car lost complete control and caught the side of the track. Another scream pierced the air as it came completely off the ground and flipped over to the grass – the rate of force at which it hit sending it into several more flips before it finally landing upside down in the grassy, center of the track.

There was this moment where everything went silent. The sounds of the crashing car faded out and in its place there was this beat of pure shock that swept the entire track.

And then, the beat of a moment passed the world around Alex rushed forward – right to the car that Harry was in; the car that was lying upside down and badly damaged on the grass in the center of the track.

Alex tried to rush forward with it; she tried to run out there as the pit crew took off toward the car – towards her husband. She fought to free herself from the strong grip of her P.O, from Patrick’s voice as he told her over and over again over her pleading and begging and crying that she couldn’t go out there. She didn’t care that the media was capturing it all; even as Mia went into action and tried to push them back and out of the way.

The only thing she could think about in that moment was Harry; was getting to her husband.

“Alexandra, I need to get you out of here!” Patrick commanded, once again trying to pull her away from the scene as he took visual cues from Harry’s P.O. who was rushing out to the wreck to meet the paramedics.

But Alex wasn’t listening. She didn’t comprehend any of the words that anyone around her was saying; not Patrick’s or Mia’s or the track staff as they tried to pull her away from the scene.

And then, she saw it happen. She saw the first responders reach in and pull Harry from the vehicle.

She heard the screams when her husband was pulled out onto the grass, limp and covered in blood. She heard the cries and the screams and she heard someone yell his name over and over again. It wasn’t until they finally were able to drag her from the scene, to get her out of sight of the public, that she realized those screams of horror had been hers.

And she couldn’t help the wave of fear that washed over her, making her sick to her stomach as they rushed her away. She couldn’t hear what they were saying; she didn’t comprehend any of it.

The only thing that registered with her was this incredibly sinking feeling that this nightmare was just beginning.

_To be continued..._


	95. Chapter Ninety Five

Alex wasn’t sure exactly what woke her.

Her eyes blinked open into the dark room and it took a moment for her brain to snap on, for her to realize where she was. She was still in Harry’s hospital room and as her eyes found the clock on the wall, she realized she hadn’t been asleep very long, not even an hour.  Emma was curled up under the blanket with her on the cot; she had wanted to stay and Alex couldn’t say no to her sweet little girl. Harry was still unconscious and the hospital staff had been extremely accommodating, bringing a cot into Harry’s room for them so that they could stay with him and try to get some sleep; though it evidently wasn’t going to happen that way for Alex.

She took a deep breath as her eyes fell on Harry. She blinked back the tears and the anxiety that rose at the fact that he still hadn’t woken up. The doctors didn’t seem too worried, but every minute that ticket by where Harry stayed unconscious only made the knot in Alex’s stomach tighten and grow.

Being careful not to wake up her sleeping daughter, Alex shifted and rose slowly from the cot. She tucked the blanket fully around Emma and then tiptoed across the room to the private restroom, slipping in and shutting the door behind her. She took care of her business and then turned the sink on to wash her hands and splash some cold water on her face.

“You look like a mess, Alexandra Sussex,” she muttered at the reflection peering back at her. Her eyes were still red and slightly swollen from crying. There were circles under them that looked especially dark against her paler-than-usual skin. She sighed and patted her face dry with a towel; the reality was that she didn’t much care what she looked like at the moment and so she didn’t dwell on it. It wouldn’t get any better until Harry started to get better.

She flipped off the light and then opened the door back to the room. The steady  _beep, beep, beep_  of the machines greeted her and her eyes pulled straight to Harry. Since there was no way she was going to be able to go back to sleep, instead of going back over to the cot she moved over to the chair by Harry’s bed. She scooted it closer to him and then sank down in it.  She reached for his hand and wrapped her fingers gently around his, careful of the IV line inserted on the back of his hand. Her other hand reached up to his face and her fingertips smoothed carefully and lightly over the bruises and scratches there from the accident.

“I still think you’re the most handsome man in the world,” she whispered, a small smile tilting her lips. “And oh how I miss those eyes of yours looking at me.” Her gaze moved over his face for another long moment and then she closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his hand, still wrapped up in hers. She kept her lips there for a long moment, sniffing at the tears that pressed hotly into her eyes.

And then she felt it. Her breath sucked in and she went completely still, everything in her body praying that she hadn’t just imagined the slight pressure on her fingers. And then it happened again; Harry’s hand squeezed hers just slightly – but it was more than enough to know that it was real.

With a gasp she sat up, her eyes flying open and straight to his face. And she would never, ever forget that moment as long as she lived; the moment that Harry’s eyes blinked open and met hers, giving real life to her husband once again.

“Harry?” Her voice was no more than a whisper as her eyes clouded with tears. “Harry can you hear me?”

“Alex,” he croaked out, his eyes blinking heavily several more times as he fought for focus.

“Oh my God, Harry,” she sobbed, the tears spilling over as she heard her name from his lips. A smile pulled at her lips; the first genuine smile to grace her face in almost twenty four hours. “Oh baby, you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice.”

“What…where…?” He finally managed to get out; his mouth was dry and everything was fuzzy and he couldn’t seem to make everything make sense.

“Sorry,” she shook her head, blinking and sending more tears streaming down her face. “Let me just…” She reached over and pressed the call button for the nurse’s station, remembering that she had been told to buzz them as soon as he was awake. “You’re in the hospital. You’ve been unconscious for about twelve hours. There was an accident at the track and…” She shook her head, unable to continue past the lump in her throat. “I just…Harry, I was so worried. I…”

“Oh Alex,” he said, struggling with the effort it took to get the words out. “I’m so sorry…I don’t…” He stopped and tried to swallow, trying to get some moisture in his mouth.

“Shhhh,” she shook her head and moved closer. She kept her hand held in his and moved the other to his face, her fingertips moving gently over his cheek. “The nurse will bring you in some water.  Don’t apologize, my love. I’m just so happy to see your eyes, to hear your voice, to have you looking at me again. Harry, I…” She bit her lip and leaned in to rest her forehead on his shoulder, the best version of holding him in her arms that she could do right then. “Thank you for staying. Thank you for…”

“Alex…” he whispered, his head turning slightly so he could press his lips to the side of her head. He was still fuzzy and confused but even in that moment he knew. He could tell by the ache in his body and the tears in his wife’s eyes; he was more than just injured.

He’d come close to not waking up.

The door opened then and the nurse came in, a slight smile pulling at her lips as she realized that Harry was awake. “Good morning,” she said, her eyes moving between Harry and Alex as she walked over, pulling her stethoscope from around her neck as she went. “I’m Nurse Rachel. You’re awake, which is a great thing,” she nodded down to Harry as she pushed a few buttons on one of the monitors. She picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers before waiting a couple seconds and then hanging it up. “Your doctor will be down shortly, but I’m going to take a couple of quick vitals and then…”

“Water,” Harry interrupted with a ghost of a smile and eyes that were growing clearer by the second. “Before any of that…water.”

“Ah,” Rachel nodded. “I can definitely help you with that.” She moved over to the sink and pulled out a plastic cup. She filled it up quickly and then pulled a straw from a drawer before moving back over to Harry. “Ma’am? Would you like to hold this for him while I check some vitals?”

“Yes, of course,” Alex nodded, reaching for the cup and turning the straw to Harry’s lips. His eyes closed as he took several slow pulls from the straw, stopping to take a breath before going back for a few more big gulps. “Better?” Alex asked softly as the nurse moved quickly around, taking his temperature and checking his heartbeat.

Harry nodded as his head fell back against the pillow. His eyes stayed on Alex as the nurse moved her stethoscope down from his heart to his sternum and directed him to take a deep breath so she could listen to his lungs. He did and his face immediately twisted in pain.

“Jesus,” he groaned, his eyes closing as he let out the breath.

Alex turned wide eyes up to the nurse who gave her a warm, sympathetic smile and said, “It’s the broken ribs.”

“Broken ribs?” Harry asked, his voice hoarse as he opened his eyes again.

“Three of them,” Nurse Rachel nodded. “And a broken collarbone.” She pulled her stethoscope back around her neck as Harry looked down and seemed to really take stock of himself for the first time, taking in the extent of which he was bandaged up and the two casts in place – one on his left arm and one on his right leg. Alex could see the shadow pass across his face as he took it all in and it made her want to cry; he had to be in so much pain and so overwhelmed she couldn’t help the instinct inside of her that made her want to take him in her arms and tell him it would all be okay.

But before she could try to comfort him, a rustling noise from behind her caught their attention. Alex turned and Harry’s eyes flickered towards the noise just in time to see Emma sitting up, her eyes blinking open slowly into the soft light of the room. She reached up to push her slightly crazy-from-sleep mess of blonde hair from her face as she registered what was going on.

“Mummy?” she mumbled, her eyes shifting from Alex to the nurse. But before Alex could answer, Emma’s gaze shifted to Harry. Her lips parted in surprise and her big blue eyes went as wide as saucers as she realized that he was awake. Any hint of sleepiness disappeared in an instant her face broke out into the biggest, brightest smile she’d ever had. She bolted from the cot, every single bit of her attention focused on one thing only.

“Daddy!”

“Whoa!” Alex laughed, reaching out to catch Emma before she full on launched herself at Harry. “Careful, Em. He’s hurt, remember? No jumping on him.”

“I’m sorry,” Emma rushed out, immediately calming her rush to Harry, though the pure happiness on her face remained. She reached up to push back her wild curls again as she looked from her mum to her dad. “I’m really sorry but I’m just so happy to see you. I was so worried when Mimi and Poppy told me that you were in a car accident. And then when Aunt Charlotte brought me here I was so worried – and Aunt Charlotte was really worried too. Mummy told me you weren’t awake and I was so sad, but you’re awake now and…” Her smile pulled even wider and she clasped her hands in front of her. “I am just  _really_  happy to see you, Daddy!”

Harry’s eyes softened and his lips pulled into a smile, the aching pain in his body momentarily forgotten with Emma’s sweet words. Alex couldn’t help but tear up as she hugged her daughter from behind; she loved how much Emma and Harry loved each other.

“I’m really, really happy to see you too, Em,” Harry said softly. “I’m glad you’re here with your mum.”

“Can I please hug you?” Emma asked, glancing from Harry and up to Nurse Rachel, looking for some sort of permission.

“A hug might be a little much – he’s got broken ribs and a broken collarbone,” Nurse Rachel said kindly. “But maybe your mum can lift you up and you can give him a kiss?”

“I think mum can do that,” Alex said as she turned to Harry and lifted her eyebrows, making sure it was okay with him too. He nodded and she smiled and then reached for Emma, lifting her up so that her knees settled gently on the side of the bed.

Emma leaned over and, careful not to press against him anywhere it could hurt, she pressed a sweet kiss to the side of his cheek. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, Princess,” Harry murmured, turning his head just slightly to press a kiss against the side of her head. His eyes turned up to meet Alex’s as she moved to lift Emma from the bed and held them for a moment, all kinds of emotions flying between them in that short beat of time until finally Harry. “And I love you too, Mum.”

Alex nodded as she lifted Emma and set her on the floor, unable to blink back the tears that fell from her eyes. She wiped at them and then leaned into give him her own kiss on the cheek and whispered, “Oh I love you too, Henry Charles.”

************

The next few hours were a flurry of activity that almost spun Alex’s head. She had spent what seemed like forever in the worst sort of purgatory, and now things had completely flipped around.

Harry’s doctor had come in and, after looking over his vitals and doing a thorough examination of his wounds, had said that he was progressing well. The swelling in his brain was going and all of the bleeding had been stopped. All things considering, he was doing well.

Alex had told Harry’s family that he was awake and had witnessed their joyful, tender, tear filled reunions. She had watched and laughed when Matt and Charlotte came in and Charlotte had teared up and told Harry that this was  _not_  the way to get back at her for scaring him during her ordeal during Cooper’s birth.

Yes, he was still hurt. No, it wasn’t going to be back to normal right away. But instead of fear and anxiety on the faces of everyone around her, now there were only smiles and relief and happiness.

But even then, she could quite shake the incredible knot of nerves in the pit of her stomach. So when Harry’s pain medicine kicked in and he drifted off to sleep once again, she left Emma in the capable hands of her brother and left the room with the excuse that she needed to get some coffee and something to eat.

Her breath hitched as she walked swiftly down the hallway. She wasn’t going to get coffee. And there was no way she could eat anything. Not yet. When she reached the door to the private waiting room she pushed it open, relieved when she saw that it was empty. And then she walked straight over to a chair and sank down onto it, put her head in her hands, for what seemed like the hundredth time in since the accident, she began to cry.

Maybe she should have been worried about how loud the sobs that wracked her body were; concerned that someone could hear her. But she wasn’t; she didn’t give it a single thought. All she could do was sit there and cry out all of the incredible tension that had overtaken her body in the last twenty-four hours.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been crying when the door to the waiting room opened. She pulled her face from her hands, her eyes wide and red-rimmed as they swung up to the doorway.

“Charlotte.” She let out a ragged breath, relieved at who was standing there.

“I’m sorry,” Charlotte said, holding her hands up. “I didn’t know you were in here. I forgot my phone. Your mom has Coop and I didn’t want to miss…”

“No, it’s okay,” Alex sniffed. “It’s okay. I should probably get back. I just…I needed…” Her lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears again.

Charlotte stepped into the room then, shutting the door behind her and moving straight to Alex. She slid into the seat next to her and Charlotte’s arms moved around Alex, hugging her tight and close. “Cry,” Charlotte ordered in only the way that she could, that bossy way that was also filled with the fiercest kind of love and understanding that there was.

So Alex did, she cried and cried and cried. She got it all out – a day’s worth of all the emotional shit she’d gone through. And when she was done, when there were no more tears left, when her snobs had faded into soft hiccups and then small sniffles, she finally lifted her head, a small but grateful smile on lips.

“Charlotte,” she murmured. “Thank you. You didn’t have to…”

“Oh shut up,” Charlotte replied with a roll of her eyes, bringing a small giggle from Alex’s lips. “I’m your friend and your  _sister_. That’s what families do.”

“When did you get so sappy?” Alex teased as she took the tissue that Charlotte offered and wiped her eyes.

“Jesus. The moment you and Matt walked into my life probably,” she huffed, though she smiled with her words. “I’m glad he’s okay, Alex.”

“Me too,” Alex nodded, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know what I would have done if…” She trailed off and then took another steadying breath. I am so relieved and… _happy_. But I just can’t seem to shake the fear.”

“Have you slept? Eaten?” Charlotte asked.

“I slept a bit here and there. Not for very long. And I haven’t eaten. There’s no way I could have with…”

“You need to,” Charlotte interrupted. “You need to go home and eat and take a shower and get some sleep.”

“Home?!” Alex’s voice rose and her eyes flew wide. “I can’t go home.”

“Yes, you can,” Charlotte insisted, her practical nature taking over. “Harry will be out for hours and hours. At least go home and shower and eat. Put Emma in her bed and let her sleep. If you still want to come up here after that, call me and Matt and I will go stay with her.”

“I can’t ask you to…”

“Alex. Go home. If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of him.”

Alex opened her mouth, prepared to argue her point, but she found she didn’t really have the strength to disagree with Charlotte. She was right, and Alex knew it. “Fine,” she sighed as she rubbed at her eyes. “You’re right.”

“Of course I am,” Charlotte nodded and Alex couldn’t help but laugh again as she leaned in to hug her friend.

“Thank you, Charlotte. I appreciate it more than you know.”

**************

As much as Alex didn’t want to leave the hospital, she had to admit that Charlotte was right. She’d gotten home, tucked Emma into bed, forced herself to eat something, and then taken a long, hot shower.

And it helped. It made a part of her relax; being in the places that she shared with Harry. It was a little bit of normalcy that helped calm her brain from the past twenty-four hours.

She put on her comfortable pajamas when she got out of the shower and then brushed out her wet hair before pulling it up into a haphazard knot on the top of her head. She stepped into their bedroom and took a breath as she looked at their bed and she knew without even trying that she wasn’t going to be able to sleep there. She couldn’t sleep in their bed while he was laid up in a hospital bed in pain. She just couldn’t.

She grabbed his pillow from the bed and then pulled off the comforter, dragging it behind her as she left the room and went slowly down the stairs. Her intention had been to go into their living room and cuddle up on their big, comfy couch. But when she hit the bottom of the stair, her eyes slid to the open door just down the hall – the door to his office.

Without a second thought to the living room she padded down to his office and moved through the open doorway and flipped on the light.

And she smiled.

She loved this room; everything about it. It was so very much her husband. She loved the way he looked when he sat behind the dark wood desk, looking equal parts regal and successful businessman at the same time. She loved that the picture of him and Emma cuddled up and asleep so many years ago took a place of pride on his desk, right next to one of their wedding photos. She loved that when she put her pillow and blanket down on the couch and then walked over to his desk to look at those photos, she also found the plans for the current renovations on their new apartment spread out on his desk. There were little notes made in his familiar scrawl on the plans; items that needed changing and things that she had suggested she wanted. He had remembered all of them and made sure to add them – valuing her input tremendously on the project. But the thing she loved most of all was that when he was there, he always made her feel so welcome in this room. He always stopped whatever he was doing when she came in, never making her feel as if she couldn’t come in while he was working. This room felt more like Harry than any other room in their house. And that’s why she knew that if she was going to get any sleep, it would be in that room.

Eventually she turned out the light and slid onto the couch, pulling the blanket up around her. She reached for her phone on the low table in front of the couch and set the alarm for just a few hours ahead, wanting to get back to him as soon as possible.

And then she closed her eyes; doing the best she could to will herself to sleep.

_To Be Continued…_


	96. Chapter Ninety-Six

A/N: This chapter starts about three days after Harry’s accident. I hope you enjoy!

**********

“Good afternoon,” Alex said with a smile as she stepped into Harry’s room. He was awake, smiling back at her, and his eyes were brighter than they had been since he’d been in the hospital.

“Will went to get a nurse and you walk in,” he said as she moved closer to him. “Does that mean it’s time for a sponge bath?”

The teasing joke made her eyes flash wide for a second and brought a startled giggle from her. “A sponge bath? Goodness. How many of those pain meds did they give you?” He laughed softly and Alex’s grin pulled wider. She moved in to sit on the side of the bed next to his legs and her hand reached for his, her fingers curling around his. “You look like you’re feeling better. A bit more…you.”

“I am,” he nodded. “William brought me some fish and chips that didn’t come from… _here_.” He pulled a face and Alex giggled. “And for the first time in three days I don’t feel like I’m in a complete fog.”

“I could have brought you some food,” Alex murmured, her head tipping to the side. “I didn’t know…”

“Please don’t apologize.” His fingers squeezed hers. “He just stopped by with it. I didn’t know I wanted it until he was here.”

“Okay,” she nodded, her smile pulling at her lips again. “Well, maybe I’ll run out and find us some bangers and mash for dinner later.”

“You hate bangers and mash,” Harry chuckled.

“Ugh. I really do,” she groaned, bringing another warm laugh from her husband. “It might have to be fish and chips again.”

“Hey, I’ll take anything as long as it didn’t come from  _here_.”

“Fair enough,” Alex nodded. “Anything else you need? Something that I can get for you from the  _outside_.”

“Hmmm,” Harry’s lips tugged up and his eyes danced as they held hers for a long moment. “How about a kiss?”

“A kiss?” Her eyebrows lifted and her lips twitched. “You want me to bring that to you from the outside?”

“Alexandra,” he shook his head and the look he threw at her was downright cheeky; she felt her cheeks flush. “I want my  _wife_  to give me a kiss.”

“Ah,” she smiled and scooted a bit closer. “As it so happens, I have the ability to make that happen.”

“I thought you might,” Harry grinned as she leaned forward and then pressed her lips to his.

And thought she had meant it to be a soft, chaste kiss, she couldn’t help but sigh as she felt his warm lips against hers and she didn’t have the willpower to pull away from him just yet. They couldn’t hold each other – Harry couldn’t move his arms around her, and she couldn’t risk causing him pain but putting her arms around him. But in that moment, sharing that soft, sweet, tender kiss was more than enough. It had been the kiss they couldn’t share for days and the kiss that held the promise of so many more kisses – kisses that both of them were more than aware that they had come too close to losing forever.

“Oh no, I don’t think your doctor has cleared you for those activities yet!”

They pulled apart, each of them laughing as they turned around to find Will standing there. The nurse behind him was furiously trying to avert her eyes anywhere but at Alex and Harry.

“I cleared him for it,” Alex replied with a smirk, her hand squeezing Harry’s once more before she moved to stand from the bed. “I assume you have no problems with that, William?”

“None at all,” Will chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender before moving in to kiss her cheeks.

“I’m very sorry,” Alex turned a smile to the nurse. “I know we’re holding you up from doing your job.”

“Not at all ma’am,” the nurse smiled back, a bit more at ease in the room now and silently touched at how normal they really all were. She nodded to both William and Alex and then stepped around them to attend to Harry’s needs.

“How are you, Alex?” William asked in a low voice, his concern for her wellbeing evident in his eyes.

“I’m doing much better,” she said. “Thank you for being here this afternoon with him while I picked up Emma from school. And for feeding him.”

“You’re welcome,” William chuckled. “Where is Emma? Did you bring her with you?”

“I dropped her off with Zara to have a riding lesson,” Alex replied. “Matt will pick her up and bring her up her after so she can spend time with Harry this evening. Even with everything going on…” She nodded back towards Harry. “I want her to do her normal things; give her something to focus her energy on.”

“Of course,” William nodded. “You know, if you need us to take her for a night here and there, we don’t mind at all. We love having her at our place.”

“You just like playing dress up with her,” Alex quipped, bringing a groan of a laugh from Will.

“I didn’t dress up. I judged…you know what? Nevermind,” he chuckled with a shake of his head.

“Thank you,” Alex said, her voice holding a bit more seriousness. “I appreciate the offer. If I need to take you up on it I’ll call you guys, okay?”

“Certainly,” William nodded. He glanced up towards Harry just as the nurse was stepping away and then heading towards the door. “She get you taken care of?”

“What did you need?” Alex asked, her attention turning back to focus on her husband.

“They changed up my pain meds,” Harry replied, leaning his head back against the bed. “They put me on something less intense, but they have to give it to me orally instead of through the IV.”

“Ah,” Alex nodded, secretly glad Harry was off of the morphine drip. She knew he couldn’t get more than the machine allowed, but for some reason the powerful narcotic bothered her a bit.

“They still make me sleepy though,” Harry sighed, leaning his head back against the pillow.

Alex exchanged a glance with Will, knowing that Harry was frustrated with not being able to move and not being alert for most of the time.

“It won’t be forever,” Alex said softly, stepping over to the bed to look down on him. “How about…you sleep now, and tonight when you wake up I’ll be back with food and with Emma. Plus, I think Matt and Charlotte are going to bring Cooper by to visit his Uncle Harry tonight.”

“Mmhmm…sounds like a wonderful night,” Harry nodded.

“It does,” Alex smiled, leaning down to kiss his warm lips once more, flat out ignoring Will’s playful groan across the room. “We will see you then.”

**********

Harry spent just over two weeks in the hospital. In truth, he probably could have gone home a little earlier; the pain in his body had faded for the most part, and he only needed medication to sleep at night. But because there was no way to fix a broken collarbone or broken ribs other than just waiting for them to heal, his doctors made the decision to keep him a little bit of extra time to ensure he stayed immobile, allowing those bones to begin the healing process a bit faster.

The press camped out in front of the hospital didn’t diminish over those two weeks. The chord that Harry’s accident had struck within the people had ensured that waiting for any sign or word of Harry or his condition, as well as photographing the many visitors that came in and out to see him – including the recently widowed and still in mourning, Queen Elizabeth – was well worth the time spent outside waiting.

Alex was there every single day, of course. Some nights she spent at the hospital, while others she stayed home with Emma, choosing to go first thing in the morning after she had sent Emma to school. In the evenings, Emma would come up to the hospital to spend time with Harry, something she looked forward to every single day. She missed her dad at home; and made sure to tell him so as much as she could. On nights that Alex chose to stay with Harry at the hospital, Emma would stay with Molly or her parents. She also spent a night with Charles and Camilla and the next day she couldn’t hold back about how much she loved Papa Charles and Granny Cam (and their very large library of books, complete with many books from when Camilla’s children were small.) She always came back from visits with them clutching another classic children’s book in her hands and a wide smile on her face.

It was a couple of days before Harry was due to be discharged when Zara and Mike came from a visit; their second since Harry’s accident. Alex and Will were both there as well, and everyone was incredibly pleased that Harry seemed to be doing so much better.

And he was. The bruising and swelling on his face was gone and the color seemed to have permanently returning to his skin. They had all just gotten through commenting on those very things when a knock sounded out on Harry’s hospital room door.

“Knock, knock!” Nurse Rachel called out as she opened the door and stuck her head in. Seeing the visitors in Harry’s room she smiled and nodded at them and then turned to look at her patient. “I know you’re having some time with your family, but can we interrupt for a moment?”

“We?” Harry lifted his eyebrows. “Ah Nurse R, don’t tell me you’re bringing another doctor around to poke at me.”

“Worse,” she grinned, pushing the door open and stepping into the room. A tall, slender black man about Harry and Alex’s age walked in behind her. “This is Dr. Benjamin Scott. He’s going to be in charge of your physical therapy plan. He wanted to meet the man he’s going to be torturing for the next few months.”

Harry let out a surprised chuckle and his eyes slid to Dr. Scott. The dimples in his cheeks gave his easy smile the impression of kindness, but it also held the smallest touch of a smirk. He looked relaxed and easygoing but Harry could tell that exterior was carefully constructed; it could give way in favor of being disciplined when needed. Without a word exchanged between them, Harry thought the young doctor reminded him very much of himself.

He liked him immediately.

“I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be nervous or up to the challenge,” Harry joked.

“As an officer in the British Army, I’d expect you to be up to the challenge,” Dr. Scott responded instantly, the smirk in his smile only increasing. “I know if you were in the RAF you would be.”

Alex couldn’t help the giggle that fell from her lips at the dig, Zara and Mike both snorted with laughter in the corner, but it was William’s shout of laughter that filled the air around them.

“Now, how much did my brother pay you to say that?” Harry grinned, drawing more laughs from around the room.

“Absolutely nothing,” Dr. Scott laughed as he stepped forward to the bed. “It comes naturally to us RAF men.”

“You’re former RAF?” Harry’s brows lifted in surprise.

“Yes sir,” Dr. Scott nodded. “I served four years. Two tours of Afghanistan. And when they asked me to head up your recovery process, there is no way I could say no to getting paid to push around an Army man.”

Harry laughed and nodded. “I suppose I can’t blame you for that.” He lifted his good arm as much as he could, holding it out for the doctor who shook it gently. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Scott.”

“Please, call me Ben,” he returned. “If I may call you Harry?”

“Absolutely,” Harry nodded and then turned his gaze towards Alex, who grinned at the light that the banter with the doctor had brought into his eyes. “Ben, this is my wife, Alexandra.”

“Please, call me Alex,” she said, her smile widening as she extended her hand to the young doctor.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Alex,” Ben smiled as he shook her hand. “I hope you don’t mind that I’ll be pushing around your husband for the next few months.”

“Not at all,” she chuckled. “In fact, I’m rather looking forward to it.”

“Hey!” Harry called out, turning wide eyes to his wife. “Traitor!”

Everyone in the room laughed, including Harry, who then immediately set about introducing Ben to his brother, Zara, and Mike. A few more minutes were spent bantering and then, with the promise to come back before Harry was discharged with a comprehensive plan for his physical therapy, Dr. Ben Scott took his leave of the room, Nurse Rachel following along right behind him.

And with that, Harry was one step closer to going home.

And one more step closer to getting better.

**********

Though things had been on the upswing for Harry, and the day of his release from the hospital should have been the pinnacle for that, the reality of the fact that the press were waiting outside in droves for him brought his mood crashing down the ground that morning.

Robin Jeffries, a no-nonsense gentleman in his mid-thirties from Harry and Alex’s office who was filling in for Charlotte while she was on maternity leave, had arrived first thing that morning. And he brought the start realities of Harry’s public life with him.

The press had been allowed to gather and wait for Harry to exit the hospital around noon. They would be getting the photo op they wanted; the first pictures of the injured Prince after his accident.

And Harry wasn’t happy  _at all_  about it.

“No,” Harry shook his head, his cheeks reddening as his gaze narrowed on Robin. “This is ridiculous. I’m not going out there to  _paraded_  in front of the press for their… _amusement_.”

Robin cleared his throat as he formulated his next words carefully. He wasn’t intimidated by Harry; he’d been working in the Prince’s office for years and knew him well. But he also knew that there was a reason Charlotte had always been the one to “handle” Harry when it came to matters of the press. It was a fine art sometimes; an art that Robin had yet to fully master.

“Sir, it’s really a standard photo op. You don’t have to do an interview or speak to them at all. Just go out, smile…”

“Smile?” Harry interrupted, his eyebrows lifting. “I  _am_  being paraded about then. I’m sorry Robin, you’re just going to have to call them off.”

“Sir,” Robin’s eyes flashed to Alex and then back to Harry. “You know as well as I do that we cannot do that.”

“Robin,” Alex said sweetly, stepping in when she saw the way Harry’s jaw clenched at Robin’s words. “I’m sorry, but would you mind giving me a few moments alone with my husband?”

“Of course, ma’am,” Robin nodded. “I’ll be right outside whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” Alex smiled. She watched as he left the room, and as soon as the door shut she turned to Harry, crossing her arms over her chest as she raised her eyebrows at him. “Alright, what’s the deal, Sussex?”

“Alex…” he sighed as she continued to look at him, waiting for a response. “What?” he finally asked. “What do you want me to say?”

“How about why you’re so irritated to have to go out the front door with the photographers present?”

“You just heard me say why.”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “But I’m not buying it. You are practically on display everywhere you go in public. You know giving the press a picture in this case is…well, sort of expected. The public wants to see you. So why are you so grumpy about it?”

“Grumpy?” His lips twitched up at her word choice.

“Mhmmm,” she nodded, her gaze unwavering as she waited for him to answer.

“Christ, I don’t know, Alex,” he groaned, reaching up with his good arm to run his hand through his hair. “I mean, look at me. I can’t even  _walk_  out there. I’m going to be wheeled out and then helped into the car. The whole world is going to see me in pain and…”

“So?” she interrupted and his eyes swung to hers, widening in surprise.

“I’m sorry?”

“Harry, you were in a major car accident. Believe me when I tell you this – no one is going to think less of you for being in pain. Baby, they’re just glad you’re  _alive.”_

“Alex…” Harry’s face softened with her words.

“I’m serious, Harry. I know you know there have been comparisons to your mother’s death but it really just…invoked this  _feeling_  in people. They loved her and they  _love_  you and they need to see that you’re okay.”

“Alright,” he finally nodded after a long moment, knowing she was right. “You’re right. I have to do it.”

“Yeah,” she smiled softly and then moved to sit on the best next to him. “You do. And…to assure that you’re prepared to go out there with at least a little bit of a smile on your face…I’m prepared to make a bargain with you.”

“A bargain?” he chuckled, interest sparking in his eyes. “What kind of a bargain?”

“Well…” She turned and reached for her bag. She slid out some sort of hat and then turned to Harry as she placed it on her head, her eyes dancing as she waited for his reaction.

Harry's eyebrows lifted. “A nurse's hat?”

Alex nodded and pressed her lips together to keep a giggle from slipping out at just how fast his attention was turned.  “The rest of this outfit is at home and I thought that later on I might...you know, play nurse for you. Give you that sponge bath?”

Harry's lips curved up. “What kind of outfit are we talking here? Scrubs or...the naughty nurse variety.”

“Ha! The naughty variety. Incredibly short skirt and all.”

“Oh God. Okay. I'll go out there. I'll make nice and pull a smile for the cameras.”

“Yeah?” Alex laughed. “Well, that was easy.”

“Jesus. You could probably make me agree to anything dressed up as a naughty nurse.”

Alex giggled. “I'll keep that in mind, Sussex.”

And Harry lived up to his word. When he was pushed in that wheelchair out of the hospital doors and down the ramp towards the waiting Range Rover, he smiled and even offered a wave to the cameras.

And the truth was that it wasn’t so hard to do. He hadn’t been outside in two weeks. He hadn’t felt the heat of the summer sun on his skin or heard much else besides beeping machines in all of that time. Being able to take a deep breath of fresh air eased him considerably and he really didn’t mind so much that the press were yelling questions at him and clicking away with their cameras.

It all moved rather quickly. Harry was assisted into the car by a member of the hospital staff and his protection officer. He stretched out across the backseat, propping his leg up and offering one more wave before his car door was shut. He let out a deep breath and then the doors for the front seats were opening; his P.O. slid into the passenger seat and his wife slid into the driver’s seat, shutting the door firmly behind her.

“You’re driving me home?” he chuckled, his eyebrows lifted in that adorably teasing way he had.

“Of course,” she said as she turned around with a determined but adorable look on her face. “I’m not taking any chances with you and cars. This way I know you’ll be driven home safe…no offence, Mark,” she deadpanned, turning to Harry’s protection officer next to her.

“None taken, ma’am,” Mark replied, his lips twitching up as he tried in vain to conceal how humorous he found it.

“Good,” Alex nodded before turning around to grin and wink at Harry. “Are you ready to go home, baby? Our daughter is waiting on us.”

“God yes,” he grinned. “Take me home, Alex.”

*********

As soon as they had made it home and managed to maneuver Harry through the front door, Emma came flying in from the living room, sliding across the marble floor in her socks as she was tailed by the big ball of yellow fur that was their family dog, Gus.

“You’re home!” she squealed as she nearly stumbled as she halted in front of Harry. “Can I hug you?!”

“Yes,” Harry laughed, balancing carefully on his one crutch and his good leg as she moved forward and wrapped her arms gently around his waist.

“I missed you here, Daddy,” Emma said brightly as she pulled back from him. She sighed into a giggle as Gus pushed into her in his own excitement to see Harry. “And Gus did too.”

“I missed you both very much,” Harry said with a grin, reaching out to give Gus a scratch behind the ears and then moving to ruffle Emma’s head of blonde curls. “Now, who’s watching you? Or are you and Gus here all alone?”

“I’m here! I’m here!” a voice called out from the kitchen and moving closer to them. Molly appeared around the same corner that Emma had come from, her face lighting up and tears coming to her eyes when she saw Harry. “Well, look at you. Welcome home, Captain Wales,” she grinned as she moved forward to kiss his cheeks. “What are you doing standing? We need to get you sitting down and relaxing,” she continued without waiting for him to answer.

Alex set her stuff down and watched with a grin as Molly clucked over Harry; helping him into the living room and getting him comfortable and stretched out on the couch. Then she bustled off to the kitchen to get him something to drink and something to snack on and Alex followed, leaving Emma to some alone time with her dad while he got settled.

“Are you cooking for an army in here?” Alex joked as she moved through the kitchen door and took in the spread Molly had going.

“Psh,” Molly waved her hand. “You have a husband to nurse back to health. You don’t need to worry about cooking. I’m just making up some quick casseroles for you for the week.”

“What would I do without you?” Alex sighed as she plucked a chopped carrot from the cutting board and popped it into her mouth. “He looks a lot better, doesn’t he?”

“God, yes,” Molly nodded, turning towards Alex with wide eyes. “His color is back. He’s really so lucky, honey. That was…a terrible crash.”

“Yeah,” Alex sighed, biting at her lip. “It was.”

“Do they know why the brakes went out?”

“No,” Alex shook her head. “They’re investigating though.”

Molly’s eyes widened. “Do they think its foul play?”

“I can’t imagine it was,” Alex shrugged. “That would be…strange. I can’t imagine who would…”

“Mummy!” Emma’s voice interrupted their conversation and a moment later she pushed through the kitchen door, a hand on her hip. “What’s taking so long?! Daddy is  _thirsty_.”

“Let’s think about that tone in your voice,” Alex said, narrowing her eyes and immediately Emma looked contrite.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Mum. But Daddy is thirsty. Can I have a drink to bring him please?”

“Better,” Alex smiled. She shared a look with Molly and then went to the fridge, pulled out a bottle of water, and then followed her daughter from the room, letting the conversation she was having with Molly fall to the side for now.

***********

Harry was incredibly glad to be home; so happy to be surrounded by his girls. Molly visited for a bit and then took her leave, letting them settle into being together in their home again after two very long, unsettling weeks.

Alex heated up one of Molly’s casseroles and they had a casual dinner in the living room and then turned on a movie, but it wasn’t long until Harry was getting tired and his body started to grow achy. He’d done so much more moving that day than he’d done for a long time and it had worn him out. So Alex and Emma had both helped him up the stairs and to the bedroom. Emma had adorably offered to read  _him_  a bedtime story since he couldn’t come tuck her in and read her one and he happily accepted, letting her climb in between him and Alex and read him the classic Dr. Seuss book, “Green Eggs and Ham”.

After the story, Emma kissed Harry goodnight and Alex left to go tuck their daughter in for the night. And when she came back several minutes later, her eyes immediately fell on Harry. He was still propped up on their bed, just as she had left him; but something about seeing him there waiting for her to come to bed, hit her right in the chest and completely unexpected tears filled her eyes.

“Hey,” he said, his forehead scrunching up in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she shook her head and let out a puff of a laugh. “I just…had a moment where I realized how much I’ve missed you here with me. And how…close I came to… _not_  having you here with me.

And there it was. The words they’d both been avoiding for the two weeks since Harry’s accident.

Harry’s breath pulled heavy in his chest and he swallowed and the lump that formed in his throat. “Alex, I…” he blinked a few times and took a deep breath. “We need to talk about it.”

“We don’t have to do it tonight,” she murmured, shaking her head as she wiped away more tears.

“Yes, we do,” he responded, his voice softer; deeper. “Come on, Alexandra. Get in bed with your husband. We’ll talk.”

She smiled softly, nodded, and then took a deep breath as she moved to her side of the bed. She pulled back the covers and slid into bed with him, careful not to jostle him too much before pulling up the covers around her legs and turning to face him.

“Come here,” he murmured, lifting his good arm up.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered, her voice a bit timid.

“I’ll be fine,” he chuckled. “Come here…please?”

Her smile pulled a little higher and she leaned into him gently, curling into his side and laying her head softly on his chest. She couldn’t deny how good it felt to be nestled against him.

“I missed you,” she sighed, her eyes closing and her body relaxing as his warmth seeped into her. His arm moved around her and he held her closer, enjoying the moment just as much as she was.

They were both silent for several long moments; neither of them knowing exactly where or how to start. But in the end, it was Alex who spoke first, her soft, breathy voice making Harry’s heart clench with her words.

“I nearly lost it, Harry. When the crash happened…I was screaming and crying and…well, the media caught it all on camera of course. So I’m sure at some point you’ll see…”

“Alex,” his voice was gruff. “I don’t want to see…”

“And on the way to the hospital,” she continued, wanting to get the words out. “All I could think was, what if? What if he doesn’t make it? What if I have to tell Emma that her dad…” Her voice broke and she trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut against the hot rush of tears.

“Oh baby, I’m so sorry,” Harry breathed as his own emotions surged. “I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.”

“It’s not…you don’t have to apologize,” Alex sniffed, a small, breath of a laugh coming out with it. “It’s not your fault. You were in surgery, fighting for your  _life_.”

“Yeah,” Harry let out a breath. “But it’s not like I  _remember_ that.”

And for whatever reason, his words struck some chord inside of Alex somewhere that made her giggle. The first one slipped from her lips unexpectedly, but even after she pressed her lips tightly together to keep her laughter in, it came rushing out anyway. Her shoulders shook with it and Harry was more than happy to let her lay there and giggle, loving the sound and the way it pushed aside the hurt in her voice.

That was, until she jostled him just a bit too hard, sending a sharp pain up through his broken ribs.

“Ow!” he hissed, sucking in a breath.

“Oh!” Alex gasped, moving to sit up. “See! I told you that I would hurt you!”

Harry let out a long breath as the pain subsided and then turned tired, but warm and sweet eyes up to her. “It was worth it.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded, reaching out to pull her hand into his. “I love you so much, Alexandra. I promise you that the thought that I could have left you and Emma here without me make… _ache_  on the inside. It makes me restless and upset and…” His hand squeezed hers and the moment hung heavy in the air between them. I’m sorry you had to sit with that for hours without knowing how it would end.

She held his gaze for a long moment and then nodded, letting out a breath she hadn’t even known she’d been holding. “I’m so happy it ended the way it did. Well, apart from all the broken bones of course.”

“Of course,” he chuckled. “I’m willing to deal with the broken bones to be able to be here with you. And be Emma’s father. And make ten more babies with you.

“Okay, now I know the pain meds are kicking in,” Alex laughed, loving the look on his face as she joked with him.

“Maybe a little,” he conceded, his eyes already getting heavy.

“Oh! I was supposed to play naughty nurse for you,” she grinned, just a hint of something mischievous in her eyes.

Harry’s lips curved up and he tugged on her hand, bringing her down closer to him. “How about I take a raincheck? Say…for when I’m well enough to watch you prance around in that outfit and actually do something about it?”

“Deal,” Alex smirked. She leaned down and dropped a kiss to his warm, soft lips and then pulled up, her own eyes growing heavier by the moment. She knew that with Harry home, she was going to sleep better than she had in the past two weeks.

“Deal.” His smile was smug in return, but she could see sleep starting to overtake him.

“Goodnight, Harry. I love you.”

“Mhmmm…love you too, Alexandra Mae…”

She smiled down on him, watching him as his eyes slid closed. His breathing evened out and the worry in his brow disappeared and Alex knew he was fast asleep. She leaned down to press one more kiss to his forehead and then she turned to switch off the lamp and pull the covers up around her.

And she was almost asleep before her head even hit the pillow.


	97. Chapter Ninety Seven

“What are you looking at?”

“Jesus!” Mia gasped, her hand flying to her heart at Alex’s voice right behind her. “You scared the mess out of me!”

“Ha!” Alex smirked and shook head. Her eyes darted to the window that Mia had been gazing out of before turning back to her assistant. “You sure were concentrating hard on Harry and his physical therapy doctor out there.”

Mia’s eyes flashed wide. “I swear I wasn’t looking at Harry.”

Alex’s smile twitched higher. “What were you looking at then?”

“Nothing…” Mia shrugged, skirting around Alex as she left the window to head back down the hall to Alex’s office.

“Mia?” Alex called, laughter in her voice as she followed her down the hall. “Were you looking at Dr. Ben?”

“Of course not,” Mia huffed as she marched over to Alex’s desk. She sank into the chair behind it and her eyes turned up to Alex, who stood on the other side, her arms crossed over her chest with a knowing smile on her file. “Fine!” Mia sighed, rolling her eyes. “I was looking at Dr. Ben. I can’t help it though, Alex. He is...God. He is sexy.”

Alex laughed as she moved into the chair across from Mia. “You know that if you wanted to go out with him, it’s totally okay right?”

“Please,” Mia laughed and waved a hand in the air. “He’s a hot doctor. He’s probably got a girlfriend. Actually, he’s probably married.”

“He’s not,” Alex shook her head and smile. “Married that is. The girlfriend part I don’t know about, though in the six weeks he’s been working with Harry since his accident, I’ve never heard him mention anyone. I could find out though.”

“Ha!” Mia laughed, her head tipping back into the chair. “I’m a twenty five year old woman. I think I can find out for myself.”

“Yeah?”

“No,” Mia replied with a resigned sigh. “He makes me too nervous. I can’t.”

Alex giggled and leaned back in her chair. “What if I told you that Harry’s invited him to sit at our table at the Boodles Boxing Ball next week. Harry told him that he could bring a guest if he wanted to but he said he would be coming by himself. I’d think if he had a girlfriend he’d definitely want to bring her.”

“Really?” Mia perked up. “Well...that’s promising. Are you sure Harry wouldn’t mind if I…”

“Not at all,” Alex laughed. “In case you hadn’t noticed, my husband is a bit of a romantic.”

“Especially now that he’s mostly back to his old self,” Mia smiled, just as impressed with everyone else at how far Harry had come. He was doing great mentally and physically; all of his casts were off with the exception of the knee high boot he still wore on his left leg; but it wouldn’t be long before that was off either.

Alex grinned. “He really is. And I’m so glad to have him back. It’s been a crazy start to a marriage, that’s for sure. But I have to say, I’m really looking forward to things settling down.”

**********

“Alright, Alex,” Anna smiled as she adjust the back of Alex’s dress just a bit and then stood, her eyes meeting her client and now friend’s in the mirror. “You’re ready to go.”

Alex’s smile pulled wide at her reflection. She was attending the Boodles Boxing Ball with Harry that evening and she was excited for a fun night out, dressed up in the beautiful floor length gown Anna had chosen for her. She had never attended Boodles while her and and Harry were dating; there had always been something else scheduled on the same dating, so she was looking forward to experiencing it all for the first time. “You’re such a genius, Anna. I love this dress. It’s stunning.”

Anna’s smile tipped a bit toward smug and Alex couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, you look phenomenal in it. Harry’s going to fall over when he sees you. Too bad it’ll be in public where he’ll be forced to keep his hands to himself. Why are you meeting him there again?”

Alex laughed and shook her head, long used to Anna’s direct and uncensored way of speaking to her. It might bother some; but she liked it. It made her feel less like she was being dressed by her stylist and more like she was having help getting ready from a friend. “He wanted to attend the cocktail hour, but I didn’t have enough time to come home and change from my engagement with Camilla this afternoon and make it to the cocktail hour. So he’s schmoozing right now then and I’ll join him before the weigh in and the main events start.”

“Gotcha,” Anna nodded before she turned and began to look through her makeup case. “Well, I’ve heard it’s a fantastic event and...damn.” She turned back to Alex, holding a small, empty box in her hand. “I’m out of small plastic baggies to put touch up makeup in for you. Do you happen to have any?”

“Sure,” Alex laughed. “Down in the kitchen. I’ll go grab…”

“No, no,” Anna waved a hand. “I’ll go get it and get you situated so you can get going.”

“Thank you,” Alex smiled. “They’re in the drawer next to the refrigerator.”

Anna nodded and then zoomed from the room on her mission. Alex turned to the mirror for one last glance. Satisfied with the way everything looked, she reached for her phone and typed out a quick message to Harry, letting him know they would be leaving shortly.

She had just hit send and slid her phone into her clutch when she heard movement in the doorway. She looked up, surprised to see her P.O. standing there instead of Anna.

“Patrick,” she said, smiling wide in an effort to hide her surprise. “Is...is everything alright?”

“Oh yes, ma’am,” Patrick sighed, his tone almost overly bright as he stepped into the room with a teacup in his hand. “I must say, you look very beautiful tonight.

Alex’s smile slipped a bit; something about the compliment not sitting well with her. “Well, thank you. I...I’m sorry,” she shook her head and took a breath. “Is there something you needed to run over with me?”

“Oh! No no,” Patrick smiled wider as he stepped further into the room. “I just thought you might want a cup of tea before you went to the benefit.”

Alex’s forehead creased in confusion as she looked down at the cup in his hand. “Um, no thank you, Patrick,” she said, her gaze lifting from the cup up to his once again. “But thank you for the offer.”

“Are you sure?” he pressed. He took another step forward and Alex had to swallow the urge to step back. “Because it’s this special brew that my grandmother created and…” He stepped forward again but tripped and before Alex had time to react, the cup went flying from his hand and it’s contents went flying right at her, landing in a dark pattern all down the front of her designer gown.

“Oh!” Alex cried, her hands flying to her mouth as she looked down at the front of her dress. “Oh my God!”

“Ma’am, I’m so sorry!” Patrick said in a rush, his eyes wide as he stepped toward her. He reached out for her and this time, Alex didn’t hold back her instinct to step back from him before he touched her.

“No, no….it’s fine I just...” She took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. “I just need to get Anna and dry to clean this or…”

“Here,” Patrick tried again, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and reaching out to wipe at one of the spots.

“OH MY GOD!” Anna’s screech from the doorway filled the room, her eyes wide as she took in the destruction on Alex’s dress. “What the hell happened...what are you doing?!” She directed her attention to Patrick as she rushed forward and snatched the handkerchief from his hand. “Never rub a stain like that,” she shook her head and then bent to look at the dress. “What is this? Tea?” she huffed. When Alex nodded she cringed and then hurried off into the bathroom. “I’m going to get a damp cloth and see what I can do1”

“I’m so sorry...please, you have to know how sorry I am,” Patrick turned wide eyes to Alex. “What can I do to make you see…”

“Patrick, it’s fine,” Alex held a hand up. “I know it was an accident.”

“It was!” he nodded quickly. “I just tripped. I just wanted to give you the tea and…”

“I didn’t want the damn tea!” Alex’s voice rose before she could stop herself and she watched as something flickered in Patrick’s eyes, something that made her uncomfortable in a way that she couldn’t quite pinpoint. “Look, Patrick. I’m sorry. I know it was an accident. I’m not...I just need to take care of this. So can you please go pull the car around and let Anna fix me so that I’m not massively late?”

“Yes, of course,” Patrick nodded, seeming to recover a little bit. “Are you sure…”

“Yes,” Alex sighed. “I’m sure. Please pull the car around. I’ll be out shortly.”

He shuffled on his feet for a moment and then finally nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Alex sighed in relief as he turned and strode from the room and Anna moved out of the bathroom, damp washcloth in hand. “What the hell was that?” Anna whispered, her eyes glancing towards the open doorway before she turned her attention to Alex’s tea-soaked dress.

“I don’t...I don’t know,” Alex shook her head, her voice wavering with her words.

“Hey,” Anna’s forehead scrunched up and she turned her gaze up to Alex. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Alex nodded, trying to smile as she waved her hand in front of her eyes. “I’m fine. I’m just...going to be late and this dress is just...you’re not going to be able to get to stains out and it cost like...three thousand pounds and…”

“Okay, okay,” Anna soothed and stood straight up, focusing on Alex. “Listen. I can get the stains out. I can get the stains out of anything. But for now, no…you can’t wear this dress. But we have the gown that you selected for the Sentebale Gala next month so we’ll just switch things up. It’ll work and you’ll look gorgeous in it. Let’s try it?”

“Absolutely,” Alex nodded, already pulling at the zipper on the dress she was wearing so she could get it off and step into the other dress quickly.

“Here, let me,” Anna said, moving around to tug at the zipper. “Seriously, I cannot believe he threw a cup of tea on a dress that costs three thousand pounds,” she muttered as she pulled the dress off Alex, slipping it onto a hanger before moving to the closet to pull out the replacement gown. “He should be sent to the damn Tower.”

“For ruining my dress?”

“No,” Anna shook her head as she helped Alex into the floor length, one shoulder fuschia number that really did look amazing on her. “For crimes against the Crown.”

And despite her frustration level and the fact that she was going to be late, Alex couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll talk to Harry and see what we can do.”

**************

After the dress change and the necessary accessory changes; shoes and jewelry, it took an extra half an hour for Alex to finally get out of the door of their cottage at Kensington. By the time she slid into the back of the waiting car, she was more than a little anxious about just how late she was running. She hated not being on time and she especially hate that she was late because of something that should be been completely unavoidable.

“Are you alright, ma’am?”

Alex looked up to find Patrick glancing at her in the rearview mirror as he pulled the car away from the cottage and towards the gates to exit the Palace grounds.

“Yes,” she answered simply, as she turned her attention down to her clutch, preferring not to elaborate and potentially encourage a dialogue between the two of them. She snapped open the clutch to pull out her phone, wanting to text Harry and let him know she was on her way finally. Surely he would be starting to wonder what was keeping her. “What the hell?” she whispered as she moved around the contents of her clutch, none of which appeared to be her phone.

“Is something the matter, ma’am?” Patrick called back.

“I don’t have my phone,” Alex sighed. “I swear I put in back in here. I hadn’t let my husband know I’m running late.”

“Not to worry,” Patrick smiled wide as he glanced back at her, as if he were extraordinarily pleased with himself. “I’ve contacted the Duke’s detail and informed them of the situation.”

“Oh, well alright. Thank you,” Alex nodded, though she still wasn’t completely comfortable or happy with the fact that she personally couldn’t contact her husband.

“Of course,” Patrick almost beamed. “And it’s a short drive. Just another ten minutes or so.”

Alex gave him a small smile and a nod in return before moving her gaze to the window, once again not wanting to encourage Patrick to keep a dialogue going with her. Night had fallen and the buildings passed in blurs of light as they made their way through central London.

Luckily, Patrick was right and it wasn’t long before they were pulling up in front of the Grosvenor Hotel on Park Lane. She took a deep breath as she looked at the press waiting outside. She knew they would most certainly come after her in the papers for being late; painting her as rude for sure. But really, she wasn’t so much concerned with them as she was with getting inside and spending a fun evening with her husband and their friends as planned.

Still, in an effort not to give the press too much ammunition, she pulled a small smile; enough to not look stressed and not enough to make her look completely unaware that she was late. When Patrick stepped around the corner and opened her door, she quickly slid from the car and moved forward towards the doors, careful not to look at the camera and their bright, wild flashes as she moved by. She made it through the doors and after checking behind her to make sure Patrick was keeping the correct distance from her, she turned her attention forward and then smiled in slight surprise as she saw Mia standing there waiting for her.

“Why aren’t you at the table?” Alex murmured as she fell into step next to Mia. A few other attendees of the event were milling about in the hallway, most of them at the small bars stationed near the closed ballroom doors.

“I didn’t want you to have to try and find it once you got here. It’s a bit dark in the room - well, everywhere except the boxing ring,” Mia answered. She turned a small, sympathetic smile to Alex as she pulled open the ballroom door and Alex sighed.

“He’s mad, isn’t he?”

Mia shrugged. “He’s not mad. Just…”

“Irritated,” Alex finished for her as she spotted her husband. He was sitting at their table alone, facing the boxing ring in the center. There was a match going on and it looked to be in full swing and she guessed that their friends were up among the crowd gathered around the ring, cheering the boxers on. She was thankful that no one really noticed her slip in; the attention of everyone in the room was focused on the ring.

Well, everyone except for Harry.

She saw him glance down at his watch and shake his head. “Damn it,” she sighed again, unhappy that was was supposed to be a fun night out together had taken this turn.

He looked up then, spotting her as her and Mia moved the last ten feet towards their table. His face flashed relief but she could still see the tense set of his shoulders as he stood to greet her.

“Alexandra,” he murmured as he bent to kiss her hello.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered back, offering him a soft smile. “It was such a mess and…”

“You look beautiful,” he cut her off, making an effort to take a deep breath and smile down at her. “But you would have looked beautiful without spending an extra hour deciding what to wear. I’m certain the dress you originally picked was fine.

Alex’s eyes flashed wide as she looked up at him, completely taken but surprise at his words and the irritation that he still clearly felt. “What? I didn’t…”

But her words were interrupted by the end of the fight, by cheers and shouts of disappointment filling the air around them in the huge ballroom. People immediately started to file back from the ring, including those that were sitting at their table. Before she could press Harry as to why he said what he said, she found herself smiling and greeting her brother and Charlotte, Dr. Ben, and Eugenie and Jack with hugs and kisses. Everyone was in a good mood, the favorite among the group having won the fight that just ended, and no one seemed to mind that she had been late.

No one, that is, except for Harry.

*************

It was another hour before Alex had a chance to pull Harry to the side. But once the boxing matches ended and the drinking and dancing began for real, she saw her chance and took it, pulling him away from the table and over to a hidden corner as everyone else headed out to the dance floor.

“What is with the attitude?” she turned to him and whispered, searching his eyes as she looked up at him. “Honestly Harry, I didn’t expect you to be upset with me over this.

His eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Who else would I be upset with, Alex?”

“Umm...Patrick?”

“Patrick...your P.O.?” Harry responded, his face twisting in confusion. “Why would I be upset with him because you couldn’t decide what dress to wear?”

“I’m sorry,” Alex held up a hand and her eyes flashed wide. “But what in the hell are you talking about? I knew perfectly well what I wanted to wear and Anna had just finished me up when Patrick showed up in our room…”

“But my detail said your P.O. radioed that...wait. What in the hell was he doing up in our bedroom?” Harry interrupted, his eyes narrowing as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“I have no idea!” Alex shook her head. “He had this cup of tea in his hand and he kept trying to give it to me and it was...so odd, Harry. And when I kept saying no he kept trying to hand it to me and then he tripped and threw the cup of tea all over my damn dress!”

“So you weren’t just being picky about your dress?” Harry asked slowly.

“Come on, Harry,” Alex rolled her eyes. “When have I ever been overly picky about what I’m wearing. I had that dress picked out for weeks.”

Harry sighed and a ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Shit, Alex. I’m so sorry. They told me that…”

“Because that’s what Patrick told them to tell you. Apparently, he lied. And I couldn’t find my phone to text or call you.”

“I don’t like this at all, baby,” Harry murmured, his eyes full of concern as he stepped closer. I don’t like that he can’t seem to understand boundaries and I don’t like that he seems to want to build some kind of...personal relationship with you. And I sure as fuck don’t like that he showed up in our bedroom while you were alone in there. He should never be in our room unless you or I call for security assistance in there.”

“I know,” Alex nodded. “I don’t like it either, Harry. At all. But…”

“But?” Harry brows lifted. “But what?”

“Listen, Harry...something needs to be done. But it’s not going to get done standing in this corner. Send him home for the night. Both of your detail are here; that’s up to protocol for us.”

“Alex…”

“Let’s have fun tonight. Let’s dance and drink and laugh with our friends,” Alex insisted, smiling wide up at him as she leaned into him, her hands coming to rest on his chest. “And in the morning, we’ll take care of figuring out what to do about Patrick.”

Though his gut reaction was to want to do exactly the opposite of what his wife asked, after a moment he relented, wanting more than anything to see her happy and smiling and laughing. “Alright, we will deal with it in the morning,” he conceded, his smile soft and indulgent as he looked down at her. “I’ll have my detail relieve him for the night.”

“Thank you,” Alex smiled, leaning up to kiss his lips. “Besides, I’ve got you. You’re my protection.”

“Damn right I am,” Harry smirked. “Even hobbling around with a boot on my foot.”

Alex laughed and nodded. “Even then.”

“How about I let me detail know that they can release yours and then you can let me hobble you around the dance floor?”

Alex grinned. “I say that sounds like a fantastic plan.”

***********

“I think that something may be brewing between Mia and Dr. Ben,” Harry said with a sly smile, nodding his head to the dance floor behind Alex. She twisted in her chair to look, finding Mia and Ben laughing and dancing very close together.

A giggle left her lips just before she turned back to him, smiling wide. “I knew it!”

Harry laughed. “You knew it?”

Her smile pulled smug and she nodded. “She told me that she had a bit of a crush the other day. So, I let her know he wasn’t bringing a date tonight…”

“You sneaky little matchmaker,” Harry chuckled.

“I was not being sneaky!” Alex protested. “Besides, I think they’d be cute together. Don’t you?”

Harry smirked. “I’m a guy. I don’t think people look ‘cute’ together.”

Alex’s lips twitched and she tilted her head to the side playfully. “You don’t think we look cute together?”

“Cute is not the word I would use, no,” Harry replied, his voice growing lower as he leaned closer.

“And what word would you use?”

“Sexy.”

Alex’s lips turned up slowly at the corners. “You think we’re sexy together?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded slowly, his eyes dancing playfully. “In fact, I think it’s been too long since we were...sexy together.”

Alex felt a tug in her gut at his words; a tug that had been ignored for much too long. She could feel her cheeks flush and she bit her bottom lip as her eyes met his. “I didn’t want to hurt you…” she whispered. “I didn’t want it to hurt for you for us to…”

“It won’t hurt,” Harry murmured, leaning in closer so his lips were next to her ear. “Everything’s completely healed except for my leg. And we can work around that. Please...I want you, Alex.”

“Do you think that everyone that can see you two doesn’t know exactly what you’re whispering about?”

Harry groaned and Alex giggled as Charlotte’s voice broke through their moment. They both turned their heads to the other side of the table, finding her with a smug smile on her face and Matt sitting beside her, looking as amused and in love with her as ever.

“You know what? Bite me,” Harry shot back, narrowing his eyes at Charlotte.

She snickered and nudged Matt in the ribs. “I’m fairly certain that’s what he was trying to talk Alex into doing just now.”

“Jesus Charlotte,” Matt sputtered, his hand moving to the back of his mouth to keep in his sip of beer.

“What?” she shrugged her shoulders. “They obviously want to go home and...you know…”

“Have sex?” Alex supplied, laughing as Matt and Harry’s eyes both widened at her candor. “What? That is what we were talking about.”

“And there’s absolutely no shame in that,” Charlotte offered. “I mean, I’m about five minutes from dragging Matt out of here so we can go home and…”

“Okay, okay,” Harry laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. “You can stop now.”

“What?” Charlotte feigned innocence. “Mike and Donna have our three month old son for the night. You don’t think I’m going to take advantage of that?”

Alex couldn’t help the laughter that fell from her lips at the looks on the faces of her brother and Harry; both caught in this weird place where they didn’t know whether to be turned on by their wives or uncomfortable by the topic at hand.

“Come on, Sussex,” Alex finally said, shaking her head as she leaned in and patted his cheek. “Let’s go home. Our house is child free for the night too.”

**********

“God, you look sexy in this dress,” Harry groaned, his hands running over his wife’s curves as they moved into the foyer of the cottage. They’d barely been able to keep their hands from each other on the ride home, and now that they were behind the closed door of their home, there was no hope of keeping his hands anywhere but on her.

“You should have seen the first one,” Alex giggled. She fisted her hands in his shirt and pulled him backwards towards the stairs.

“Jesus Christ,” Harry muttered, willing to let her lead him wherever she wanted to go. “If it’s sexier than this one, it’s probably better you ended up in this one. I may not have been able to wait until we got home.”

Alex giggled against his roving hands as they hit the stairs and she turned, flipping on the light on the wall there so they could find their way up; especially since Harry still had the boot on his leg. He followed her up, his eyes roving her and settling right on her ass as it swung right in front of him and once they made it to the top, he reached for her, pulling her around and up tight against him.

“I fucking missed you,” he grinned, his fingers hot as they searched for her zipper. “I can’t wait to be inside of you.”

“Oh God,” Alex moaned, her head tipping back as his lips dipped to her throat. She had missed him too; so much that they ache inside of her was overwhelming her. In truth, she was just about to beg him to take her into the bedroom and take her in only the way that he could when a faint ringing sound drifted into her consciousness. “Wait...Harry. My phone…”

“Get it later,” he chuckled, shaking his head as he walked her towards the bedroom.

“No wait,” she giggled, holding him to a stop and pulling a frustrated groan from his lips. “It could be mom and dad...they don’t know I don’t have my phone and they have Emma…”

“Okay,” Harry sighed, pulling back and shaking his head. “Answer it. But then straight to bed. I mean it.” He grinned as she laughed and then looked around them. “Where the hell is it coming from anyway?”

“Sounds like my office,” she said, her nose scrunching up. “I swear I didn’t go in there but...whatever,” she waved her hand. “I’ll get my phone. You go get naked. I’ll be there in one minute.”

“You better,” he growled. “Or I’m coming after you.”

“Okay, but what if I want that?” she replied, her smile turning slightly naughty.

“Alexandra…”

“I’m going!” she laughed, turning from him to her office door, reaching out to turn the handle.

“One minute!” he called out as he opened the door to their room and she laughed as she pushed the door open into her dark office. Her phone had stopped ringing by then, but started up again just as she flipped on the light to try and find it.

“How did you end up in here?” she mused, walking over and plucking it from her desk. She frowned down at the display when she saw ‘Unknown” flash across it. As a security precaution, they never answered calls from unknown numbers; never knowing who could be on the other end. Though Alex had never had an unknown number call her since she’d married Harry.

“Alexandra Mae!” Harry’s shouted from the bedroom.

“Coming!” She laughed, shaking her head as she sent the unknown caller to voicemail and then moved to step from the room.

And that’s when she caught it.

“What the hell…” She whispered as her eyes fell on the vase full of red roses sitting on the desk Mia usually occupied. She walked closer, her eyes squinting to focus on the envelope propped up against the bottom of the vase. And then, with a gasp she stopped in her tracks. Her name was scrawled across the front, and she recognized immediately that the handwriting wasn't her husband's.

It was Patrick’s.

And her reaction was immediate.

“HARRY!”

It wasn’t even a full second before she heard him coming, his boot thumping against the wood floor on his way to her office.

“Alex?!” His voice was full of fear as he rounded the corner, her scream having made the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up. His eyes were wide as he moved into the room and straight to her. “What is it?”

“The flowers,” she whispered, her voice shaky as she pointed to the other side of the room. “The note...it’s from Patrick.”

“What the FUCK?!” Harry’s voice boomed into the room, making her jump as he stormed over to the vase of flowers. He snatched up the envelope and tore it open, pulling out the notecard inside. His cheeks grew redder and redder as his eyes moved quickly across the words.

“What does it say?” Alex asked shakily.

“He’s apologizing for ruining your dress,” Harry’s voice was tight as he looked up at her. “And hoping you can forgive him and that you still have a place in your heart for him. He’s fucking in love with you, Alex.”

“What?!” Alex gasped, her eyes flying wide as her legs started to shake. “Harry, I swear I didn’t...I would never...”

Harry’s eyes immediately softened and he moved to her. He gathered her face in his hands, his eyes wide and his voice low as he spoke, “I know that, Alex. Please don’t...I know that. Okay?”

“Okay,” she nodded slowly, her eyes filling with tears as she looked up at him. She was still shaking; she couldn’t believe that this was happening, that someone like that had found their way into the protected bubble that was their lives.

“Come on, love” he murmured, his thumbs stroking her cheeks for a moment before his hands left her face and reached for hers. “Come with me.”

She blinked, startled, but already moving to follow him. “What? Where?”

Then, with a determination and protectiveness more fierce than she’d ever seen on his face he replied, “I’m going to wake up the chief of Scotland Yard and I’m going to get this motherfucker fired and arrested. Tonight.”

***********

“They still haven’t arrested him?”

Harry sighed as he looked over at his wife and shook his head. “Not yet. They took all the evidence from here last night and are processing it all. It shouldn’t be long, but for now he’s definitely off your detail and suspended indefinitely. I’m sorry, love.”

“It’s not your fault,” Alex shook her head. She’d hardly slept the night before; security and detectives had been at the house for most of the night getting evidence and taking pictures. When they’d finally left it was almost dawn and they’d both only managed an hour or so of sleep after that. She was exhausted and still a bit nervous. “It just bothers me that no one has actually seen him. That no one has him in sight just in case he...skips town or something. Though I’d rather him be out of London than anywhere near me.”

“He won’t get anywhere near you,” Harry assured, pulling his favorite blue sweater over his head and then running a hand through his hair. “You’re the safest you could possibly be here. And Emma will get here while I’m over at Buckingham talking to the head of Royal Security with my father.”

“That will make me feel better,” Alex smiled, sitting up in the bed and pulling her knees into her chest. “Emma being here with us.”

“Me too,” Harry smiled back. He stepped over to the bed and leaned over her, his hands resting on the best on either side of her. “Are you sure you’re okay with me going? I can have my father get the report and give me all the details.”

“No,” she shook her head. “You go. You need to be the one to jump all over them for this. I’ll be alright here.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm,” she nodded. “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed and try to work a bit while I wait for Emma.”

“Okay,” Harry murmured. “I love you. This will all be over before you know it.”

“I love you too,” she replied, tilting up to kiss his lips. “Now go. And then come back and hang out with your girls.”

He grinned. “Deal.”

*************

“He was charged with stalking?!” Harry’s voice was tight as he looked over the report laid out in front of him and his father. “How the hell did you miss this, Pryce?”

The Head of Royal Security was honest and direct as he answered, knowing trying to make excuses would get him nowhere. “To be quite honest, I don’t know yet. We’re still coming up with that. What I can tell you is that the files were sealed...”

“Don’t tell me that you don’t check sealed files,” Charles interrupted, his eyebrows lifting and his gaze pointed as he looked across the table at Pryce.

“We absolutely do,” Pryce nodded. “I don’t know why this one was missed; though I can tell you that it was a private security job he held and the records were sealed at the request of the victim; both the charges and the outcome. When it’s not part of his official job record and the victim requests the sealed files it can make those things almost disappear.

“Jesus Christ,” Harry huffed, his eyes scanning the report. “It says the agreement that was sealed ordered a lifetime restraining order again Patrick Smith and also ordered him to complete a year of psychological counseling. That wasn’t on his medical records?”

“He didn’t fulfill that requirement,” Pryce said carefully. “And the victim’s lawyers never followed up.”

“All this trouble to get the records sealed and they didn’t follow up?” Charles said, his forehead scrunching up in confusion. “That makes no sense. Why would they do that?”

“Because she died.”

Harry felt the blood drain from his face. “What?”

“Drug overdose,” Pryce nodded, pointing to the file. “She was a pop star and had a known history of drug use. Though she had been thought to be clean. Her parents had pressed for further investigation but it appeared like a clear overdose. I’m guessing that might be revisited.”

“I don’t like this,” Harry shook his head, a sick, sinking feeling settling in his gut. “I don’t like this at all. I want this guy arrested, Pryce. This is enough right here. It should have been done already.”

“Scotland Yard is on their way to his residence right now. I’ll be notified as soon as they’ve got him in custody,” Pryce said, sending a wave of relief through both Harry and Charles. As if on cue, the Head of Security’s phone rang out into the room and he immediately reached for it, his finger swiping across the screen before he pulled it to his ear. “Pryce.”

In truth, the feeling in Harry’s gut told him something was wrong long before the color drained from Pryce’s face, long before the Head of Security sat straight up in his chair and his eyes flashed to Harry and Charles. Before Pryce even hung up the phone, Harry felt ill - like something was coming and he couldn’t stop it even if he tried. His mouth went dry and every nerve in his body stood on end, watching almost helplessly as Pryce hung up the phone and turned directly to him.

“They found...a wall full of pictures, among other things.”

“Pictures?” Harry whispered, shaking his head.

“Of your wife. Thousands and thousands. Taped and pinned to his living room wall,” Pryce nodded, rising from his chair. “And Smith wasn’t in his residence. They’re putting out an all points bulletin on him now and…”

“Oh my God!” Harry choked out, bile rising in his throat as he jumped from his chair. “Fuck! I know where he’s going.”

“What? Harry…” Charles’ eyes went wide as he followed Harry to his feet.

“He’s going after her. I know he is. Pryce, call my daughter’s protection team and tell them not to go to KP,” Harry yelled, directing his attention at Pryce. “And then call Kensington Palace security and get them to my residence and get my wife out right now!”

************

Alex felt a little more awake after her shower; at least as awake as she could be after only having slept an hour. She dried off quickly, towel dried her hair and pulled it up into a messy bun, and then dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a t-shirt.

She still felt a bit uneasy as she moved about her and Harry’s room. She really couldn’t believe she had let it get this far with Patrick. She had known something was off with him for awhile; since their honeymoon when he questioned Harry’s decision to take her out on the motorcycle if she was honest. But she hadn’t wanted to make a big deal over nothing and there had been so much going on with Philip’s death and Harry’s accident…

“No...Stop beating yourself up over it, Alex” she said to herself as she closed her eyes for a moment and took several deep breaths. When she opened her eyes she turned and looked at the clock on her bedside table and a small smile pulled at her lips. Emma would be home within half an hour wand Harry should be back at anytime. She would feel better with both of them home; with her family back with her.

“I’ll just have to keep myself busy until then,” she murmured to herself, trying the best she could to shake off the unease she felt. She grabbed her laptop from the dresser and turned to Gus, laying on his bed in the corner as he watched her. “Come on, Gus Gus,” she called to him. “Come hang out with me while we wait for Emma and Daddy.”

Gus jumped up at Emma’s name, his tail wagging and his tongue flopping from his mouth in excitement. Alex laughed and reached down to scratch behind his ears as he passed her and then trotted from the room ahead of her. She flipped off the light behind her and made her way to the stairs. She was about three steps from the bottom when she noticed Gus in the foyer below her; his ears back and a whining sort of growl coming from him.

“Gus?” she called out as she hit the bottom step. “Buddy...?”

“He’s not very happy I’m here I don’t think.”

Alex gasped as she spun around, all the breath sucking from her lungs and her laptop sliding from her hands and going crashing to the ground as she saw him standing on the other side of her foyer. He was dirty and disheveled and looked nothing like the same man who had thrown tea on her dress not even eighteen hours before.

“Oh my God…Patrick” she choked out, shaking her head as she began to walk backwards. “Please…”

His smile was pure evil as he stepped forward toward her. And then, he raised his arm and pointed his pistol right at her.

“Hello, Alexandra.”


	98. Chapter Ninety Eight

Alex felt a little more awake after her shower; at least as awake as she could be after only having slept an hour. She dried off quickly, towel dried her hair and pulled it up into a messy bun, and then dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a t-shirt.

She still felt a bit uneasy as she moved about her and Harry’s room. She really couldn’t believe she had let it get this far with Patrick. She had known something was off with him for awhile; since their honeymoon when he questioned Harry’s decision to take her out on the motorcycle if she was honest. But she hadn’t wanted to make a big deal over nothing and there had been so much going on with Philip’s death and Harry’s accident…

“No…Stop beating yourself up over it, Alex” she said to herself as she closed her eyes for a moment and took several deep breaths. When she opened her eyes she turned and looked at the clock on her bedside table and a small smile pulled at her lips. Emma would be home within half an hour wand Harry should be back at anytime. She would feel better with both of them home; with her family back with her.

“I’ll just have to keep myself busy until then,” she murmured to herself, trying the best she could to shake off the unease she felt. She grabbed her laptop from the dresser and turned to Gus, laying on his bed in the corner as he watched her. “Come on, Gus Gus,” she called to him. “Come hang out with me while we wait for Emma and Daddy.”

Gus jumped up at Emma’s name, his tail wagging and his tongue flopping from his mouth in excitement. Alex laughed and reached down to scratch behind his ears as he passed her and then trotted from the room ahead of her. She flipped off the light behind her and made her way to the stairs. She was about three steps from the bottom when she noticed Gus in the foyer below her; his ears back and a whining sort of growl coming from him.

“Gus?” she called out as she hit the bottom step. “Buddy…?”

“He’s not very happy I’m here I don’t think.”

Alex gasped as she spun around, all the breath sucking from her lungs and her laptop sliding from her hands and going crashing to the ground as she saw him standing on the other side of her foyer. He was dirty and disheveled and looked nothing like the same man who had thrown tea on her dress not even eighteen hours before.

“Oh my God…Patrick...” she choked out, shaking her head as she began to walk backwards. “Please…”

His smile was pure evil as he stepped forward toward her. And then, he raised his arm and pointed his pistol right at her.

“Hello, Alexandra.”

“Oh God...oh God…” Alex whimpered, bile rising in her throat as she stared down the barrel of Patrick’s gun. “Please don’t kill me. Please...I have a daughter. Emma...she needs me and…”

“Shut up!” Patrick yelled, bringing a startled cry from Alex and a louder, more aggressive growl from Gus. Patrick quickly swung his gun down in Gus’s direction, his eyes narrowing in anger at the dog.

“No!” Alex screamed hoarsely, instinctively jumping to her dog’s defense, leaning down to wrap her arms around his neck. “Don’t! I’ll calm him down, I promise. You can’t…” Her words came out as a choking sort of sob and she shook her head. “Please…”

Patrick’s jaw clenched but after a moment he finally pulled the gun away. “Fine. But get him out of here, Alex.”

“But…”

“This will work so much better if you do what I say, Duchess,” Patrick threatened, his eyes darkening with his words. “Get rid of the fucking dog or I promise you I will do it myself.”

“Okay, okay,” Alex sobbed, tears beginning to run in fast rivers down her cheeks as she hugged Gus to her. “I’m so sorry, buddy,” she murmured as she rose , keeping her hands tight to his collar. “I’m just...going to put him out the front door,” she mumbled, her eyes wide as she looked to Patrick.

“Fine,” he nodded. “But don’t even think about running out with him.” He lifted his gun and raised his eyebrows, as if reminding her of what would happen if she did. “Got it?”

Alex nodded, slowly, her chest rising and falling with the effort of trying to keep herself calm and rational. She tugged on Gus’s collar, but he wouldn’t budge, his eyes set on Patrick as he let out another growl. Pulling the strength from somewhere to keep the shakiness out of her voice, he leaned over and spoke low to her dog, “Please Gus Gus, let’s go outside. It’ll be alright, buddy. Daddy and Emma will come get you soon.”

He let out a low whine but turned to look at her as she tugged on his collar. She tugged again and this time he didn’t resist. With relief, she moved to the door and quickly opened it before pushing Gus outside. He turned around immediately, looking at her as if he knew that he absolutely shouldn’t be leaving her alone and she couldn’t handle it, her shoulders shaking with sobs as she weighed her chances of just bolting out of the door.

“Close it,” Patrick ordered and she cried harder as she regretfully obeyed. “Good girl,” his tone of voice softened; he was obviously more at ease without the growling, protective dog in between them. “Now lock it, Alex.”

Her hand shook so badly that she fumbled over the lock for a moment before she could finally turn it, the sound of it sliding into place making her want to throw up.

“Why are you doing this to me?” She whispered, still facing the closed door.

“Turn around when you speak to me, Alex,” Patrick demanded. She shook her head but obeyed and turned around slowly, though she still couldn’t meet his eyes. “We will have to work on that,” he mused and it sent a chill through Alex’s entire body. “But to answer your question, I had to make you see how much I care about you. And everything else I’ve done has failed to work; so here we are. It’s your own fault really. If you would have just paid attention and understood how much I love you, we wouldn’t be here.”

“This isn’t love,” Alex gasped, the words falling from her mouth before she realized it. Her eyes lifted to his, wide and incredulous. “Taking me hostage? This isn’t love! This is...crazy!”

Patrick sighed as if he were dealing with a small child. “You really are quite dramatic, Duchess,” he shook his head and stepped toward her. She recoiled in fear but he reached out and grabbed her arm anyway. She yelped from how hard he gripped her; his fingers digging into her skin as he pulled her out of the entryway, into the living room, and over to the couch.

“You’re hurting me!” Alex cried out, trying to yank her arm from his grip.

He immediately released her arm and took a step back, as if he realized he’d gone too far. “I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to hurt you,” he murmured, watching as she rubbed at the bruises already forming where his fingers had gripped her.

Alex blinked, thrown by the complete change in his demeanor. But before she could try and decide whether or not to take advantage of his apparent desire to do her no harm, the hard set of his jaw and the anger in his eyes returned; though he made no more moves to touch her.

“Sit down,” he demanded, nodding to the couch behind her. “Remember, this will be so much easier on you if you do as I say.”

Alex sucked in a breath and then slowly sat down, her eyes trained on him the entire time. She was deathly afraid that he was going to come down after her and she knew that him having a gun assured she couldn’t properly defend herself. She’d had self-defense training before she’d married Harry; as those who married into the family usually did and if she could just get him to ditch the gun…

“You don’t have to look at me like I’m some dangerous criminal,” he admonished as he moved to sit in one of the chairs across from the couch.

“You’re holding me against my will with a gun pointed at me,” she whispered. “You are dangerous.”

“No, you have it wrong,” Patrick shook his head quickly. “This is for your benefit.”

“Mine?” Alex gasped. “How could it…”

“How else are you going to listen to me?” Patrick interrupted, his tone turning somewhat condescending towards her. “I mean, nothing else has worked. It’s a good thing you have someone as smart as me looking out for you, Duchess. Can I still call you that once we leave? I like the way it sounds.”

Alex felt like she was going to choke on the fear rising in her throat. “Leave? What are you talking about?”

“You know, I was rather hoping that your husband wouldn't be an issue by now,” he rattled on not bothering to answer her question. “I didn’t want the chance that he could come after us. I tried to take care of that…”

“What?” The word burst from Alex’s lips, loud and piercing into his rambling thought process. “What are you saying? How did...oh GOD.” The realization hit her square in the stomach with the force of a ton of bricks. “Oh my God. You did it, didn’t you? The brakes on the car.”

He smiled then, beaming with a sick sort of pride. “See what I’m willing to do for you, Duchess?”

“Oh my God,” Alex cried, her hand covering her mouth as she began to gag, the information making her stomach roll. “I’m...I’m going to be sick.”

**************

It was the memory of Alex telling him what it was like in those agonizing hours after his car crash that hit Harry and stuck with him when it was confirmed that Patrick was in his house and had taken his wife hostage. He remembered her telling him how it was the uncertainty that was the worst part; how not knowing how she could possibly deal with him not being there and the possibility having to tell Emma that he wasn’t ever coming home made the wait for news excruciating. He had felt so bad when she had told him those things, not only because she went through those things, but because he hadn’t been able to identify with that particular brand of agony.

But that had all changed now.

Now he knew that agony. And it was tearing him apart on the inside. His wife; the absolute love of his life, the woman who had given him a beautiful daughter and the promise of so much more, was locked in their home and at the mercy of a madman.

The first hour had been the worst. The first responders had found Gus on the scene, barking like crazy and scratching at the front door. The poor, worried puppy had whined and barked as the police pulled him away from the scene and it wasn’t until they brought him to Harry where he was waiting at Will and Kate’s apartment that he began to calm down. And it made Harry sick that Alex was truly all alone with that crazy asshole, without even their beloved dog for comfort.

And then, Alex’s parents had arrived with Emma. Though they known something was going on when Emma’s protection team had received the code, had first diverted away from Kensington Palace, and then had been ordered back with strict instructions to drive straight to William and Kate’s apartment, the truth of the situation wasn’t revealed until they were safely inside of Will and Kate’s apartment. Harry would never forget the way Donna broke down in sobs in Mike’s arms and the way Mike had achingly told her it would be alright when there was no way he could actually know that.

It made him want to cry to think of the call he’d had to place to Matt and Charlotte and the way they’d come at once; making it to Kensington in under twenty minutes, even with a infant son in tow. He’d known instantly that Charlotte had been crying and that Matt was beyond shaken; he’d only seen that look on Alex’s brother’s face once before - when Charlotte had been in surgery after she’d had Cooper and her condition had been so uncertain.

But nothing was worse than Emma breaking down. Nothing would ever take the image from his mind of the cries and the tears and the way his sweet, innocent, beautiful daughter clutched onto him so tightly as she begged and begged him to make sure her mummy was brought home safely. His heart had broke as he promised her he would do exactly that; because he knew there was a chance he couldn’t.

But he was going to do everything he could to bring Alex back to him and back to him. And the fact was, that he couldn’t do that waiting in Will and Kate’s apartment. He had to be down at the perimeter the police had set up around their cottage. He had to be in contact with everyone that was working on the best plan to get his wife out of harm’s way. And since he couldn’t bring Emma into that; into the chaos and intensity that was happening just across the palace grounds. In truth, he almost broke down himself when he’d had to untangle his daughter’s arms from around his neck and step away from her. Sobs had wracked her little body as Matt stepped in, pulling Emma into a fierce hug and promising to not let her go until her Mummy was back home safe.

And then, with a final, solemn look to the family that was gathered in his brother’s apartment, Harry left, flanked on all sides by police protection as he quickly moved across the palace grounds to try and fulfill the promise he’d made to his daughter.

He was stunned by the enormity of the scene when he reached it. Yellow caution tape cordoned off a wide area around the cottage and there were police cars and flashing lights everywhere. Helicopters hovered overhead and when he looked up he was upset to see that media helicopters were among those above them. Of course the media knew by now; though he had no idea if a statement had been issued or not. If it had, his father had been the one to take care of it. But it still made him angry that they couldn’t have enough decency not to hover above their home for pictures and video of the situation.

“Your Royal Highness!”

Harry’s head turned towards the voice that had called his name and he nodded as he made his way over to Bernard Hogan-Howe, the commissioner of Scotland Yard. “Commissioner,” he greeted him with a handshake, raising his voice to be heard over the helicopters. “Are they going to clear the airspace here and get these damn media choppers out of here?”

Commissioner Hogan-Howe looked above him and swore, shaking his head before he pulled his radio up to make a call. “I called them when I first got here,” he explained to Harry once he pulled the radio away from his mouth. “The official clearance just went through and they’re warning the choppers right now.”

Harry nodded and then looked up, watching as the circling helicopters slowly began to make their way off, leaving just the one police helicopter of above them. He turned back to the Commissioner and took a deep breath. “Can you tell me what we know?”

The Commissioner nodded and handed Harry a tablet that contained the facts as they knew them. “We’ve pulled security footage from the grounds. We have video feed of him entering the Kensington Palace gates last night while you and your wife were at the Grosvenor Hotel. We also have footage of him entering your residence. There were no restrictions to him being on the palace grounds at that time as the reports weren’t filed until this morning when Scotland Yard was called to your residence.”

“God damn it,” Harry swore, shaking his head and rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, mad at himself for not taking care of getting Patrick off his wife’s detail the night before when he’d wanted to. “Alright, so we know how he got the flowers in. But how in the hell did he manage to get back after I’d left this morning?”

Commissioner Hogan-Howe frowned and visibly swallowed. “He never left. He was in your house the entire night.”

**************

As if it weren’t bad enough that Patrick had just confessed that he’d tried to kill her husband, he’d had to further humiliate her by standing at the door of the bathroom while she’d vomited. He watched her as she’d lost the contents of her stomach and then dry heaved until she just couldn’t anymore, until she’d had to force herself to take deep breaths to calm down.  

“Can I get you some water?” he asked, the puppy dog look creeping back onto his face as he looked down on her.

“I don’t want anything from you,” she sobbed as she leaned back against the wall of the bathroom and pushed her hair from her face. “Just leave me alone.”

“Ah Duchess, you’re not being very appreciative of…” His words trailed off as the sudden sound of sirens interrupted the quiet around them. “Well, sounds as if we’ve been found out.”

“They’re not going to let you get away with this,” Alex said, wiping the tears from her face as she moved to stand.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Patrick said as he leaned forward and grabbed her arm, yanking her from the bathroom.

“Ow!” she cried, trying to yank her arm free. But this time he didn’t let her go so easily. And instead of taking her back into the living room, this time he headed straight for the stairs and started climbing, pulling her up with him. He didn’t release her until they got to the top of the stairs and then he pointed his gun down the hall.

“To your bedroom,” he ordered.

“No,” Alex gasped, shaking her head as she shrank away from him.

Patrick sighed. “Calm down. I’m not going to do anything to you in there. You just need to start packing your stuff.”

“My stuff?”

“Yes, your stuff,” Patrick repeated. “We’re going to be leaving tonight and you need to have clothes packed.”

“Why do you keep talking about leaving?” Alex asked wearily. She’d only been in this situation for an hour, but she was exhausted and scared and she had no idea what the man holding her at gunpoint would do to her or what his plan was.

His smile lit up and once again, Alex was stunned at the way his moods changed in mere seconds. “I’m going to take you away from here, of course,” he said, and once again, Alex felt like she was going to be sick. “We can’t very well live in London, now can we?” His voice was almost cheery as he took ahold of her arm again - albeit more gently this time - and steered her down the hallway to her and Harry’s bedroom. “Of course we can’t, Duchess. We’ll be going somewhere far away from civilization. Don’t worry, they won’t follow us. And even if they did, I could defend us if they ever found us.”

Tears filled Alex’s eyes and spilled over, running down her cheeks as he pulled her into her bedroom. “You’re insane,” she whispered. “You are. You’re insane.”

His eyes darkened dangerously and Alex shrank back, afraid she had gone too far. “Now that’s not a very nice thing to say, Duchess. Apologize to me.”

But before Alex could open her mouth, a shrill ring pierced the silence and Alex jumped, though she knew exactly what the sound was. “The phone…” she whispered, looking longingly at the landline receiver on Harry’s nightstand.

“Don’t answer it,” he barked out. “I’m going to answer. It’s going to be Scotland Yard. And you aren’t going to make a peep unless I tell you to, got it?”

**************

Two hours.

That’s how long it had been since Patrick had answered the landline. In those two hours he’d made her get on the phone to prove she was alive but he’d held the gun to her head the entire time, ensuring she said nothing else but what he told her to say. And then, he’d made her pack. For those two hours, he’d been watching over her as he instructed her on exactly what to bring, rifling through all of her drawers and picking out everything he wanted her to take; right down to her underwear. He was so methodical about it, so measured. He knew where everything was in her room; knew exactly where to look for things and the realization that he’d been in there often enough to know those things only made her more scared.

And more determined that whatever happened, she would never, ever leave the grounds of the palace with him.

“You never apologized to me, Duchess. For calling me insane earlier.”

Her head snapped up from where she’d just zipped up a suitcase and she shook her head slowly. “I’m not going to apologize. You are crazy. You’re holding me hostage! You’ve convinced yourself that you’re in love with me…”

“I am!” he thundered, his face growing red.

But Alex wasn’t deterred. Not now. Not when it felt like she had absolutely nothing else to lose.

“And you think you can what? Train me to be in love with you? You think you can take me away from my husband and my daughter and my family and that for some reason I’ll be so grateful to you that I’ll fall in love with you? The person who took away everything that matters to me in life? You are insane.”

“Do you think that you’re doing and saying smart things right now?” His voice was low and she knew there was a threat laced in there but that’s when it hit her. She knew exactly what she needed to do.

Through all of his apparent planning in his mission to take her as his own and run off with her, he simply hadn’t considered the fact that she wouldn’t eventually go willingly. He’d expected the police and he’d already come up with a plan - however far fetched it probably was - to clear that problem out of the way.

But he hadn’t planned on what to do when she refused to play along.

What she needed to do was incredibly risky and she knew that. If she got too defiant and he got violent with her, it could mean her life. But all she had to do was push him just enough to distract him enough to get the gun away from him…

“I think the smart thing to do would have been to not hold the Duchess of Sussex hostage at gunpoint,” she replied, her voice firmer than it had been in hours as she stood up tall. She was scared out of her mind and shaking but now that she had a plan, adrenaline began to pump through her veins and she felt a little braver every single second that passed.

“I’m getting very fed up by your tone of voice, Duchess,” he warned in a low tone. “You’re usually so compliant when your husband tells you what to do.”

“Harry doesn’t tell me to do anything,” Alex scoffed, mounting her offense slowly. “And if he wants me to do something he asks me and I love and respect him so I try my best to make him happy.”

“You keep saying you love him but you’re lying!” Patrick shouted, taking a menacing step toward her as his anger began to show through more and more. “You haven’t even slept together in months!”

And Alex reeled backwards as if she’s been punched. A rush of breath left her lungs at the realization that he held such private knowledge; that was something that only and Harry and Alex knew themselves. “How do you know that?!” she gasped, backing up as he advanced on her, a little bit of her bravery slipping from her.

He grinned, wide and proud of himself. “I’ve been listening,” he said, pointing the gun in his hand at his ear.

Alex swallowed the urge to vomit again and whispered, “You bugged our room?”

“Oh no,” he shook his head slowly. “Your entire cottage here.” He took another step toward her and the fear surged within her again. “That’s right,” he continued, his sick smile pulling higher when he’d backed her against the wall. “I know everything. I know it all, Duchess. Used to be you two couldn’t get enough of each other but once I started paying you some attention...it all stopped.”

“You mean once you tried to kill my husband and we couldn’t because he was critically injured?! You’re disgusting and delusional!” she spat, shaking her head as he stepped closer. She had to fight the urge to gag at the stench of him, at how horrifying the entire moment was.

“Don’t worry, Duchess. I won’t ever go long without…”

“You will never touch me,” she hissed. “Ever.”

“Remember what I said at the beginning of this?” His head dipped closer to her and it took everything Alex had not to gag in reaction. “This will all go so much easier on you if just do as I say…”

And with those words, Alex found the moment she’d been waiting for.

The knee she threw into his groin took him completely by surprise. He howled in pain and doubled over just as she kicked at his right hand, dislodging the gun from his grasp and sending it skidding across the hardwood floor.

“Bitch!” Patrick screamed as she pushed past him and ran for the gun. Her fingers closed around the cold metal just as his fingers closed around her arm and he pulled her whirling around to face him. “I’m going to kill you!”

His fingers closed around the hand that she had wrapped around the gun and she yelped in pain as he tried to pry her fingers loose. Desperation and dread joined the adrenaline pumping so fiercely through her veins and she did the only thing she could possibly do. With strength she didn’t know she had, she managed to get her other hand to the gun and though she couldn’t fight him off enough to ensure that it would hit him or even that it wouldn’t hit her, she pulled in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and sent up a desperate prayer.

And then she pulled the trigger.

***************

Harry was a soldier; a captain in the British Army who had been to war - twice. He’d sat in the gunner position on the Apache during his second deployment; he was more than familiar with the sound of a gunshot.

But the gunshot that came from his house that night was the loudest gunshot he’d ever heard; he was sure of it. The instant it sounded out into the evening air he felt his entire world go hazy. He vaguely heard the instant shouts from the police gathered around him; the orders from those in charge for the SWAT team to get into position to go into the house, but he didn’t comprehend it. All he felt was his knees start to go weak and the ache beginning to spread in his chest at the reality of what that gunshot meant for him.

“Sir! Sir, we need to pull you away from here!” His protection officer’s voice was faint in his head and Harry shook his head wildly, fighting off Mark’s attempts to pull him from the scene.

“No!” Harry choked out. “No! I’m not leaving her! I can’t…”

And then, just as Harry’s mind was about to fully spiral out of control, the door to the cottage swung open.

And his wife came stumbling out.

************

The lights startled her at first. She had known they were all out there, but in the darkness of the early evening the flashing red and blue and  the spotlights coming from the police vehicles were overwhelmingly bright. They assured she couldn’t see anything and she stumbled from the door, not quite sure where to run.

“Alex!”

Her head whipped towards the sound of his voice and a split second later she saw him. She took off towards him as he ran towards her, tears already clouding her vision by the time she launched herself into his arms.

“Harry!” she cried, flinging her arms around his neck as he grunted with the force at which her body hit his. His arms came crashing around her and it was the sweetest thing either of them had either felt.

He immediately leaned down and lifted Alex up into his arms and turned around, carrying her in the exact opposite direction of the police now rushing past them towards the cottage.

“Alex...oh my god, baby...are you okay? Are you hurt?” He rushed out as he pushed through the barricades, looking around for medical attention.

“No no...I…” she sobbed, her breath hitching and her voice frantic. “I shot him. I don’t...I don’t know where I shot him, Harry. I don’t know if I killed him or...he could still…”

But before she could finish her sentence, another gunshot pierced the air around them and they both knew; the police that had gone in after she’d come out had assured that Patrick Smith was dead.

And for some reason, it made her cry harder; harder than she’d ever cried in her life. She let out a wail of a moan into his neck and her entire body shook with an intensity that Harry had never seen. And he knew that he had to get her away from there right then. He turned and immediately began to stride in the direction of his brother’s apartment and not a single person dared to stop him. He needed to bring her to her family.

He needed to bring her to Emma.

His protection team and two other officers surrounded them and began to escort them without hesitation. They understood; anyone within twenty feet of the Duchess could hear her cries and they knew, now was not the time to start questioning her as to what happened inside of the cottage. Patrick Smith was dead and it didn’t make a bit of difference whether she gave her statement right then or the next day.

Right then, she just needed to feel safe.

_To Be Continued..._


	99. Chapter Ninety Nine

With each step that Harry took as he swiftly moved with her away from the cottage and towards William and Kate’s apartment, the noise from the sirens seemed to fade a little bit more for Alex. They became distant noises, secondary to the sound of the gravel as it crunched under their feet and the sound of Harry’s heart beating in his chest.

It calmed her for some reason. Though - like hers - it was beating a fast pattern, it was still steady. Just like him as he carried her to safety. She could only imagine how terrified he’d been; but there he was, strong and steady and sure as he carried her away from the madness. And she couldn’t help but hold him tighter, pressing her face further into his neck as more tears pressed from from her eyes.

“We’re almost there, love,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “It’s alright, we’re almost there.”

She felt him slow and then she heard a door open. He stepped inside and the warm air that enveloped them somehow made her feel safer. But she still kept her face buried in his chest, preferring to listen to his heartbeat his steps and cling as tightly as she could to him then look up to see where they were.

They moved up a set of steps and Alex heard a door open and then she heard the only sound at that moment that could have ever pulled her face from Harry’s chest.

“Mummy?”

Alex’s breath sucked in and she turned to see her beautiful, sweet, wonderful eight year old daughter standing from where she had sat on a couch, tucked up between Matt and Donna. She’d been crying and she looked unsure of what to do and Alex nearly broke as Harry set her on her feet.

“Come here, baby,” Alex called out, her voice hoarse and her throat tight with the words. And Emma came running, throwing herself into her mother’s arms without any further hesitation.

“Mummy, I was so scared!” Emma cried into Alex’s neck. “I was so scared I’d never see you again!”

A sob escaped escaped Alex’s lips and, keeping her crying daughter wrapped tightly in her arms, she sank to the ground, and she cried right along with her.

************

When Alex finally pulled her face from Emma's hair, when the little girl finally felt secure enough with the fact that her mother was back with her, the rest of the family moved in; each wanting their chance to embrace her, to make sure she really was there.  And she was, crying as her parents hugged her, as Matt wrapped her up in his big arms and kissed the top of her head, as even Charles with tear-filled eyes and his warm voice, whispered his relief in her ear.

But for as much as it seemed like the chaos that was that day might settle; it didn’t. At least not right. One minute she was in Harry's arms, the next she was hugging Emma and before she could really register the embraces of her loved ones, she was being pulled into a room with just her, Harry and the family doctor.

It was something that had to be done. They could keep the police at bay for the time being, but she had to be seen by the doctor. Even she knew that trying to protest wouldn’t do anything; and she really didn’t have it in her to object anyway.

Dr. Andrea Foster had been working for the Royal Family for close to ten years. She was a trusted and valued member of the staff and though Alex had never personally seen her before; within just a few moments of sitting down with Dr. Foster, she immediately understood why.

The doctor was kind and gentle but very matter of fact as she quickly checked Alex out. She wasn’t looking for sordid details; she genuinely just wanted to make sure Alex didn’t leave anything out and was fully taken care of.

She looked at the bruises on Alex’s arm from where Patrick had grabbed her several times. The marks were a dark purple now but would fade away in several days. She was slightly concerned about the index and middle fingers of Alex’s right hand, which had been twisted and pulled back as she’d struggled for the gun with Patrick.

“There may be a slight break in your middle finger; but if there is, we can’t do much about it anyway,” Dr. Foster had said with a soft smile. She pulled out a couple of velcro finger splints and slipped them over Alex’s index and middle finger, holding them together and restricting the movement of both fingers. “Keep those on as much as possible. Your fingers will heal just fine.”

In the end, she’d written Alex a prescription for a mild pain reliever and given her something that would allow her to sleep - or more accurately, she’d strongly encouraged Alex to take it and to get some sleep - her body needed it more than she realized. And then she left them, promising to follow up the next day.

And Alex and Harry were left in the room alone together. Her eyes lifted to his; tired and teary and unsure. “I’m sure it was hard for you to hear some of that.”

Harry swallowed back the lump in his throat and moved to her, sliding in next to her on the couch. “Not as hard as it was for you to go through it.”

“Yeah,” Alex nodded, tears springing to her eyes as Harry’s gaze held hers. “I...I know you want to know what happened in there...”

“Hey,” Harry murmured, his arms moving around her and pulling her into his embrace. “You don’t have to do that now; not until you’re ready.”

“I’m so tired, Harry,” Alex whispered, tears spilling from her eyes as she buried her face in the warmth of his chest. “I’m so tired. I just can’t think anymore. I can’t...deal with anything right now.”

“You don’t have to, love,” Harry soothed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“But my family...your father…they’re out there and...”

“They will completely understand,” Harry interrupted, his voice gruff with the emotions that were running through him. “You’re here and you’re safe and that’s all that matters right now.”

And before she could help herself, Alex began to cry again; big, heart-wrenching sobs that made Harry ache inside for her. But he let her cry; he let her cry in his arms until her sobs became sniffles and then shortly after, he felt her breathing even out. He looked down at her and realized that she’d fallen asleep. He was sure that the medicine that Dr. Foster gave her had kicked in and taken her into slumber without her brain being able to keep her awake and he was thankful for that. She hadn’t slept more than an hour in two days and the next few days were going to be hard; she needed to let her mind and body rest.

He settled her back on the couch gently, not wanting to wake her, and then quickly stepped out of the room to tell everyone waiting that she’d checked out fine with the doctor but that she just wasn’t up to doing anything but sleeping for the rest of the night. As he knew they would be, everyone was completely understanding. Donna and Mike were going to go home with Mike and Charlotte for the night and would come back the next day, Charles promised to call the next day, and Will and Kate let Harry know which rooms they’d set aside for them and told him to let them know if they needed anything at all.

And Emma, who was not ready to let her mum out of her sight for any longer than completely necessary, asked Harry in a small, teary voice if she could please stay with them that night. And there was absolutely no way Harry could say no to that.

It wasn’t long before he’d carried Alex to the bedroom and gotten her changed into a pair of pajamas Kate had handed over for her to borrow. He smiled as Emma giggled at how long the pajama pants were on Alex and then he’d tucked his wife and daughter warm and safe into bed before climbing in alongside them.

It was only once Emma had drifted off to join her mum in a deep sleep that Harry finally let the tears he’d been holding back for hours and hours go. They silently ran down his cheeks for a long time as he finally allowed relief to wash through him. It wasn’t over; not even by a long shot. But Alex was there; she was going to be okay. And once he’d cried out all the tears he could right then, he finally, finally drifted off into a restless slumber.

**********

He woke with a start, his eyes blinking open into the dark, unfamiliar room. He knew without looking that she wasn’t there, but when he turned and saw the Alex definitely was not in the bed, his heart jumped into his throat. Emma was still there, curled up under the covers, but his wife wasn’t there, nor was she in the room with them at all.

He threw the covers off and quickly moved from the bed towards the door, wasting no time in going to find her.

He didn’t have to look very hard; he found her in the first place he thought to look actually. His heart tightened in his chest when he stepped into the library and saw her. She was sitting on the window seat, her knees tucked up to her chest as she gazed out of the window into the dark London night. He stood rooted to his spot in the doorway for a long moment, unsure whether to let her be or to go to her. But before he could make up his mind, her voice called out softly into the quiet library.

“He was hiding in our house.”

Harry took a deep breath and then moved over to her, sliding slowly onto the window seat with her and turning his body to face hers. “We figured that out. I don’t know where though.”

“In the attic,” Alex answered, turning her eyes to his, the haunted look there making him feel sad and helpless. “He was dirty and...he smelled terrible. He didn’t even look like the same person.”

“I shouldn’t have left you there,” Harry muttered, his gaze moving down to where his hands rested on his lap. “I just...fuck. I shouldn’t have left.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Alex shook her head, swiping at a tear that was sliding down her cheek. “And Jesus, Harry...in a way I’m glad you weren’t.”

“What?” His eyes snapped up to hers. “Why would you say that?”

“Because,” Alex whispered. “He would have tried to take you out to get to me.”

Harry shook his head, his gaze moving out of the window for a moment. “He wouldn’t have succeeded.”

“Harry...he already almost did.”

Harry’s gaze turned to hers, confusion flashing across his features. “What do you mean?”

“The car accident,” she said, her voice hoarse as she choked back emotion. She hated that she had to tell him this; to deliver the same news to him that Patrick had sent her reeling with hours before. “He tampered with the brakes. He tried to kill you.”

Harry blinked several times as he absorbed the shock of Alex’s word; at what they meant and how they changed his view of his accident in an instant. His face went white and he leaned back against the wall of the window seat. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

“I’m so sorry,” Alex murmured. She reached out for his hand, wrapping her fingers around his. “I hate that you have to hear this from me…”

“No,” Harry said, his eyes widening and he leaned in closer to her. “I’m sorry you had to hear that from him. I can’t believe this is fucking happening, Alex. I had written the wreck off as an accident; but that crazy asshole is the entire reason I...and he tried to take me out that long ago to get to you? Fuck!” His cheeks reddened and he ran a hand through his hair. “This should not have ever happened.”

“I know,” Alex nodded before taking a deep breath. “He was...deranged, Harry. Completely insane. He...when I came downstairs from my shower he was waiting in the foyer…”

“Oh baby...you don’t have to do this right now,” Harry shook his head, not wanting her to stress herself out more than necessary.

“Yes, I do,” Alex replied, though tears were slipping faster from her eyes. “I need to tell you. I need to...I can’t sit here being the only one in the world who knows what happened, Harry. It will make me crazy to sit alone with this.”

Harry swallowed hard and then squeezed her fingers gently with his. If she needed to tell him, then he was going to listen. “Okay, love.”

Slowly and with tears streaming down her face, Alex recounted everything; needing to get it out so she wasn’t living with it all alone. She needed him to know what she went through. She told him Harry about finding Patrick in the foyer and how he let her put Gus outside - and how she’d wanted to run out that door with Gus so badly. She told him about Patrick dragging her into the living room; where he told her about how he caused Harry’s accident and then had humiliatingly stood over her as she got sick and vomited in reaction.

And Harry listened; with a nauseous stomach and tears in his own eyes, he listened as she recounted the horrifying details of what she’d been through. It wasn’t until she recounted how Patrick had drug her upstairs and ordered her down into their bedroom that Harry couldn’t hold back his instinctive reaction any longer.

“Oh God, Alex…” His voice was choked as he shook his head. “Did he hurt you? Did he force himself…”

“No,” Alex shook her head quickly, a sob falling from her lips with the word. “No. I would have told the doctor if that had happened. I thought he was going to at first and I don’t what I would have done if he had tried…”

Harry reached for her then, unable to sit there another moment without pulling her into his arms. She let him wrap his arms around her and she leaned into him, grateful for his warmth and his steadiness as she took a deep breath and prepared to continue.

“He made me pack.”

“Pack?” Harry replied, confusion evident in his voice.

“He said he was going to take me away,” she explained quietly; her voice much calmer than the chaos going on inside of her. “I don’t know how he thought he was going to get me out - other than I don’t think he considered that I wouldn’t go willingly.”

“Jesus…” Harry breathed, his hands beginning to shake as he rubbed them over her back.

“He drug me into our room and made me pack and he just...he knew where everything was, Harry. Right down to my underwear.”

His hands froze on her back and she could hear his heart start to pound faster in his chest. “He’d been in there before.” It was a statement; not a question.

“Yes,” Alex confirmed with a teary voice. “More than either of us would like to think about probably.”

“God damn it,” Harry swore, leaning his head back against the wall. He felt like he was going to be sick. It just kept coming; hit after hit after hit. He didn’t know if he wanted to cry or punch something at the thought of what that psychopath had done to his wife, at how he’d nearly ruined their lives twice.

“And that’s...that’s not even the worst of it,” Alex continued, her voice barely audible.

“Alex…”

“He knew that we haven’t had sex in months, Harry.”

Harry sucked in a breath and sat up, his eyes narrowing as they met hers. “How in the hell did he know that?”

Alex bit her lip and her body started to tremble as she remembered how it had felt to realize the lengths that Patrick had gone to, to feel so violated that it overwhelmed everything else in her brain. “He was...listening to us. He bugged our home.”

“Fuck!” Harry burst out, losing his battle to stay calm. He pushed himself up from the window seat and paced away several feet; his entire body radiating tension and anger as he did.

“I’m so sorry,” Alex whispered as her face fell into her hands.

Harry spun around at her words and immediately softened, feeling incredibly selfish for getting so angry. He was back to her in two long strides; sliding onto the window seat and hauling her back into his arms.

“This is not your fault, Alexandra,” he murmured, kissing the side of her head. He rocked her gently back and forth as she cried; each sob like a knife to his already broken heart. “Don’t apologize for telling me. You needed to tell me.”

“I shot him,” she said after a long moment, her words slightly muffled by the way she was pressing her face into his chest. “I shot him.”

“It was self defense, Alexandra,” Harry protested instantly. “And Jesus, that motherfucker deserved to be shot.”

“I know,” Alex nodded slowly before she pulled back to look at him. “But it doesn’t change the fact that...I shot him. I did. I pulled the trigger, he went down, and I turned around and ran. I didn’t even see where I hit him. I just had to get the fuck out of there. I don’t even know where I dropped the gun. It was in my hand when I left the room and I didn’t have it when I ran outside.”

“You were so brave,” Harry breathed, a bit of pride shining in his eyes. “Don’t you see? You got yourself out. “I’m...God, I’m proud of you for being that brave and for defending yourself…”

“Proud of me?” Alex shook her head and her eyes went wide. “For killing a man?”

“You didn’t kill him, Alex,” he replied with a shake of his head. “The SWAT team killed him.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do,” Harry said firmly. “I know that.”

“How could you possibly…”

“The Chief of Scotland Yard sent me the brief on my phone,” he revealed with a sigh. “Your shot hit him in the thigh. He was hurt but not mortally. But they encountered him in the hallway outside of our room. You must have dropped the gun out there and he had his hands on it…” Harry swallowed and shook his head. “They saw him as an immediate threat and they took him out.”

Alex sucked in a deep breath and then her eyes turned towards the window again as she let it out slowly, letting the information run through her mind. “Okay.”

Harry’s eyebrows lifted. “Okay?”

Alex shrugged and her gaze moved back to his. “I don’t know, Harry. I really can’t fully process it yet. It still feels...almost surreal. And I’m just...tired. It’s only making my brain turn more to try to make it make sense and…”

“Let’s go back to bed?” Harry said softly, his hands moving to her face, his thumbs stroking at her cheeks. “I think we’ve done all we can do tonight.”

Alex sniffed and nodded, her emotions whirling at how wonderful he was being with her. “I think so too.”

************

They both slept restlessly the rest of the night and by the time the Sun started to rise and light began to peek in through the windows, there was no hope for getting back to sleep. It was a new day and they were both aware that the things that needed to be addressed weren’t going to be held back for very long.

The first thing they knew they had to address was the public. The whole world had been utterly enthralled by the Duchess of Sussex’s bout with captivity. Along with the very few truthful details that had been released, there were tons of rumors and so much incorrect information running through the media that their press team didn’t even know where to start.

They quickly decided that they would release a formal statement from Alex and Harry, thanking everyone for their concern and well wishes, but asking for privacy for the immediate future. They also decided that in order to try and curb the salaciousness of the story, once Scotland Yard had completed their investigation, Kensington Palace would agree to allow the release of specific details. However, in order for the investigation to get fully underway, the detectives needed to interview Alex.

And so, for the second time in less than twelve hours, Alex sat down that morning and spoke about what happened in the cottage with Patrick. This time though, the process was much more structured, detailed, and thorough, and it left Alex exhausted and emotionally spent. It was only mid-morning when the detectives left and already she wanted to go back to bed and sleep for hours. But it seemed like there was so much going on; William and Kate’s apartment wasn’t small by any means of the word, but with them there along with Alex, Harry, Emma, Alex’s parents, and various staff members who had come in and out to coordinate the effort to control the response to the public, Alex felt overwhelmed and almost...suffocated.

With teary eyes and a shaky voice, she’d told Harry that she couldn’t do it; that she wasn’t ready to be around so many people while locked in a palace in the middle of London. She needed fresh air and space and the people closest to her.

And Harry had jumped as the chance to give her exactly that.

A plan was made; one that would give Alex much needed space and time while keeping her in comfortable surroundings. They were going to leave that afternoon for her parent’s home in Berkshire. They would stay a week and then would head to Highgrove for another week. The hope was that being on private property would keep the press at bay, but just in case it didn’t, a second media release was prepared to be released after they’d left Kensington Palace and arrived in Berkshire.

“His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex has issued a letter to all media outlets warning them that as they will be staying on private property, any photographs taken and/or published of HRH The Duchess of Sussex or HRH Princess Emma during their time away from London will not be tolerated. Formal complaints to the Press Complaints Commission and legal action will follow any publication of such pictures. Additionally, trespassing arrests will be made against any photographers found in the act of obtaining such pictures.

The Duke would like to remind the press and the public that The Duchess is recovering from a traumatic event and that he would appreciate the respect and consideration of allowing their family this time to recover in peace and quiet.”

Additionally, Charlotte offered to suspend her maternity leave for the next couple of days to be in charge of handling issues the warnings to the media and fielding what was sure to be a mountain of requests flooding through the KP offices.

The only obstacle in their way was quickly solved by Alex’s wonderful friend and amazing assistant, Mia. The police were able to pull out Harry and Emma’s clothing and possessions from the cottage that they would need to head out of London, but Alex didn’t want hers; not after Patrick had forced her to pack so much of it. Each piece of clothing held memories of the most frightening moments of her life and she just couldn’t take it right then. Mia was quick to handle the task and after an hour at Harrod’s, she arrived at Kensington Palace with an armful of bags containing new clothes, shoes, makeup, and toiletry items for Alex. They were just basics; jeans, tennis shoes, some wellies since they were headed out into the country, soft, comfy blouses, a new coat, and of course, a selection of new pajamas and bras and underwear.

Alex took them with tears in her eyes and then wrapped her friend in a fierce, tight hug. She was incredibly grateful for the amazing people that surrounded her in life. She wouldn’t make it through this without them; she knew that.

It was late afternoon before they were ready to go. The Cambridges would come out and spend more time with them when Harry and Alex and Emma went to Highgrove, but for then, they had to say goodbye. They all shared warm hugs and kisses and then, the Sussex’s were loaded up into two waiting Range Rovers. Wanting to be able to concentrate on his wife and not on the road, Harry slipped in the backseat with Alex and Emma, while his P.O. Mark and Emma’s P.O. sat up front. Two additional P.O.s were in the second Range Rover that would tail them out to Berkshire. Donna and Mike had already departed, wanting to get there before Harry, Alex, and Emma did and get everything ready. Charlotte and Matt said that they would give them a few days and then come out with Cooper if Alex was up to it, which she knew she would be. They were family and right then, she needed them too.

Though they hadn’t publicly announced that they were leaving yet since the press release wouldn’t go out until after they were out of London, they still knew the press would be waiting at the gates.

And they were; waiting in droves as the gates began to open. The cameras lifted instantly when they realized who was exiting the palace and Alex immediately felt the anxiety creep in. Before she could stop herself, she dropped her face into her hands, not wanting anyone to see her in what she felt like was an incredibly private moment.

But Harry was right there; he turned and reached for her, pulling her shoulder so she faced him and then he leaned forward, covering both her and Emma with his broad shoulders, keeping their faces out of the glare of the media and of the world for time being. If she didn’t want anyone to see her, then it was his job to make sure that they didn’t.

As they moved away from Kensington Palace and further and further away from London, Alex began to feel some of the overwhelming anxiety and trapped feelings fade out a bit. She was far from okay. She was far from coming to terms with what had happened to her. She was far from accepting that she was even really safe. But, she was with Harry and Emma and they were on their way to a place that would help her begin to get there.


	100. Chapter One Hundred

Alex spent a lot of time in the first couple days at her parent’s house sleeping, and no one in the house could blame her one bit. She was physically and mentally exhausted and she needed it.

While she rested, Harry helped Emma with the school work she’d been sent over to make up for the time she was missing or, when it wasn’t raining, spent time with his daughter outside, walking the fields and footpaths that surrounded the new Emerson family home. He liked it out there with Alex’s parents; he had always felt at home with them, but having them in England was even more wonderful. And Emma was thrilled to be able to spend so much time with them as well.

On the third day, Alex seemed to be a little more present. She rose in the morning early, climbing out of the bed and into the shower before Harry did. When he woke, she was dressing, pulling on jeans and a long sleeved blouse. Her face was free of make-up and she’d left her hair down to air dry in soft waves down her back. Though she looked a bit thinner than usual, it appeared that a bit of color was in her cheeks.

“Good morning,” he murmured, watching as she turned her gaze to where he still laid in the bed.

“Morning,” she responded, giving him a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m sorry. I was trying to be quiet.”

“It’s alright,” he shook his head as he sat up and pushed off the covers. “No need to apologize. If you wait a few minutes, I’ll shower and dress and go down with you.”

“No, it’s okay,” she shook her head and took a step towards the door. “I’m going to go help mom make breakfast. Take your time. I’ll see you down there.”

“Alex?” His head tipped to the side as he watched her.

“Mhmm?”

“You’ll tell me if you need to talk about anything, right?”

He didn’t miss the shuttered look that flashed in her eyes for a just a moment before she pulled another small smile and nodded. “Of course.”

“Okay,” Harry said, offering a smile in return. It wasn’t a surprise to him in any way that she was struggling; he’d expected that. He would have been worried if she wasn’t. But he could tell that she didn’t want to talk about it, and that worried him a little bit. Alex had always been so open with him and lord knows she’d been the one to push him to be more open and communicative with her over the course of their relationship. Still, he wasn’t going to push her to talk. Not yet. “I’ll see you downstairs then.”

“Okay,” she nodded, shifting on her feet slightly before she turned and pulled to door open, slipping from the room.

Harry took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair before he stood from the bed and headed towards the bathroom. He’d shower, they’d eat breakfast, and hopefully at some point during the day he’d be able to get a little bit more out of her.

*********

Harry paused in the doorway of the kitchen, his eyes falling on Alex where she stood at the sink. She was washing the dishes from breakfast; her actions slow and methodic. She seemed to be almost intent on getting every single speck from every dish before loading it in the dishwasher.

He took a breath and stepped away from the doorway, moving towards her, wanting to let her know that if she wanted to rest, he’d be more than happy to take over and finish up. His stepped up to her and his hands fell to her shoulders and she immediately gasped and jumped, completely startled by his presence in the room and his hands on her. The plate she’d been holding slipped right from her hands and crashed into the sink, breaking into several pieces.

“Shit!” she cried, her hands visibly shaking as she looked down at the shattered plate and then back to Harry.

“Alex, I am so sorry,” he said softly, his eyes wide and a bit nervous as they met hers. “I really didn’t mean to startle you.”

“I know,” she whispered, taking a breath and trying to control her racing heart. “I know...I just…” Her eyes filled with tears and she turned back towards the sink, reaching in for the broken plate.

“Alex...don’t,” he called out, stepping forward quickly to stop her. His hands fell gently on her forearms from behind, stalling her. “You’re shaking, love. I don’t want you to cut yourself.”

“Damn it.” She shook her head but stopped reaching for the plate, moving to grip at the edge of the sink instead, her knuckles turning white from the strength at which she gripped it. “This is ridiculous,” she mumbled. “I can’t even have my husband put his hands on my shoulders without jumping out of my skin. I can’t even fucking wash dishes without…”

“Hey…” Harry soothed, his voice low and soft as he moved to her side and reached out to tuck a piece of loose hair behind her ear. “It’s okay love. I understand.”

“No, you don’t,” Alex muttered. She turned and pushed past him, walking towards the back door. “No one does.”

“Alex,” he called, moving towards her as she moved to slide on her wellies and then reached for her jacket.

“I’m going for a walk,” she said, brushing away his attempts to calm her down.

“By yourself?”

The words hit her like a punch in the gut and immediately her eyes welled up with tears.

“I’ll go with you,” he murmured, silently cursing himself for making her cry again.

“No, it’s okay,” she sniffed. “I’m not really in the mood for company. I’ll just...go up to our room for a bit.”

“I’ll walk behind you,” he offered, his eyebrows raising as he reached for his own coat. “You don’t have to talk to me, I promise. I’ll stay back a bit. But I’ll just...be there. If that’s what you need.”

Alex looked at him for a long moment and then she sniffed again and wiped at her tears. “Okay. I...I’d like that.”

***********

Harry was true to his word. He stayed behind Alex as she walked. She didn’t really go far; he didn’t think she would. When they left through the back door of her parent’s home, she led the way out to the small country road and walked about half a mile down before taking a turn off the road towards a small, well worn path that Harry knew would eventually lead to the back of her parent’s property. He knew that he security team had followed behind him as well, but they stayed back, giving Alex the illusion that they were on their own out in the grey, drizzly day.

His chest was tight as he watched her walk. He hated that she was so broken up about what happened and that she said that no one understood. While it was true in a way, he still hated it. But he wouldn’t push her to talk about it or to make her see that he wanted to understand. She wasn’t like him in that regard; she couldn’t bottle it all up forever. Eventually, after she’d done as much as she could with it in her own mind, she’d let it out and let others in.

And then, as if she’d heard his thoughts, she stopped and turned around to face him. “I was supposed to be safe, Harry.”

He took a deep breath and several steps forward to her. “I know.”

“Do you?” Her eyebrows lifted.

“Of course I do, Alex. You know that I want you and Emma safe, that I’ve always…

“That was one of the things you were concerned about in the very beginning; keeping me and Emma safe,” she interrupted. She watched as Harry nodded and though she knew that none of this was his fault, she also knew that in the end, it all came back to being a part of his life. And that meant that he was the person that she had to have this conversation with. “And when we got engaged and Emma and I were assigned protection, you were a bit relieved, right? We finally had a role in your life where you could assure we were safe and protected?”

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and then answered honestly, “Yes.”

“And how does it make you feel that I wasn’t?”

Harry shook his head and took another step towards her. “This isn’t about how I feel.”

“You’re right,” Alex nodded, sniffing at the emotions that were bubbling up. “You’re right about that. But tell me anyway.”

“Sick,” Harry whispered, swallowing at the bad taste in his mouth. “And fucking helpless.”

“Yeah,” Alex drew out the word as she let out a breath. Her eyes averted away from his, looking out over the foggy field they were standing in the middle of. “Now take that, and multiply it by about a million, and you’ll be somewhere in the vicinity of where I am.”

“Alex…”

“Every single thing!” She shouted all of the sudden, surprising him and making him take a step back. “Every single system that was in place to keep me safe, to keep our family safe...failed! It completely failed! The very person that was there to keep me safe from the crazy people out there was the crazy people out there! How do I...how do I even deal with that?”

“I...I don’t know, love,” Harry stumbled out, unsure how to put into words that fact that it was always her who had helped him deal with the bad things since they’d been together, that he was just hoping to be able to even help her half as well as she’d helped him over the years.

“Yeah, me neither,” she mumbled with a shake of her head. “Me either. I mean, how do you ever get past a fucking psychopath taking you hostage in your home? How do you get past him telling you he’s going to flee the country with you and take you away from your family forever?”

“Alex…”

“And how in the hell do I get over the fact that he tried to kill you, Harry? How do I get over the fact that he bugged our home, Harry? How do I get over the fact that I shot him there and that he died there? In our bedroom! How do I go back there? How do I ever trust anyone assigned to keep me safe ever again?” Her voice broke with her final words and tears slipped from her eyes and Harry’s chest ached so badly with how much she was hurting.

“Alex,” his voice was hoarse when he finally found his words. “I'm going to do everything I can do to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

"Don't you get it, Harry? Everyone did everything they thought they could to make sure it never happened in the first place. And it DID. It happened. Emma and I are supposed to be protected. What if I never feel safe again? What if this life...where one of the biggest assurances was that our daughter and I would be kept safe...what if..."

"I don't know, Alex."

"Why do you keep saying you don’t know?"

Harry lifted his hands and his eyes widened. "What do you want me to say? I know that this wasn't supposed to happen. I know that. And I can't change it and I can't make it go away. But I can try and fix it for the future."

She fell quiet and he could see her struggling; he could see her trying to decide how far she wanted to take the conversation they were having.

“Say it, Alexandra,” he said, bringing her eyes swinging back to his. “You’re not me who can bottle things up and hide their emotions. It’s written all over your face. You have something to say. Say it.”

“You’ll hate it,” she whispered her warning.

“You think I don’t already hate that we even have to have this conversation?” he countered, lifting his brows. “Alexandra, I may not know how to…”

"How come you haven’t offered me an out?”

His breath sucked in and he went completely still, his blood pounding in his ears. "I….”

“I told you that you would hate it,” she muttered. She wiped at her tears and then turned away from him, not able to look at him after what she just said.

“Alex, don’t turn away from me,” he called out, coming after her. He walked around her to face her, his hands moving around her arms and bringing her eyes up to his. “I do hate it. Of course I fucking hate that you asked me that. But...Jesus Alex. You think I can just…” He should his head and his shoulders straightened; sure and determined. “No, I'm not going to offer you that as a solution to this problem. Not when I don’t think it’s a real solution. It’s not going to make you better. Unless…” His voice cracked and she saw the moisture rise in his eyes. “Unless that's what you want. Is that what you want, Alex?"

A sob escaped her lips and she shook her head back and forth quickly. "No. I'm sorry, Harry...I don't want that. Not at all. I…” Her hands moved to her face and she dropped her head, beginning to cry in earnest. “I don't know why I said that..I’m so sorry..."

“Hey,” Harry sighed as his hands tightened on her arms and he pulled her into him. His arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly to him and letting her cry into his chest. “I know why you said it,” he murmured. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head and then laid his cheek there as he continued to hold her tight. “I’m not mad or upset and you don’t have to apologize, for any of this.”

“But here I am yelling at you like it’s your fault,” Alex replied, her voice muffled by the way she had it pressed into his chest.

“Yeah, well, who else are you going to yell at?”

“Are you trying to be funny right now?” Alex whispered, her sobs slowing down for the moment.

“Absolutely not,” Harry denied instantly, but he could feel the tension leaving her body a bit.

“Good, because it wasn’t funny,” Alex mumbled into his chest and Harry couldn’t help the small chuckle that left his lips.

“You’re right, love,” he nodded, pressing another kiss to the top of her head. But he didn’t let go of her, his arms stayed tight around her, not wanting to let her go until she was ready to step away. “Alex?”

“Hmmm?”

He took a deep breath and pulled back to look down into her face. “I don’t want to push you, but I’m...I’m really hoping that you’re going to be open to seeing a therapist at some point.”

She blinked in surprise. “Of course I will.”

He smiled softly, relief evident in his face. “Yeah?”

“Absolutely,” she nodded as she leaned back into his chest. “I think it’s pretty important that I do. I mean, being out here helps, but...you know…”

“I know,” Harry nodded and took a deep breath. He really did. Therapy had helped him more than he could ever express. “And...I don’t want us to live at the cottage anymore.”

“What?” she pulled back to look up at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

“You asked how you could ever go back there,” he reminded her. “I don’t think you can. I don’t think we can. After we leave here and after we spend a couple of weeks at Highgrove, we can stay at Clarence House or Buckingham or hell, we can even rent a place until our new apartment at Kensington is ready.”

“Yeah?” Alex bit her lip as she thought it over, realizing that her chest felt a little lighter after hearing her husband say that he didn’t want to go back there either.

“Absolutely, love.”

“Okay,” she nodded slowly. “I’m sad to leave it but…I can’t live there again.”

“Then we won’t,” Harry said softly.

Alex took a deep breath and blinked at the tears in her eyes. “Thank you. For that and for...letting me yell at you. I promise I didn’t mean what...”

“I know you didn’t,” Harry cut her off with a shake of his head. “I know that. Which is why it never crossed my mind as an option.”

“I do love you,” Alex whispered as she leaned back into him, hugging her arms around him. “Very much.”

“I love you too,” he replied in a low voice. “So much so, in fact...that I’m about to insist that we get out of this wet weather before you get sick and I have to fumble my way nursing you back to health.”

Alex smiled and nodded against his chest. She took a deep breath and stepped back, but let him take her hand as he turned to lead them back to her parent’s house. “That’s an old wives tale, you know.”

“What is?”

“That being out in the wet and cold will make you sick.”

He laughed and squeezed her hand tighter. “I know, love. Otherwise we British would be constantly bedridden.”

The smile that tilted her lips was enough for him to consider his joke a success. It didn’t quite reach her eyes, but for now, it was progress.

************

After that day, after Alex had let out what was building up inside of her at Harry in the rain that morning, she slowly began to feel a bit more like herself again. She began to help Emma with her school work a bit. She spent some time with Donna out in the garden once the rain stopped long enough to make it possible. When Matt and Charlotte arrived in the middle of the week with Cooper, she was the first one to pluck Cooper into their arms, smiling and cooing down at the sweet little baby boy who was growing so fast. And there was even the late evening where she found herself in the kitchen with her Dad and Matt, smiling over a bowl of ice cream as Mike retold stories from their childhood.

And it was the second to last day there, when Harry had reluctantly had to head to London for a few hours to meet with Scotland Yard about the investigation that was almost complete, that she pulled Emma into the kitchen with a smile and a bit of enthusiasm as she requested her daughter’s help in a little bit of a special project. And Emma, who was more than happy to be asked, jumped at the chance to help and to spend a couple of hours of quality time with her mum, agreed instantly.

And that’s exactly where Harry found them when he arrived back at the house that afternoon. He’d hated that he’d had to leave, even though he knew it was something that had to be done. He’d felt so relieved to be back, feeling at home the second he walked through the front door. Everyone seemed to be spread out across the house, but Donna came around the corner when she heard the door open and, after kissing his cheeks, had pointed him towards to kitchen with a smile that clearly indicated his wife and daughter were up to something in there.

“Well, it smells delicious in here,” he announced as he stepped through the doorway to the kitchen, smiling wide at the pretty picture they painted, their blonde heads close together as they bent over something on the counter.

“Hi Dad!” Emma grinned as she hopped off the stool she was standing on and skipped towards him. “You’re back!”

“I’m back!” He laughed, moving over to kiss her hello. He ruffled her hair and then his eyes met Alex’s, a warm moment moving between them. “Hello, love. What have you two got going on in here?”

“What’s going on,” Alex smiled as she pulled her apron over her head and tossed it onto the counter. “Is that Emma and I made you a birthday cake.”

The smile that spread across Harry’s face was bright and happy, matching the way his eyes lit up. “You remembered.”

“Duhhhh,” Emma giggled.

“Yeah, duhhhh,” Alex smirked, bringing a shout of laughter from Harry.

“Happy Birthday, Daddy!” Emma called out, hugging her arms around his waist.

“Well, thank you Em,” he smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head before turning his eyes back to Alex.

“Happy Birthday, Harry,” she said, her voice and her eyes soft as she looked up at him.

“Thank you, love,” he murmured, stepping over to her. He leaned down to kiss her cheek but she caught him off guard as she turned her head, catching his lips quickly with hers. He couldn’t help the way even the brief contact of her lips against his made his smile pull wider. Their eyes met for a warm, meaningful beat and then with a wink he stepped back, pulling back from their moment only to bring Emma back in. “Alright ladies, what kind of cake are we talking here?”

***********

That evening was by far the most relaxed spent so far at the Emerson’s home. After dinner, they dug into the delicious chocolate cake that Emma and Alex had made from scratch and it earned rave reviews, especially from the birthday boy himself.

They all settled into the living room after dessert to watch a movie; it was cozy and comfy and when Alex settled in next to Harry on the couch and leaned into him, his heart swelled in his chest as he lifted his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, loving the feeling of her settling easily and comfortably into his side.

Emma drifted off to sleep about halfway through the movie and much to Harry’s amusement, Charlotte wasn’t far behind her, nodding off with her head resting on Matt’s shoulder. And when Matt woke her to take her up to bed, Harry couldn’t resist a round of light teasing at her expense; joking that she may be younger in years than him for the moment but clearly not in spirit.

“Shut up,” Charlotte mumbled as Matt helped her up from the couch. “Unless you want to be the one who gets up to feed my son at two a.m.”

“Don’t joke,” Alex deadpanned. “He’ll do it.”

Charlotte snorted. “Absolutely not. Get your own baby.”

Laughter moved around the room and Matt grinned as he took his wife’s hand. “Come on, grouchy pants. Let’s get you to bed.”

“Sounds like Matt just earned himself the two a.m. feeding,” Alex teased, bringing another round of laughter from the room. Though Alex may not have noticed, Harry didn’t miss the way everyone’s eyes lit up at the fact that Alex was making jokes and that her smile had begun to reach her eyes again.

It wasn’t much longer before Alex and Harry decided to call it a night as well. After kissing and hugging Donna and Mike goodnight, Harry pulled a sleeping Emma from the couch and they headed upstairs.

“I’m going to take a quick bath,” Alex whispered as Harry moved to put Emma down in her room.

Harry smiled at his wife as he pushed open the door to Emma’s room. “Okay love, enjoy. I’ll see you in a bit.”

*************

When Alex stepped from her bath, she felt refreshed. The hot water was relaxing and soothing and putting on her lotion and then wrapping herself up in her warm, comfortable pajamas had her feeling more like herself than she’d felt in a week. She looked in the mirror as she pulled the clip from her hair and let it fall down her back. Her face was thinner, no doubt. But her cheeks were pink and her eyes had life in them and she couldn’t help but smile back at her reflection.

She was going to be okay. It was going to be a hard road back, of course. But she was going to be okay.

And so much of it was due to the man just on the other side of the door from her; probably tucked up in their bed and waiting for her to come out before he would let himself fall asleep, just so he could say goodnight to her.

And suddenly, all she wanted was to see his face and his smile and the way he looked at her. All she wanted was the hear his voice and see the love he held in his eyes for her. All she wanted was to feel the strength of his arms around her.

All she wanted was him. And it completely overwhelmed her.

With a deep breath, she pulled open the door and she smiled instantly as she saw him, he had a book in his lap and his brow furrowed slightly as he concentrated on the words he was reading. She moved quickly across the room until she stood by the bed, looking down on him.

“What are you reading?”

Harry looked up from the book in his lap, smiling at his wife, looking refreshed from her bath and adorable in her pajamas. “An old book of yours that I found on the shelf.”

Alex’s eyes turned to the shelf against the wall where her mother had lined a bunch of her old novels. It always amazed her that her mom kept those things; much less had them carted across the Atlantic and unpacked in their new house in England. But she loved that she had.

Her smile was soft as she turned back to Harry and then climbed onto the bed on her knees. “Which one?”

Harry’s lips twitched he pulled the book up, revealing the cover art to her. “The Princess Diaries.”

“Ha! You shit,” she snickered, shaking her head as she snatched the book from him and then smacked him lightly on top of the head with it.

“What?” he laughed, watching her as she turned to toss it on her nightstand. “I wanted to see what it was all about.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Being a princess?”

He chuckled. “Something like that. And why did you take it? Maybe I’m not done reading for the night.” He watched as Alex’s eyes cast down for a moment and he sat up a bit. “Alex? You alright, baby? You want to talk about anything?”

“No,” she said, her smile tipping up as she lifted her eyes to his. “I don’t want to talk, Harry.” She saw his breath suck in and she saw the moment he recognized look in her wide blue eyes. They were full of love and of hope and… of desire.

She bit her bottom lip and scooted closer and her hands reached out to him, moving to rest on his flat stomach. “Harry…”

“Alex…” he whispered in return. Her fingers tipped up under his shirt and he sucked in a sharp breath and his hands reached out to cover hers, stalling her for just a moment. “Are you sure?”

Her smiled pulled higher and she nodded slowly. “Yes.”

And he didn’t have to ask again. She wouldn’t have come to him if she wasn’t ready. She wouldn’t have said yes if she wasn’t ready. “Come here,” he murmured. His fingers folded over hers and he tugged, bringing her down to him.

And she went. Without a single ounce of hesitation she went to him, moving her body over his as his hands slid up over her arms and up into her hair. His eyes held hers for a long moment; a moment when everything that had happened since their marriage passed heavy between them: Philip’s passing, Harry’s accident, and Alex’s terrifying ordeal with Patrick just the week before. And then, he smiled softly up at her and she returned his look; not wanting any of what was about to happen between them about any of the bad.

Only good.

“I love you so much, Alexandra,” he said, his voice low and shaky with emotion.

She blinked at the moisture that rose in her eyes and then she leaned closer, her lips less than an inch from his. “Show me, Harry.”

He groaned softly at her words and then his hands tightened in her hair and he pulled her lips down to his.

She moaned softly as his mouth opened under hers and his tongue teased between her lips, looking for hers. And she couldn’t help but sink into it; into the kiss and into him, her warm, sweet, sexy husband. She shifted, moving a leg over him and settling on his lap and she couldn’t help the way her lips curved up into a smile against his as she felt him under her, aroused and ready for her.

A deep chuckle rumbled through his chest and he opened his eyes, finding hers already looking back down at him. “Oh, I want you,” he assured her, his gaze hot as it held hers. His hands left her hair and smoothed down her back. His fingers pushed at the hem of her t-shirt and she lifted, sitting up straight as he pulled her shirt from her and tossed it to the side. “My God...you’re so beautiful…”

She smiled, her cheeks flushing under his gaze and with his words and then she was pulling at him and he sat up, willingly let her pull his shirt from him and then toss it away to join hers on the floor. His arms moved around her instantly and he pulled her tight to him. As their chests met, bare skin against bare skin, both of them sucked in an audible breath and the heat between them in that room shot up. Her hands moved to his face, her thumbs rubbing softly at his cheeks, and she repeated her words from moment before.

“Please...show me…”

With a groan, he pulled her to him and then turned, flipping them around and lowering her back down to the soft mattress.

The rest of their clothes came off slowly; they peeled them from each others bodies as if they wanted to savor each inch of naked skin as it was revealed. Alex arched and a small cry fell from her lips when his hands moved to her, smoothing up her sides and to her breasts. The pressure was so sweet as he cupped them in his palms and when his thumbs began to strum lightly over her nipples she couldn’t help but shudder. It had been much too long; too long since he’d touched her, since she’d had his hands on her body and she wanted him fiercely.

“Harry,” she whimpered. Her hands encircled his shoulders and she pushed her fingers into his hair. “Please. Make love to me.”

Harry took a deep breath and, after dropping a soft kiss to each of her nipples, he let her pull him up to her. His mouth covered hers as she parted her thighs for him and she let out a soft, moan of a sigh as he leaned in, pressing his weight into her. And then, keeping one hand in her hair, the other smoothed down over her chest, passing over her stomach, and then slipped between her thighs.

“Oh Alex,” he breathed as his fingers slid against her folds. “You’re so wet...hot…”

“Oh!” she gasped as his fingers moved to run a warm circle around the bundle of nerves that laid there, swollen for him. Her hands moved to clutch at his shoulders and her eyes flew open as she sucked in a breath. “Oh my God...if you keep doing that…”

His eyebrows lifted in surprise and as much as he wanted her to come apart while she was wrapped around him, he couldn’t resist. It was so fast and she was so ready and…

“Harry!” she moaned his name as her orgasm hit, fast and hot, and Harry’s entire body pulsed as the waves of it pushed through her. It pulled sexiest sounds from her lips and made her entire body flush pink and he honestly thought he might lose it right there for a second.

“Jesus…” She let out a breath and a giggle as her eyes pulled open and she fought to focus for a second. “Sorry...I didn’t expect…”

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Harry grinned as he shifted, his fingers sliding from her as he moved to press the tip of himself against her. “I just hope I can make you do that again.”

“Oh, you can,” she smirked. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her eyes held his as he pressed into her just slightly.

“If I don’t lose it first,” he joked; though if he was honest he wasn’t sure he would last any time at all.

“Wait!” Alex suddenly gasped, her eyes flying wide and her hands moving to clutch at his forearms. “Wait, Harry...I…”

“What?” he lifted from her, his eyes wide and nervous. “What’s wrong, love?”

“Shit,” she muttered, covering her face with her hands as she shook her head. “Shit, shit, shit.”

“Alex,” he chuckled, guessing she was alright but confused at to what the hell was going on. “What do I need to wait on?”

“My birth control,” she groaned, pulling her hands from her face. “It’s in the cottage. In the stuff that he…” she gulped as she made mention of Patrick and then took a deep breath, determined not to let him affect her in this moment. “It’s in the stuff he made me pack. I haven’t taken it in a week.”

“Oh,” Harry let out a breath and blinked several times, already trying to reign in his desire for her.

“I’m so sorry…”

“Oh hey,” he smiled and shook his head down at her. “Do not apologize. It’s fine, love. We will just...wait until you get back on it. Or…” His eyes brightened a bit. “We could use a condom.”

Alex grinned. “You have one?”

“Ha!” Harry shook his head and let out a groan. “No, of course not. I mean, I don’t exactly carry any around with me and when we left my head certainly wasn’t...there.”

“Damn it,” Alex sighed, though she was still smiling.

“Yeah,” Harry chuckled and dropped a kiss to her forehead before he shifted, moving to lay back beside her on the bed. “We’ll live, baby. We’ll just...I don’t know. I’ll run into town tomorrow or something.”

“Uggggh,” Alex groaned as she turned on her side to look at him. “But I don’t want to wait until tomorrow.”

Harry smirked as turned his eyes to hers. “You want me to run into town right now?”

Alex shrugged and scooted closer. Her fingers reached out to his stomach and she bit at her bottom lip as her fingers walked slowly south towards his still hard length. “Or…”

He sucked in a breath as her fingers wrapped around him. “Or what?”

Her eyes widened in this mixture of lust and innocence that almost did him in. “You could...pull out…”

“Pull out?” While his eyes were wide with surprise and a hint of nerves at the suggestion, the grin that spread across his face was just a tiny bit cheeky. “I mean...it’s just...really?”

“Oh God,” Alex giggled, falling back to the mattress and going from seductive back to sweet in the blink of an eye. “We’re so ridiculous, Harry.”

“You think so?” he grinned, watching as she dissolved into a fit of giggles.

“I mean…” Her shoulders shook with her laughter. “We’re in my parents house wanting to have sex and we…” She tried to take a breath but she ended up snorting with laughter again as she turned her eyes to his. “And we can’t because I forgot I wasn’t taking my birth control and we don’t have a condom and now we’re discussing the pull out method like…”

“Like a couple of horny teenagers?” Harry finished with a chuckle.

Alex clapped a hand over her mouth as a whole new round of giggles hit her and Harry couldn’t help the way his heart swelled as he watched her. It was truly the first time he’d seen her really laugh in a week.

And suddenly he was just...overwhelmed with the heavy feeling that blossomed in his chest. He loved her beyond anything; beyond reason really. They had been through so much in just a few short months yet they could still be them together and right then, he decided that if she wanted him to make love to her, then not really much of anything could stop him from doing just that.

Especially the small chance of a consequence that wasn’t really a consequence at all; not to him.

He reached for her and a gasp of surprise left her lips as she was suddenly pulled into into his arms and pressed back up against his naked body. Her hands fell to his chest and she turned a sweet, slightly nervous smile up to him.

“You sure? I mean, even if you pull out there would still be a chance…”

“I’m sure,” he nodded, that slightly cheeky smile coming back for a moment. His eyes danced with anticipation and then, he bent and once again, took her mouth with his.

This time, when he moved in above her, his cheeky smile and her giggles disappeared. When her legs parted for him and he settled there between then, there were no more questions as to whether or not either of them were sure or ready. They were both more than sure and incredibly ready. And when he pushed inside of her in one long, slow stroke, both of them had to take a moment to to let just how good it felt to be joined so intimately against wash over them.

“You feel amazing,” he whispered as he adjusted around her, stretching his body out over hers and moving his hands under her shoulders so that he could push her closer. “Absolutely amazing, Alexandra.”

“So do you,” she whispered back, trying in vain to blink back to moisture that rose in her eyes at how wonderful it felt to have him inside of her.

He smiled softly and leaned in to press light kisses to her forehead, her nose, and her lips. Then, he took in a deep breath to steady himself...and he began to move.

He was slow and steady and incredibly thorough as he moved above her. Of course, it had always been more than great between them, but somehow, this time was different. Maybe it was because it had been so long or maybe it was because they had been through so much or maybe it was a tangled combination of those things and more. But Alex knew one thing for sure, and that was she had never, ever felt as complete as she did with Harry that night.

“Oh...Harry…” she moaned softly as he pressed deep and she felt that hot, tingly sensation begin deep in her belly. “Please…”

“Baby…” he groaned, his lips pressing to the soft, damp skin of her neck as he fought like mad to hold on, to get her there first before he had to leave her to take his. “Come on, love…”

She whimpered and her hips arched up, reaching for it instinctively. “Harry...come with me…”

“Alex,” he moaned and shook his head in the crook of her neck before pulling up to look at her. “I can’t…”

“Please,” she whispered, her eyes wide and full of love as they held his. “Please don’t leave me...not now…”

And the tears that sprang to his eyes were hot and unexpected and though he knew he shouldn’t, though he knew it was a bit reckless, the truth was that he couldn’t deny her anything; especially this. Especially right then.

His forehead dropped to hers, his gaze never wavering as he nodded his head slowly. “Okay, my love.”

Her breath sucked in at his words, at the way his emotions mirrored hers in that moment. He began to move faster above her, his hips angling so he could push deeper as he stroked to the very core of her.

“Oh please…” she moaned, her fingers pressing into his back as she felt the explosion begin in the tips of her toes.

“Oh Alexandra,” he groaned, leaning to kiss her. “Yes. Come for me…”

And she went, his name leaving her lips in a throaty cry as the wave slammed into her body. And just as her body clenched around him for the first time, Harry knew it was all over for him. His face dropped into her neck and his lips pressed into her skin as he let himself go and their bodies pulsed furiously together.

He could feel her heavy breaths against his shoulder as his blew out against her neck; both of them coming down from their shared pleasure. She was the one who moved first; not wanting to break the connection between them, her hands smoothed slowly up the heated skin of his back.

“I missed you, Harry.”

“Mhmmm,” he groaned into her neck before finding the strength to pull up enough to look at her. “God, I missed you too. Never again,” he smiled softly. “Never again will we go that long without loving each other.”

“Okay,” she smiled. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer for a moment as she leaned up to kiss him. “I’m one hundred percent in agreement with you there.”

Harry chuckled. “I thought you might be.”

Their lips met for one more slow, sweet kiss and then with more regret than he could ever express, he lifted, pulling himself from her body with a soft groan. She sucked in a breath at the loss of him, but she was quickly pulled back into the circle of his arms as he adjusted the covers up around them. She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his waist, not ready to give up the closeness between them.

“Harry?”

“Hmmm?”

“Are you sure you’re okay with...me asking you not to…”

“Shhhh…” He smiled as she turned her gaze up to his. “Don’t do that, love. I’m okay with everything we just did. Everything.”

“The chances are small. But I could still…”

“I know.” He let out a soft sigh before and pulled her even closer, kissing the top of her head as his eyes got heavier. “And you know what else I know, Alexandra?”

“Hmmm?”

“I know, beyond a doubt, that I’m incredibly in love with my wife.”

She smiled and, dropping any further intention of discussing the chance they’d taken, she nestled further into the crook of his arm. She didn’t regret it and neither did he and somehow, it made her feel warmer knowing that. And that was all that mattered to her. “I love you too, Henry Charles. And...happy birthday.”

He grinned and hugged her tighter. “Thank you. And...definitely the best birthday so far, my love.”

And just like that, wrapped up in each other and feeling more at peace than they had in months, they drifted off to sleep.


	101. Chapter One Hundred and One

“You know,” Alex murmured, watching the countryside go by outside of the windows of the Range Rover, the beautiful fall colors looking warm and vibrant in the late afternoon light. “Two weeks ago, I was afraid I wouldn’t want to leave my parent’s house to go to Highgrove.”

“And now?” Harry asked, glancing over at her from the driver’s seat before turning back to the road in front of them.

“And now...I’m very much looking forward to it,” she turned a soft smile to him. “It’s got it’s own special brand of coziness. Even in the fall.”

“Are all the flowers going to be dead because it’s getting cold outside?” Emma called from the backseat where Gus was curled up next to her, happily asleep.

“Most of them,” Harry called back. “But I think Papa has some that last until snow falls.”

“Cool,” Emma sang out. “I can’t wait to see all of Papa Charles’ pretty flowers. And my treehouse! And to look at all of Granny Camilla’s books!”

Harry chuckled. “Well, you don’t have much longer to wait, Emma Rose,” he informed her as he began to slow the car down. “We’re here.”

Alex had truly always loved Highgrove; from the very first time Harry had brought her there. It was true that it was splendid in the spring and the summer, with the gardens in bloom. But there was something about the crisp country air and all of the amazing fall colors that began to cover the gardens that made it feel incredibly cozy and comfortable.

Charles and Camilla were waiting when Harry pulled the car up the circular drive and stopped in front of the house. They were quick to offer hugs and kiss cheeks in greeting and then they were ushering Harry, Alex, and Emma inside; leaving their bags to be unloaded, brought up to their rooms, and unpacked by the staff.

It’s true that the atmosphere at Highgrove was very different from the one they had just left at her parents house. It was more formal; meals were always served at a specific time and evenings were spent in the library reading or engaging in conversation, not gathered around the TV in their pajamas with bowls of popcorn while they watched a movie. It made her giggle to even think of putting on her pajamas before bedtime at Highgrove; that’s just not how they did things there.

But those things didn’t make her love it any less; they were really all part of the charm she loved so much about the big home in the country. And best of all, Charles and Camilla were there and she just adored them both. They were supporting and kind and warm...and they were her family.

And she was very much looking forward to the two weeks they were going to spend with them at Highgrove.

**********

It was after a few days at Highgrove that a decision came about that gave Alex a bit of a setback, as much as she didn’t want it to.

Emma had missed two weeks of school, and although she’d kept up with her school work, courtesy of her amazing teacher who had made arrangements to send everything over by email, she was getting a bit stir crazy with all of her time spent around adults.

She wanted to go back to school during the week.

The anxiety hit Alex hard and fast when Harry ran Emma’s wishes past her that Saturday afternoon in the privacy of their bedroom. She didn’t even know she’d started shaking until Harry’s arms were around her and he was pulling her to the bed and making her lie down.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know Emma would be safe. She did. But it didn’t stop her from worrying. And it didn’t stop her from feeling like her warm, safe bubble was being burst by real life - a real life that she couldn’t control.

It had taken hours for her to calm down; for the tears to stop. But Harry sat with her through it all. She was astounded and touched by his patience and his strength...and by the way he didn’t give in to Alex’s pleas for him to agree with her that Emma shouldn’t go back yet.

Because in the end Alex knew that she couldn’t do that to Emma. She couldn’t keep her hidden away. It was going to hurt; but she had to let Emma go back to school.

So Sunday they had packed Emma up and handed her over to Molly, who drove up from London to spend a bit of time with them before taking Emma back with her for the school week. Emma would stay with Molly for a few nights and with Matt and Charlotte for the next couple and then Matt would drive her back out to Highgrove on Friday.

The daily morning phone calls to Emma and the nightly Skype sessions helped ease the ache that had filled Alex when Emma had driven away with Molly. And by the middle of the week, her sadness had eased and she simply missed her daughter as opposed to being terrified that something would happen and she wouldn’t be there.

And then she was back on Friday night, just as they had planned, excited for a weekend full of fun with her parents and Charles and Camilla.

Beginning with a much anticipated riding lesson with Zara at Gatcombe Park on Saturday morning.

***********

“She really is a natural on a horse.”

Alex jumped a bit, startled by the unexpected presence moving in next to her. She turned her gaze from Emma’s riding lesson with Zara and towards the soft voice that had spoken and was pleasantly surprised to find Harry’s Aunt Anne looking back at her.

“Good morning. And yes...It sure seems like it sometimes,” Alex agreed. She turned to Anne and kissed her cheeks in greeting before both of them turned back to the lesson going on. They both leaned to rest their arms on the white fence that surrounded the paddock. “I didn’t know you were here this weekend,” Alex remarked casually.

Anne shrugged. “I like to come out and watch Zara teach Emma.”

Alex smiled softly. “Me too. She loves it...Emma, I mean. She loves riding and Zara is an amazing teacher.”

“Of course she is,” Anne nodded.

Alex couldn’t help but chuckle at the smug, proud way that Anne said the words. “I suppose it’s because you taught her?”

“You’d suppose right,” Anne replied, making Alex laugh before they both turned their focus back to Emma and Zara.

“Harry sent you out here, didn’t he? Because we’ve had somewhat similar experiences with...well...psychopaths,” Alex asked softly, breaking several minutes of companionable silence that had fallen between them as they watched. She turned towards Anne, her eyebrows lifted as she waited for an answer.

“I’ve always been terribly transparent,” Anne chuckled in response. “He did. Well, he asked me if I would talk to you.”

“It’s fine,” Alex murmured, her eyes following Emma around the paddock ring. “He’s worried about me.”

“Should he be?”

Alex sighed and turned her gaze back to the older woman next to her. “Yes and no I suppose. It’s been a month and though I have my days...I’m getting better. But we’ve been gone from London all that time and I…” She sucked in a breath and blinked back the emotion that rushed forward. “The thought of going back to London makes me want to run as far away as I can.”

“You aren’t planning to live back at the cottage are you?” Anne asked.

“No,” Alex smiled and shook her head. “It’s not that though. It’s just...when we go back to London I have to...I don’t know…” She trailed off, trying to form her thoughts into the right words. “Going to London means being in public. It means...going back to my public life. And it also means dealing with all the damn speculation about what happened.”

“I can understand that. You feel like people should just let it be private,” Anne nodded thoughtfully. “Though, in reality you know that it won’t go away. No matter how much you do or don’t talk about it. It’ll still be brought up for years...decades…”

Alex sniffed at the emotions that bubbled at the surface. “See, the rational part of me knows that. But the emotional part of me…” She shook her head and shrugged. “Not so much.”

“You know, we all have to find our own way to deal with things,” Anne mused after a long moment, watching carefully as Alex’s curious gaze swung back to hers. “When that man tried to take me...well, the truth of it is that I was more frightened that I’ve ever been in my life. You know the story, I refused to go, of course. But the truth is that if would have been just me, he could have done it. But it wasn’t just me and in the end people got hurt to save me. That bothered me for a long time. They were in harm’s way because of who I am.”

“But you’ve always seemed so...unaffected by it,” Alex said, her eyes wide with surprise. “All the jokes about how you told him ‘not bloody likely.’ And the quotes with Philip saying that the kidnapper would have had a hell of a time with you if he had succeeded…”

“Like I said,” Anne smile ruefully. “We all find our own ways to deal with things.”

Alex took a deep breath as the meaning of Anne’s words moved over her. “Yes,” she nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “I suppose we do.”

Anne reached over and patted Alex’s hand and then her gaze swung out to the paddock for a moment before coming back. “You have something I didn’t have though.”

“I’m sorry?” Alex blinked.

“You got a shot off on the bastard,” Anne smirked. “I’ll bet that helps just a bit.”

Alex burst out laughing, bringing a warm chuckle from Anne as well. “Well, at first it didn’t,” she admitted, before her own lips curled up into a smile. “But I got over that fairly quickly.”

**********

“Alex?!”

She jumped at the sound of her name, having been lost in thought as she sat by herself out in the treehouse at Highgrove. She laughed at herself and the shook her head before calling back, “I’m up here!” She heard her husband chuckle softly and mumble something and then within a few moments, she heard him climbing the small ladder that would lead up to her.

“Hi,” he grinned as he appeared in the doorway, his tall broad frame filling it up and blocking whatever sun had been streaming through it.

“Hi,” she grinned back, looking up at him from her spot on the floor near the window. He chuckled, moved over to kiss her, and then slid in next to her on the floor.

“Does Emma know you’re in her treehouse?” he teased, nudging her shoulder with his.

“No,” she smirked. “Are you going to tell on me?”

“No,” he laughed with a shake of his head. “Though I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

“Probably not,” Alex smiled. She leaned into him and he immediately accommodated her, lifting his arm and wrapping it around her shoulders and pulling her closer. “It’s so quiet out here right now - with the weather turning cold. I thought it might be a good place to do a little thinking.”

He turned to kiss the side of her head and then tucked her a bit closer. “What were you thinking about?”

She took a deep breath. “Going back to London.”

“Ah love,” he sighed. “We don’t have to go back until you’re ready. You know that.”

“I do know that,” she nodded. “But...I think I’m ready.”

He turned his eyes down to her just as she turned hers up to his. “Baby...are you sure?”

“No,” she murmured, nervousness flashing in her big blue eyes. “But I don’t think I’ll ever be one hundred percent sure. All I can do is put on my big girl panties and try, no matter how scary it is.”

Harry couldn’t help the way his lips twitched up at the corners. “Big girl panties?”

“Fine,” Alex groaned, rolling her eyes. “Big girl knickers.”

“I mean, you are a member of the British Royal Family now,” he snickered. “You could at least try to learn the lingo of your country.”

“Shut up,” she muttered. She elbowed him lightly in his side, but her narrow eyed gaze quickly fell away in a smile. “So, what do you think?”

“About your knickers?”

“Harry!”

“Ha! I’m sorry, love,” he chuckled as he leaned in to kiss her softly. “I think…” he said, pulling back to look at her. “I think I want to do whatever you want to do.”

“That easy?”

“Well, I’m easy,” he said, unable to help the way his lips twitched up when he said it.

“You’re mind is in the gutter today, Sussex,” she laughed, rolling her eyes at him.

“Sorry,” he chuckled again. “I’ll be good. I promise.”

“Well, at least until later,” she teased, giggled at the smirk that tilted his lips.

“Anyway,” she drawled, pulling them back to serious. “It would be nice to be with Emma during the week while she’s in school and I’d really like to try getting back into a routine again.”

Harry’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You want to go back to work?”

“Not totally,” she shook her head. “At least, not the public stuff yet. But...part of what I was doing out here was thinking about a new project idea I had.”

He leaned back to look at her, genuine interest flashing across his face. “Yeah? What kind of project?”

She took a deep breath and pulled back so that she could turn and face him. “I’ve been thinking about meeting with Susannah to discuss opening a new branch of HFTF...for survivors of traumatic events.”

Harry’s smile pulled wider and wider as the idea settled over him. “Oh love...I think that would be a brilliant thing to do.”

Her eyes lit up with his words. “Yeah?”

“Of course, darling,” he nodded, his voice soft. “I think it’s an amazing idea.” A brilliant smile spread across her face and Harry felt his heart swell with just how happy she looked; his approval boosting her confidence in her idea. “What made you think of it?”

“Well,” she bit her lip and then shrugged, the smile still wide on her face. “You know how you sent Anne out to talk to me the other day during Emma’s riding lesson?”

Harry had the grace to look a bit sheepish, his cheeks flushing red. “You knew I did that, did you?”

“Duh,” Alex laughed and shook her head. “But you know...it was a good idea. I needed that. I needed to know someone else understood what’s going on in my head. I’ve always worked that way. And...I just assume because of who I am, that I couldn’t get that...because of privacy concerns and all.”

“Oh love...we could have found something. We could have drawn up privacy agreements if needed,” Harry interrupted as he reached out for her hand, his fingers wrapping around hers and squeezing it gently.

“Harry...listen,” she smiled and squeezed his fingers in return. “You knew I needed it and you found a way to give it to me. You have no idea how much that means to me. And it we couldn’t have done anything about finding a place for me to get that kind of support.”

His smile slipped a bit. “What? Why?”

“That afternoon, I came back here and pulled out my computer to see what kinds of places there were that actually did something like HFTF does for survivors of traumatic events. I thought maybe I could look into being a patron or lending my support. But I couldn’t find anywhere that does it. At least not in the same or similar way that HFTF does.”

“Really? That’s incredibly surprising,” Harry said.

“I felt the same way. I mean, how could there not be?” She smiled softly. “And I think I need to help change that. I mean, I realize I can’t be more than just a face to give it some notice but…”

“Sure you can,” Harry interrupted with a shake of his head. “You can absolutely be involved in it as more than just a face. We can start it as a partnership between HFTF and our foundation.”

“Really?” Alex blinked, surprised at the possibility.

“Absolutely,” he rushed out, nodding quickly. She could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. “For starters...you and Susannah can pick the people who you want to run the branch and you can make sure it’s set up to run how you both want it to.”

“Like you did with Sentebale?”

“Exactly like that,” he grinned. “And you can be involved with making sure it continues to run like you want it to.”

Alex took a deep breath and blinked back the unexpected tears that rose at the possibilities that were fast forming. “Wow. It just seems...too easy. To have the means to do something like this just handed to me…”

“Nobody is handing you anything, Alex,” Harry laughed. “The means are yours to do things like this already. I mean, it is ‘The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.’ And I can’t think of a better way to use it.”

She bit her lip as she looked at him, unable to help the tear that slipped from the corner of one eye. And then before he realized what was happening, she had launched herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck in a hug that sent him falling backwards to the floor behind him.

“Whoa,” he grunted softly, his own arms wrapping around her, hugging her tight to him in return.

“Thank you,” she said, her words muffled in his neck. “You’re the best husband ever.”

“Ah well, that’s true,” he chuckled, making her giggle and pull up to look at him.

She relaxed over him and her hands moving to his shoulder. “Thank you. For doing everything you can to help me through this. Without you and Emma…”

“Well,” he said, leaning up to kiss her softly. “We happen to love you just a little bit.”

She smiled down at him. “I love you just a little bit too.”

“Yeah?” His brows lifted and he leaned up, wanting her lips back on his. “Enough to maybe...revisit the topic of your knickers?”

She giggled against his mouth. “Only if you call them panties.”

“Ha!” His hands pressed her closer. “You drive a hard bargain, my love. But you have a deal.”

A smug smile flashed across her face and then she bent and kissed him again, loving his soft groan as her tongue tipped out to run across the seam of his lips.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Emma’s voice broke out from somewhere in the garden. “Where are you? Papa Charles said it’s not polite to be later for supper and...Gus! Don’t pee on that!”

“I suppose that’s our cue,” Alex laughed as she moved off of Harry. “What do you suppose he’s peeing on?”

“Who knows?” Harry groaned into a laugh and then moved to his feet. He offered Alex and hand and helped her to her feet as well. “Some very rare and expensive flower bush no doubt. We’ll pick this back up later?”

“Me and my panties will be looking forward to it,” she grinned and sped from the room and out to the ladder of the treehouse, leaving him groaning - but happy - in her wake.

***************

Alex was on her third yawn before she finally gave in to how tired she evidently was. She was loving sitting in the library at Highgrove, tucked up in Harry’s side while they spent their last night at Highgrove listening to Charles tell hilarious stories of Will and Harry growing up. But as much as she wanted to soak up as much of the time with Harry’s family as she could before they left, she simply couldn’t keep her eyes anymore. She knew that if she didn’t go to bed, she’d end up passing out right in the middle of conversation. And the big bed upstairs in their room was calling her name.

“I’m sorry,” she said, hiding another yawn as she stood from the couch, moving over to hug both Charles and Camilla as she bid them goodnight. “Another ten minutes and I would be dead asleep on the sofa.”

“And then you’d have to hear her snore,” Harry snickered. “And believe me, you don’t want to be subjected to that.”

“Please,” Alex rolled her eyes, bringing soft laughter from both Charles and Camilla. “I do not snore.”

“Sure, sure,” Harry chuckled as he moved to stand from the couch as well. “I’ll go up with you,” he smiled at Alex before moving to hug his father and Camilla goodnight as well.

“Please let us know if you need anything,” Camilla offered, squeezing Harry’s hand affectionately before he stepped back.

“Thank you,” Alex smiled, her eyes already growing heavy. “And thank you so much for having use here for the past couple of weeks.”

“It’s the least we could do,” Charles said, his voice low and gruff as the heaviness of the reason why they had come to stay moved through the room.

“Alright,” Harry said softly, moving an arm around Alex’s shoulders and letting her lean into his side. “Let’s go to bed, sleepyhead.”

After one more round of goodnights, they moved from the library and towards the stairs. Harry’s arm stayed around Alex’s shoulders as they took them slowly, enjoying the warmth and comfort of each other as they did.

“I’ll go check on Emma and then I’ll be in?” Harry said once they reached the top.

“Mhmmm…” Alex nodded. “If I make it that long. I might be fast asleep by the time you get in there.”

Harry chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. “Snoring away?”

“Shut up,” she giggled against his lips. “I do not snore.”

“You’re sticking with that, huh?” he laughed as he kissed her once more and stepped back.

“Absolutely,” Alex grinned at him before turning and moving towards their door.

Harry watched her go, his heart full and happy. She seemed to be getting a little better every day and though he knew she was still struggling at times, she smiled more and more as the days passed.

Once she was through their door, he turned towards Emma’s. He opened it quietly, peeking inside and smiling when he saw the long, wild blonde hair sticking out from under the covers on one end, and two small feet sticking out on the other. He pushed the door open just a bit more and tiptoed over to the bed. Being careful to be quiet, he pulled the covers down just slightly over her feet and then bent to kiss her softly on the top of her head.

“Goodnight, Em,” he whispered, smiling once more before he left the room.

He moved quickly across the hall to his and Alex’s room, opening the door to find her stepping from the bathroom in her pajamas, flipping the light off behind her.

“You haven’t even made it to bed yet?” he teased. His smile faded quickly though when she didn’t answer him, just shook her head softly and began to pull the covers back on the bed. “Alex? What’s wrong love?”

“Nothing,” she sighed, rolling her now slightly teary eyes at herself. “It’s stupid.”

“Please don’t do that...if you’re upset, please talk to me,” Harry said gently, moving around to her side of the bed.

“I’m not upset really,” she said, her eyes following him as he sat down on the bed and looked over at her. “Not about what you think anyway.”

“Okay,” Harry drawled, his eyes still a bit nervous as he looked at her.

“I started my period,” she sighed, rolling her eyes at herself even as the words fell from her mouth.

“Oh...ohhhh,” Harry breathed, understanding what was happening and feeling a little pinch in his own gut - along with a touch of relief -  that their lovemaking from a couple of weeks before hadn’t resulted in a pregnancy.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Alex turned to look at him, taking a deep breath as she did. “I know that this is just...absolutely the wrong time. But you know…”

“Babies,” Harry finished for her, his lips curling up into a small, soft smile. He reached for her hand, pulling it into to warmth of his. “I do know.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex shook her head and wiped at her damp eyes with her free hand. “I know I’m being ridiculous. I need to recover fully before we start trying.”

“And not to mention the speculation…” Harry added in.

“Speculation?”

Harry’s cheeks flushed lightly and he adjusted his shoulders a bit. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Oh stop. I’m not going to dissolve into a broken mess on the floor. Tell me what you meant.”

“Well...you were locked in our home alone with that fucking asshole for hours...and you know…” Harry trailed off, looking slightly guilty as he shrugged his shoulders. “I mean, I wouldn’t ever think...but the public…”

“Oh Jesus Christ,” Alex groaned, falling backward onto the bed. “The public would go apeshit over that one, wouldn’t they? Thinking our child could be...ugh.”

“I’m sorry, love,” Harry murmured, lying back on the bed and turning on his side to face her.

“Stop being sorry,” she shook her head. “It’s better this way. You know what it’s like to grow up in the shadow of those kinds of rumors. I’m sure you wouldn’t wish it on your child.”

Harry’s eyes widened, a bit startled. They’d never really discussed that issue before - the still popular rumor that he was not Charles’ son; however ridiculous it was.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t wish it on my child, Alex,” he sighed, hating that their conversation was dissolving into this. “It’s just that...okay listen,” he leaned up on an elbow so that he was looking down at her. “When we made love that night, I didn’t just blindly agree to keep going and take the chance. I knew that if you got pregnant it would probably not be the best timing but you know, Alex...I didn’t really care so much. And not because I just didn’t want to stop. But because I love you and any child we could ever have, be it perfect timing or not, would mean everything to me. But yes, I’m a little relieved that it’s not going to have that stuff laid right on it’s tiny little shoulders from the moment it’s born.”

“Harry…”

“But that doesn’t mean,” he continued, putting a finger to her full lips to quiet her for the moment. “That when you told me just now that you started your period, that I wasn’t a little sad too.”

“Yeah?” Alex murmured, strangely feeling a bit better knowing that information.

“Come on, of course,” Harry smiled and leaned in to kiss her gently. “But we’re not in a rush, love.” He laughed when she snorted and looked at him doubtfully. “Okay, well...our emotions aside, we’re not in a rush,” he amended. “We’ve got things to work out and we have time to do them. But...when you’re truly ready...we will make a baby.”

Alex smiled softly and bit her lip. “Promise?”

Harry chuckled and held up a hand, his pinky extended towards her. “Pinky promise.”

“Alright, Sussex. Pinky promise it is,” Alex laughed as she reached up to hook her pinky through his, the slightly silly gesture only making her love him more.

“Good,” he grinned, his eyes dancing as he looked at her. “I don’t suppose...that maybe you’re not too tired for a bit of practice though?”

Alex giggled and, suddenly finding that she wasn’t as tired anymore, tilted her head to the side and her lips curved up at the sides.

“Why don’t you come over here and find out, Captain?”

Never one to resist an invitation such as that from her, Harry went to his wife with a grin.

And a goal to bring her time in the country to a wonderful end in his arms.


	102. Chapter One Hundred and Two

_A/N: In incredible and unusual (for me) perfect timing, when the announcement of Harry’s visits to Lesotho, South Africa, and D.C. were announced a couple of days ago, this was already written and two of those places are built into the chapter for future plans for Harry and Alex. I would just like to thank Harry and his staff for thinking along the same lines as me ;)_

**********

As much as Alex had needed their time spent in the country, as much as it had helped her to begin the healing process, when it came time to head back into London she found herself looking forward to it. She knew that the rest of her recovery had to take place in London. She needed to start therapy and she needed to step just a little out of the bubble that had protected her since the night Patrick had taken her hostage.

But going back to London came with it’s own set of circumstances and eventualities that gave Alex a good amount of anxiety along with looking forward to being back. The first of those being the fact that they actually had no home to go back to. No one in the world expected them to go back to their cottage at Kensington Palace, and though the renovations on their new apartment were ahead of schedule, it would still be at least five or six months until they could move in.

However, much to both Harry and Alex’s relief, that issue was solved fairly quickly. Charles and Camilla graciously offered them a temporary set of rooms at Clarence House until their new apartment was finished. Ironically, the rooms they were given afforded them more space than they’d had at their cottage. There were three bedrooms total, a formal sitting room, a family room, a study that would be converted in a shared office for Alex and Harry, and even a decent sized kitchen with a small attached informal dining area. It was quiet and comfortable and it allowed them a place to begin to get back to normal and they were incredibly grateful to Charles and Camilla for inviting them in and making them feel at home.

The second major issue that they faced was in regards to Alex’s Protection Officers. Or rather, the fact that she was down one protection officer and that position had not been filled yet. So far, everywhere that Alex had gone, she’d been with Harry or with both Emma and Harry and there had been no need to approach the subject of bringing in someone else for her.

Until now.

They had been back in London for a couple of weeks. They had begun to settle into life as they knew it now. They had celebrated Alex’s 29th birthday in the middle of October with a low key night of cake and ice cream in their family room at Clarence House, joined by several members of both Alex’s family and Harry’s. She had started therapy with a doctor she liked very much and who came to hold their private sessions at Clarence House with her twice a week. But Alex made very few excursions out of the gates of Clarence House, and the two or three times she had left, Harry had been with her.

But as November rolled around, that was going to change. She’d set up a meeting with Susanna to discuss her idea to open a new branch of HFTF and she’d wanted to go herself, to stand on her own as she took steps to doing something good from her personal tragedy. As it happened, Harry was going to a private meeting with Walking With the Wounded on the same day, and Emma was going to be in school. And there would be no extra protection officers available to go with Alex.

The time had come to replace Patrick.

Harry would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous about talking to Alex about bringing in someone new for her. He’d delayed it as long as possible, keeping Scotland Yard and their insistence that the Duchess needed protection at bay probably longer than he should have. But then he’d had an idea about the situation; a solution that would allow her to have a full protection team and not feel unsafe, as he knew she would with someone she didn’t know.

He found her in the kitchen one evening after he’d tucked Emma into bed. She was pulling out a carton of Blue Bell ice cream from their stock of it in the freezer and she smiled slyly up at him when he walked into the room.

“I can’t help it,” she said. “I need some chocolate chip cookie dough. Want some?”

“Sure,” Harry chuckled. “I’d love some.”

She grinned and then dished out a bowl for each of them. She slid the carton back into the freezer and then joined Harry at their small kitchen table, setting his bowl down in front of him before sliding into the chair next to his to dig into her own bowl.

“This is actually perfect,” Harry said with a soft smile as he spooned up a bit. “Because I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Yeah?” Her smile matched his, loving this little tradition they’d started, talking out important things over a bowl of ice cream.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “About bringing in a new protection officer for your detail.”

“Oh…” Alex looked down as she set her spoon down in the bowl, suddenly not so hungry anymore.

“I want to put Mark on your detail and bring in someone new for my detail,” Harry went ahead, despite her obvious apprehension.

“What?” Alex’s eyes widened as she looked up at him. “But...Harry. He’s been with you for…”

“Forever,” Harry nodded, smiling softly. “You’ve known him as long as you’ve known me. You trust him.”

Alex couldn’t help the way her eyes went damp. She knew in reality it wasn’t a huge deal; protection officers often switched their assignments. But she also knew that every so often a PO seemed to just fit with the royal they were assigned to protect. And Mark fit with Harry.

“You would really do that?” she asked, her voice soft. “You would put him on my detail and bring in someone new for you? Would Mark even want to…”

“Yes,” Harry interrupted her with a smile and a nod. “Of course I would do that, love. And I spoke with Mark privately this afternoon and he said he would be more than willing.”

“Harry…” Alex’s eyes welled up and she moved from her chair and over to him, crawling into his lap before he even realized what she was doing.

“Whoa…” He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her small frame as hers circled his neck.

“Thank you, Harry,” she said into his neck, her voice muffled. “I don’t even know what to say besides...” She pulled her face from his neck and smiled up at him. “Thank you...and I just...I love you so much.”

“You’re welcome. And I love you too.” He tightened his arms around her, pulling her chest tighter against his as her fingers pressed into his shoulders. “Alexandra?”

“Mhmmm?”

“Emma’s asleep?”

“Yes,” she giggled, knowing where his mind was headed. “I have ice cream to finish though.”

“Or…I could finish your ice cream...” He pulled back a bit and his lips curved up slowly as he watched her cheeks flush pink.

“Oh...is that right?” she murmured, her lips twitching up at the corners as she caught where his mind was going.

“Mhmm….” Harry nodded as he stood and sat her on the sturdy kitchen table. “And as I remember…” He leaned in to kiss her; slow and hot and deep. “You and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough taste amazing together...”

************

Alex couldn’t stop smiling.

She hadn’t stopped smiling since she’s stepped foot in the Healing Families Through Friends offices that morning. Even walking out of the doors at the end of her meeting with Susanna hadn’t wiped the smile from her face. And as she arrived home and the car pulled through the gates of Clarence House, her smile grew even wider.

She had done it. She had gone out for work and even though it was a private visit and even though it happened in a place that was probably one of the most comfortable places on earth for her, it had still made her incredibly nervous. But she had gone and it had been wonderful to see Susanna and talk to her and best of all, to present her idea to her.

And they were going to do it. She was going to collaborate on helping launch a new branch of HFTF and it felt amazing.

“Ma’am?”

Alex turned to Mark with a smile as he pulled open the car door and she stepped from it. “Yes?”

“I was told to let you know that the Prince of Wales is down in the small walled garden with your daughter.”

“Thank you,”Alex grinned. “I’ll go ahead and go straight there.”

“Very good,” Mark nodded with a small smile, smoothing his tie down as he stepped back.

Alex nodded and then turned, but quickly turned back to face him. “Mark?”

“Ma’am?”

“I don’t know if I said thank you...for coming to my detail.”

“Oh, yes m’am. Well…” He cleared his throat and nodded again. “I am happy to help.”

“I very much appreciate it. I just wanted you to know that.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am,” Mark replied modestly and Alex couldn’t help but smile at that; it wasn’t about praise for him. This was his job. This was what he did. He kept Harry - and now Harry’s family - safe from harm.

Alex nodded and smiled once more and then turned around and moved off toward the direction of the garden, in search of her daughter and her father-in-law.

Her eyes found them the second she came around the corner to the garden. It may have been a quite chilly November day, but apparently there was still work Charles could find to do in his garden. And as evidenced by the way her daughter was covered nearly head to toe in dirt, she’d been delighted to join in on Charles’ work.

“Good afternoon!” Alex called out with a laugh, watching as both other their heads whirled around to face her.

“Mum!” Emma popped up, giggling as dirt seemed to fall from everywhere as she did.

Alex grinned as she moved closer, ruffling Emma’s already messy ponytail in lieu of a hug in greeting. “You look like you’re having fun with your Grandpa”

“So much fun!” Emma bounced on her feet. “Right Grandpa?”

“Of course, Emma,” Charles chuckled as he rose to his feet. Not nearly as covered in dirt as Emma, he leaned in and kissed Alex’s cheeks. “I did make sure she was in clothes that could get dirty first.”

“She’s fine,” Alex laughed as she shook her head. “Thank you for letting her stay with you while Harry and I worked today.”

“Absolutely, my dear,” Charles smiled warmly. “Now tell me, how did it go?”

Alex couldn’t help the way her smile grew even wider; she could feel her cheeks stretch with it, could feel the color warm her face. She’d previously discussed her idea with Charles, wanting to make sure it would be supported by the family and that he approved of her taking it on.

“It went amazing. Susanna wants to do it,” she said, her voice wavering slightly with the emotion it brought on.

“Of course she does,” Charles met her smile with one of his own and reached out to pat her shoulder; but only after he’d removed his gardening glove, naturally.

“Did you tell Miss Susanna that I said hello, Mummy?” Emma asked, her focus slightly different than the adults standing next to her.

“I did,” Alex turned her bright smile to her daughter. “She said hello back. And she said that anytime that you’d like to come visit her and Adam, she would love to see you.”

“Really?” Emma clapped her hands together and danced lightly on her feet. “Can we make a time, Mummy?”

“Of course. We’ll look at a calendar tonight and find a time when you don’t have something else going on.”

“Okay!” Emma nodded and then sighed, somewhat dramatically. “I hope I’m not too busy and it can be soon.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” Alex chuckled, watching as Emma turned and bounced back to her dirty work in the garden.

“You know,” Charles chuckle, bringing Alex’s attention back to him. “She reminds me quite a bit of Harry sometimes.”

“You’re telling me,” Alex laughed and shook her head. “Those two were meant to be together.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Charles said in that warm, fatherly way he had; that way that always made feel Alex protected and at home in his presence. “Now,” he said, growing a bit more serious as he changed the subject. “Tell me more about how your meeting went, Alexandra. I would love to hear all about it.”

**************

After about half an hour spent in the garden, rain had begun to fall and forced Charles, Alex, and Emma inside for the day. Charles had bid them both good afternoon and taken his leave and mother and daughter had headed back to their part of the big house; Emma needed a shower and Alex was ready to take her heels off and pull her comfortable yoga pants on.

It wasn’t but a few minutes after they returned that Harry walked through the door, his own smile wide and happy.

“Harry?” Alex called out as she rounded the corner with Gus right on her tail. She brightened as she saw him, taking in the smile on his face and the flush in his cheeks. He was excited about something; she could tell.

“Hello wife of mine,” he said as he moved to greet her. He wrapped his arms around her and dipped his lips to hers, drawing her into a surprisingly passionate kiss.

“Whoa,” she giggled when he pulled back, knowing the flush on her cheeks matched his. “I’m assuming something really great happened at that meeting today.”

“It did,” he nodded slowly, his hands pushing her closer to him. “Where’s Emma?”

“In the shower,” she chuckled, shaking her head at him. “We don’t have time for that right now.”

“Later?” His smile was cheeky as he lifted his eyebrows.

“Definitely, later,” she agreed with a wink. “Okay, but seriously. What the hell happened today with Walking With the Wounded today to put you in this mood?”

“Well, they’re doing this walk across the UK and...wait,” Harry stopped and stepped back, his eyes widening as he looked down on her. “I’m such an ass, Alex. You’re the one who had the big important meeting today. And I’m just sitting here trying to get you into bed and then…Jesus,” he laughed and shrugged. “Sorry, love. Tell me, how did it go?”

Alex grinned, loving his mood and the way his brain jumped from one thing to another when he was excited about something. “Susanna went for it. We’re opening another branch of HFTF.”

“Yes!” Harry exclaimed. He pulled her back into his arms and spun her around. “I knew she would go for it.”

“She was really, really excited about it,” Alex laughed as Harry set her back on her feet. “We talked for a couple of hours and I showed her all my plans. We’re going to start the process at the beginning of next month.”

“Oh love, that’s so incredible,” Harry said, his voice growing soft and warm. “I am so, so proud of you, Alexandra.”

“Well, thank you,” Alex murmured, flushing with the way he said the words. She leaned up on her toes to kiss him sweetly and then pulled back, her hands smoothing down the lapels of his suit coat. “Now, if you don’t tell me what happened at Walking With the Wounded today…”

Harry chuckled and nodded his head. “I am absolutely going to tell you. Can we wait for Emma though? It’s kind of something that we will need to discuss as a family.”

***********

A half an hour later, Emma was freshly showered and changed into her pajamas, Harry had changed out of his suit, and Alex had whipped up a quick dinner for all of them to sit and eat while Harry let them in on his news for the day.

“So, next August,” he began, setting his fork down on his plate and turning every bit of his attention to Alex and Emma. “Walking With the Wounded is doing a new challenge they would like me to be patron of. It’s a walk across all of Britain.

“Oh wow,” Alex breathed, her eyes going wide. Next to her, Emma’s mouth dropped open in surprise. Realizing she had just exposed a mouthful of Macaroni and Cheese, she shut her mouth and quickly chewed.

“You mean...across the whole country?” Emma squeaked, abandoning any and all thoughts of the dinner in front of her. “All of England?”

“Actually, all of England and Scotland,” Harry corrected with a grin.

“Whoa,” Emma whispered. “I’ll bet that’s gonna take a long time.”

“About two and a half months,” Harry answered. His eyes moved from Emma’s face over to Alex’s, watching the realization wash over her.

“You want to do the walk,” she said softly. There was no hint of her opinion on the issue; it was just a simple statement.

“They’ve asked me to,” Harry replied slowly. “Either all of it or a portion of it. Whatever I can do.”

“Do you want to do it, Daddy?” Emma asked, drawing his attention back to her for a moment.

“You know,” Harry couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. “I do, honey. At least part of it. But...that would take me away from the two of you for a few weeks at least.”

“Ohhh…” Emma’s nodded as understanding hit her.

Harry nodded and smiled softly and then turned his eyes back to Alex. “If you tell me no, Alex. If you don’t want me to be gone for that long...I won’t do it.”

“I’m not going to tell you no,” Alex said with a smirk. “Do you really think I’d tell you no, Harry?”

“She wouldn’t,” Emma offered helpfully, bringing a chuckle from both Alex and Harry. “Not if it’s not something that’s really dangerous.” Her eyes suddenly went wide with that possibility. “It’s not really dangerous, is it Daddy?”

“No, it’s not dangerous,” Harry assured her right away. “Just hard work.”

“I would never say no to that,” Alex sat forward in her chair, her face serious. “Emma’s right. You want to do this, Harry? Then you’ll do it. We don’t have to decide on how long you’ll go for right now. But there is no way I’m saying no to something that makes you as happy as you were when you walked in the door tonight.”

****************

“I know you said we didn’t have to decide right away how much of the walk I might do,” Harry said as he sat on the edge of their bed later that night, watching as she moved around the room, getting ready for bed. “But now that it’s just us, are there any concerns you might have that you didn’t want to voice in front of Emma?”

Alex pulled her hair up into a messy knot on top of her head and then turned from the mirror and towards Harry. “I don’t have any ‘concerns’ Harry. I think this is a wonderful opportunity and I think you really, really want to do this. It’s a fantastic cause and…” She smiled softly. “I love you for wanting so much to do this.”

“Alex…” he sighed. His hands reached out and fell on her hips, pulling her closer to him.

“I do, however, have some questions,” she continued as she stepped between his legs and rested her hands on his shoulders.

“I would be worried if you didn’t,” he teased. “What questions did you have, love?”

“First, I’m assuming you’re going to have to train…” She lifted her brows with the question and he nodded in the affirmative. “Is your leg going to...be okay? To walk such a long distance? Is it strong enough?” She nudged his formally broken leg with her knee and waited for him to answer.

“Well, I have my standing appointment with Dr. Ben this week,” he said slowly. “I’m going to let him know about it and see what he thinks. I think I’d be fine, but I’ll get the okay from the good doctor before I make a final decision.”

“Okay,” Alex nodded. “As long as Dr. Ben gives you the go ahead, I’m good with that.”

“Okay, that’s settled then.” Harry’s lips curved up into a smug smile as he pulled her closer; he couldn’t help it. Having her in such close proximity and wearing her tiny little sleep shorts made his brain grow a bit fuzzy. “What’s your next question, my darling?”

“Well,” she drawled, her fingers playing in the hair at the base of his neck. “It’s not so much of as a question as it is...a deal.”

His brows lifted. “A deal? Are you offering to bring out the nurse’s uniform again? Because I am definitely…”

Alex interrupted him with a laugh and a smack to his shoulder. “It’s not the nurse’s uniform. I swear, lately you have a one track mind, Sussex.”

Harry chuckled and shrugged. “I have a beautiful, smart, sexy wife. Can you really blame me?” He grinned, Alex rolled her eyes, and he responded by pulling her even closer. “I’m sorry, love. Tell me, what’s the deal you want to make?”

Alex took a deep breath and her eyes settled on his, happy and hopeful. “I want you to take me and Emma to Lesotho.”

Harry’s heart swelled and his lips pulled into a slow, but incredibly bright smile. “Really? That’s what you want?”

“Of course,” Alex nodded slowly, her voice soft. “It’s been so long since you’ve been and neither Emma or I have ever been and I’m just...desperate to see it, Harry...this place that has such a big place in your heart.”

“When?” Harry asked with a grin so wide that Alex was sure his face was going to split into two. “I mean, I don’t know off the top of my head when we could put it on the Calendar, but things are still pretty open for next year…”

“Whenever we can,” she giggled, loving how he was ready to make plans right that minute. She leaned into him a bit more, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I know that we have a meeting with our staff this week to make plans for the upcoming year. We’ll make sure this takes priority, maybe?”

“Definitely,” Harry replied, leaning up to kiss her lips. “I hope you know, Mrs. Sussex, that this doesn’t make me want you any less right now.”

“Oh yeah?” She smirked as she moved onto the bed and straddled his lap. “Would anything in the world make you want me less right now?”

His answer was a gruff, “No,” as he pulled her tighter over his lap. “I want to make love to you, Alex. Can I?”

“Yes, Harry,” she sighed softly against his lips. “Always yes.”

*************

Alex’s desire to get back to normal was only further solidified over the next few weeks. She continued with her counseling sessions; all held privately at Clarence House with a doctor she found that she very much liked. Though she wasn’t quite ready to step out into the public eye on an official basis, the counseling sessions were helping her get there.

What she was ready to do, however, was to make plans for when she was ready to be in the public, to be with people again, beyond just those who were closest to her.

At the beginning of December, she and Harry called together a meeting with their staff and an afternoon was spent going over a tentative calendar for the next year.

“So the Lesotho trip is pretty much set for April? We’ll be attending the opening of the Mamahato Children’s Centre, right?” Harry made notes on a legal pad as he asked the question, addressing it to no one in particular.

“Yes sir,” Robin answered. “I’ll be joining you and the Duchess for all four days of your visit there.”

“And Emma will fly in with Mia for the final two days?” Alex asked, looking towards Robin and then Mia for confirmation.

“Yes,” Mia nodded, her trademark wide smile in place as she did.

“Good,” Alex sighed. “I’m so glad Emma can come down without missing school. I would hate for her to miss it. Thank you Mia.”

“No problem,” Mia shrugged.

“May will be light for the both of you,” Robin noted. “Your apartment is due to be ready and per your request, time has been allowed for you to move in and settle as a family.”

“Thank you, Robin,” Alex said sweetly before glancing at Harry, unable to help the grin that spread across her face at the thought. He returned her smile and then their attentions were both pulled away again by Robin, who was continuing their proposed summer schedule.

“And then Charlotte will be back in June,” Robin noted and Alex bit her lip to hold back her urge to giggle at the look of near relief on Robin’s face. He really was doing a great job, but there was no one but Charlotte who could handle her job like she could. “Just in time…” Robin continued, sitting back in his chair and looking directly over at Harry. “For a potential tour.”

Harry’s eyes lifted, surprise evident on his face as he glanced to Alex and then back to Robin. “Really? Where?”

“Well, we were thinking the states...if you agree, that is,” Robin said, pulling out a piece of paper from his folder and sliding it across the table to Harry and Alex. Their heads bent together over the paper as they read the very tentative outline of what a tour of the States could look like.

“New York City, D.C., and…” Alex grinned and clapped her hands together, unable to help her excitement at the thought. “Texas?! Really?”

“We figured it would be a popular place for you to visit,” Robin nodded. “And that you might enjoy being able to go back and visit, even in an official capacity. And of course, Princess Emma would be joining the tour as she will be on school break. If you both wish her to do so, of course.”

“Yes,” Alex nodded happily and looked over to Harry. “Is that okay with you?”

“Are you kidding?” Harry laughed. “It’s absolutely okay with me.  Go ahead and see what we can put together,” Harry said, turning back to Robin. “I know there are quite a few military bases in Texas, I’d like to do something with the military while we’re there.”

“Yes, sir,” Robin nodded, making a note in his iPad. “That’s really the big stuff until the fall, when you’ll be participating in the Walk Across Britain.” He looked at Harry, waiting for confirmation.

“Not the entire thing,” Harry said, leaning back in his chair. He glanced at Alex with a small smile and then turned back to the staff members across from him. “Just the last three weeks, ending of course, in London.”

“Very good,” Robin made another note. “ITV has already put in a request to get permission to do a documentary featuring the soldiers and your participation in the walk.”

“Tell them yes,” Harry said immediately. “And prepare a press notice that I’ll be joining for the final three weeks.”

“Done,” Robin said. He made the final note and then looked up at the Duke and Duchess across the table from them. “That’s really all that needs to be discussed for now. Unless either of you have something else to add?”

“I do,” Alex said, her voice quiet but firm.

“You do?” Harry said, a bit of surprise evident in his voice. She turned a soft smile to him and then turned back to face the table.

“I know that press has been calling and asking if I’m going to join the family at church on Christmas day.” She stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. “You may confirm that I am...and that Harry, Emma, and I will be walking with the rest of the family to and from church.”

“Oh love,” Harry murmured beside her, bringing her gaze sliding to his. “Are you sure? You don’t have to…”

“I know,” Alex assured him. She reached out for his hand and squeezed his fingers gently. “But I want to. I really, really want to. I promise.”

Harry couldn’t help the happy, proud smile that spread across his face. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Alex repeated, matching his smile before she turned back to Robin. “You can put out a press release that I will return to public appearances in three weeks. On Christmas Day at Sandringham.”

Three weeks.

Three weeks and she would step back into the public eye for the first time in over five months. The thought made her shaky and nervous, but it also excited her that she was going to take the big step she’d been dreading for months and that she knew that she could do it.

And the decision to take the step had been fairly easy when it came right down to it.  It was her first Christmas as Harry’s wife; the first Christmas that him and her and their beautiful little daughter would be officially a family. It was their first Christmas as Royals. And in the end, the truth was that she simply couldn’t bear to miss any of it. 

After all, Christmas was her favorite time of year. And despite the anxiety that came with stepping out into the public, she found herself looking forward to it this year more than ever.


	103. Chapter One Hundred and Three

London just  _felt_ like Christmas to Alex at this time of year; it always had. Maybe it was the fact that it was cold outside but that because of the lights and the decor and the spirit of people, it made her feel warm on the inside; warm and comfortable and at peace. And after the previous six months that they’d had, she welcomed that feeling with open arms.

And with the Christmas season and the warmth that came with it, there was also a handful of new traditions for her and Emma; their first year as official members of the royal family. Just over a week before Christmas, a series of luncheons were scheduled given by various royal households for their staff members, meant to thank their employees for their service that year.  The first of these was given by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Members of the family who were in London and could make it were invited to attend, and Harry, Alex, and Emma were delighted to join in the festivities and spend time with Harry’s grandmother and other family members.

The second of these parties that were on the schedule for the Sussexes was for their own staff, the group of people who had run their office through the downright crazy beginning of their marriage. If any group of people deserved to be thanked, it was the people who had kept their lives running when they were in no state to do so themselves.

“Are you sure you are okay with having the luncheon at the restaurant?” Harry asked Alex that morning as they got ready to go. “I’m sure the paps will be out and…”

“It’s not the first time I’ve been photographed since we came back, Harry,” she laughed when he expressed his concerns. “We were papped coming out of the train station when we first got back in October.”

“I know,” he smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “But they’ll be waiting...more of them. And we could easily just change it to here and...”

“Come on,” she smirked as she turned to him, reaching up to help him with his tie. “Don’t be ridiculous. We can’t ask your father’s staff to somehow cater a lunch for ten people in an hour. And, besides that...I can handle it,” she assured him with a soft smile. “I want to go. Can we go?”

He sighed, his smile tipping higher as he nodded, happy to see her so determined to live her life again. “Of course we can go.”

But as it so happened, somehow the press hadn’t discovered their planned get together at the restaurant in Notting Hill. They arrived to no outside fanfare, only to the smiling faces of some of the most important people in their lives, tucked into the private room at the back of the trendy eatery.

Mia was the first to greet them and though Dr. Ben had also been invited, it seemed that he had accompanied Mia to the lunch and Alex couldn’t help but smile at the evidence that their romance seemed to be blossoming. Robin, who had done a wonderful job filling in for Charlotte, was also there with his significant other, a very handsome and incredibly nice man named Jack whom Harry and Alex hadn’t met before, but were very happy to have the chance to do so. Charlotte, with Matt in tow of course, was the last in line to greet them with hugs and kisses on their cheeks.

“Where’s Cooper?” Alex pouted as she hugged her brother and then turned to Charlotte.

“With my mother and father,” Charlotte smirked. “And you know, you used to be my friend, but now when you see me all you want is my kid.”

“Well, that’s what you get for giving me such an adorable little nephew,” Alex grinned, knowing her friend and sister-in-law was joking.

“Well, he is pretty adorable,” Charlotte’s smile turned smug. “So I suppose I can’t really blame you there.”

“So your mother and father are still...dating?” Harry interrupted, pulling a face as he said the words.

Matt chuckled and his hand moved to squeeze Charlotte’s shoulder. “They are. And at the risk of getting smacked by my beautiful wife, they’re actually pretty sweet together. They smile and laugh a lot.”

Charlotte snorted at the same time as Harry snickered.

“Why do you not think that’s a good thing?” Alex giggled. “Your parents are smiling and laughing together. I mean, they’re happy...right?”

“No no. It is a good thing,” Charlotte waved a hand and then sighed. “It’s just...weird. That’s all. But speaking of smiling and laughing…” Her gaze shifted to focus on Alex. “I saw that The Sun published those cell phone snaps of you two at Emma’s school Christmas Pageant last night.”

Alex’s nose wrinkled up and Harry grunted beside her.

“I really hate that someone - most likely another parent - took those and sold them,” Alex said.

“I know,” Charlotte nodded, sympathetic. “But...and I’m speaking strictly as your friend here and not from a PR standpoint...you looked really, really happy, Alex.”

Alex couldn’t help but smile at that and without looking, she knew Harry was smiling too; happy because she was happy and more than that, because other people could see it too.

“Well, Emma was the most adorable little Sugar Plum Fairy there ever was,” Alex grinned, pulling a chuckle of agreement from their little circle. “And I suppose it can’t be all bad then, press wise. Maybe the papers will stop speculating that I’m going mad locked up in the castle tower.”

Matt laughed and shook his head. “Where do they come up with this shit?”

“Ah, my friend,” Harry offered, his own shoulders shaking with laughter.. “Fleet Street has the most impressive selection of fiction writers I’ve ever seen.”

“Alright,” Alex clapped her hands together and glanced around the room, at the familiar faces all caught in groups of conversation. “Enough of the press and the fan fiction they write about us. Let’s sit down and get started. I’m hungry and have presents to give out.”

“Food and presents,” Charlotte grinned, leaning in to hook her arm through Alex’s as they turned and led their husbands towards the table set for the luncheon. “A woman after my own heart.”

**********

“Mummy?”

“Yes, my darling?” Alex asked with a smile as she stepped from her closet, several different evening gowns in her hands.

“Why do you have to bring so  _many_  clothes for Christmas?” she asked dramatically, eyeing the different items lined up on the racks Alex had pulled out to sort through potential outfits.

“Well, Harry’s family Christmas is a bit different than what we’re used to,” Alex explained. She hung up the gowns and then turned to Emma. “And it’s not just me who is bringing so many clothes, after I get my stuff sorted, your clothes are next, munchkin.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Nu uh.”

“Yes huh,” Alex teased in return. “You’re going to be doing just about everything we’re doing.”

“What’s the first thing we’ll do?” Emma asked, suddenly interested in her role in the upcoming Christmas celebrations.

“Well, first...we’ll get there a bit early so that your Dad and Uncle Will can go play their traditional soccer game with some of the people who work on the estate.”

“It  called Football!” The response came back at Alex as a chorus of two voices and she laughed and rolled her eyes as she watched Harry walk into the room.

“Fine. Football,” Alex turned playfully narrowed eyes at both her daughter and her husband. “I’m going over all the outfit changes with Emma,” she explained as Harry came over and kissed her and then went and plopped down next to Emma on the bed.

“Ah yes,” Harry sighed. “And we’ve only made it through football so far?”

“Yep,” Emma nodded. “What’s next after football?”

“Tea,” Alex answered, looking over to check with Harry for confirmation. “And then you and the other kiddos will help to decorate the Christmas tree.”

“I need a special outfit for decorating a tree?” Emma interrupted.

“Well,” Alex laughed. “You’ll change for tea and you’ll wear the same thing for decorating the tree.”

“And presents,” Harry grinned wide and Alex laughed. “We’ll all open presents after the tree is decorated and you won’t need a special outfit for that.”

“That’s good,” Emma sighed in dramatic relief, amusing Harry and Alex to no end.

“But then, we’ll get dressed for the formal dinner,” Harry winked at Emma.

“Oh, I got a new dress for that!” Emma exclaimed. “It’s sooooo pretty.”

“I’ll bet,” Harry laughed.

“And then, my little bugger, it’s bedtime for you after dinner,” Alex continued on. “And then the next morning we’ll do breakfast.”

“Then change clothes for church,” Harry added.

“Then we come back and change for Christmas Lunch,” Alex said, laughing as Emma’s eyes grew wider.

“And that’s it,” Harry chuckled, ruffling Emma’s long blonde hair. “After lunch, we change into our comfortable clothes to watch Gran’s Christmas broadcast. Then we do whatever we want for the rest of the afternoon.”

“Like...take a nap because you’re so tired from changing clothes so many times?” Emma deadpanned.

“Ha!” Harry fell back on the bed as he laughed, loving the sounds of Alex and Emma giggling along with him. “I’ll tell you what, Em. If there were ever a child who belonged at a Windsor Christmas, it’s definitely you.”

***********

It was later that night, after all the packing had been done, after they'd eaten dinner and Emma had been bathed and tucked into bed, that Alex finally got a chance to talk to Harry about something that had been on her mind for most of the day.

"Harry?"

He looked to her as she climbed into bed with him, her eyes wide and her lip pulled between her teeth as she pulled the covers up around her legs and he smiled, loving that he knew instantly that something was on her mind.

"What's up, love?" He asked, his voice soft as he reached over to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Well..." She took a breath and scooted a bit closer. "This is going to be the first Christmas without your grandfather. I wanted to know if you wanted to talk about that at all."

His heart swelled with love for her at the same time as it clenched with the thought of Christmas without his grandfather. Of course he'd realized that this was the case, but with everything else going on he'd pushed it to the side, choosing not to think about it. But leave it to his wife to pull him back to it, to bring it back up in that soft, kind way she had.

"I'm going to miss him," Harry said quietly, his eyes filling with emotion as they held Alex's. "I've never known Christmas without him."

Alex blinked at the tears that rose in her eyes with his words. "Did he enjoy Christmas a lot?"

"Yes," Harry replied, a laugh falling from his lips as memories of his grandfather at Christmas ran through his brain. "He really did. He loved the family together."

"Tell me more," Alex said with an encouraging smile.

"You sure?" He lifted his brows.

"Of course," she laughed lightly and then shifted, moving in to snuggle up against him. "I want to hear all about your grandfather at Christmas."

Harry grinned and pulled her her closer, tucking her into his side and then leaning back against the headboard.

"Okay..." He started, taking a deep breath and trying to figure out where to begin. "You know how we all give each other gag gifts? Well, he started that."

"Did he really?" Alex asked, looking up at him with slight surprise.

“Yes,” Harry laughed and nodded his head. “He did. He loved it. The more inappropriate the better.”

“Like the Grow Your Own Girlfriend gift that Kate gave you one year?”

“Ha! How do you know about that?”

Alex giggled. “I read it once somewhere. I thought it was tabloid crap but apparently not.”

“Sometimes they get things right,” Harry admitted with a sigh.

“Sure,” Alex replied with a yawn. She settled further into him and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Tell more more.”

And Harry, amazed at how she could bring this subject up and make it one he wanted to talk about and not something that just brought him down, pulled her closer to him and settled in to do exactly as she asked.

************

“Christ! It’s cold out here!”

Alex snickered and turned to the tall brunette standing next to her on the frozen ground next to the makeshift football pitch. They had arrived at Sandringham less than an hour before and though she wasn’t quite sure she should go watch the football match, knowing the photographers would be out there, Kate had put her foot down and insisted that she go. Emma was excited to be able to watch and even more excited that Aunt Sophie had agreed to let Louise to come along to keep Emma company. 

“Using the Lord’s name in vain on Christmas, Kate? Nice.”

Kate shivered and turned an amused glance to Alex. “It’s not Christmas  _yet_.”

Alex grinned in return and then both of them laughed, a look of shared humor passing between them. Her gaze moved to the side for a moment, watching to make sure Emma and Louise were still close by. Confirming that her daughter and cousin-in-law were still playing just a few yards away, she turned back to Kate and sighed.

"I do agree with you though. It  _is_  bloody cold out here."

" _Bloody?!_ " Kate's eyes flashed wide and her lips twitched at the corners. "Why...you almost sounded British there for a moment."

"Ha. Ha," Alex rolled her eyes playfully. "But seriously, how do they play in shorts in this weather?"

Kate shook her head. "Listen, I love sports. I'll play in almost any condition. But I draw the line at the brink of snowfall."

"Or, you know, nearly 8 months pregnant."

"That too," Kate chuckled, her hand moving to rest on her belly. "Though if this one is anything like Henry, she'll stay in there..." She trailed off, her eyes widening as she realized her slip up.

"Did you just..." Alex's smile spread wide even as Kate started to shake her head. "You did! You just..."

"Shhh..." Kate waved a hand and glanced at the handful of people standing several yards away, waiting for the game to start.

"Sorry. I'm sorry," Alex whispered and then stepped closer. "Kate..."

Kate sighed and then her smile spread wide, despite the secret she'd inadvertently given away. "Okay. Yes. You heard me correctly."

Alex resisted her immediate impulse to squeal, but instead emitted a sort of squeak that made Kate giggle.

"Anyway," Kate continued with a laugh. "I know this doesn't need to be said..."

Alex waved a hand. "Not a word. I promise. Not even Harry."

Kate smirked and shook her head. "You can tell Harry."

"What? Are you sure?"

The tall brunette shrugged her shoulders. "I would hate for him to find out that you knew I was pregnant before he did and that you knew the sex of the baby before it was born too."

Alex giggled. "Poor guy. Alright then. But only, him. I promise."

"Mummy! There's Uncle Will and Daddy! They're about to start playing."

Both Alex and Kate looked up to wear Emma was pointing out on the field and nearly identical smiles graced their faces as they spotted their husbands on the field, trotting out into position with their respective teams.

She could see Harry and Will already throwing playful barbs at each other about whose team was going to win and it made Alex and then lean in closer to Kate, her voice dropping as she said,. “Get ready to lose, Cambridge.”

Kate snorted. “In your dreams, Sussex.”

In the end, it was William’s team that proved victorious, with the winning goal made by the Duke of Cambridge himself, much to his brother’s chagrin.

Alex couldn’t help but giggle at the exaggerated pout on Harry’s face as he jogged up to them after the teams had shaken hands and congratulated each other.

“Aw, you poor thing,” she snickered as he bent to kiss her. She did her very best to ignore how attractive she found the smell of him when he was like this; flushed and sweaty and so cute she could smack him. “Maybe next year?”

“Not if I have anything to do with it,” William jokingly called out, making Harry roll his eyes.

“I think you played great!” Emma insisted to Harry, grinning as he leaned in to kiss the top of her head. “Did you hear us cheering?”

“Thank you, my darling girl,” he said happily. “And I did. Best cheerleading section I’ve ever heard. Even if Louise is a traitor and was cheering for Uncle Will.” He turned playfully narrowed eyes to Louise who giggled and shrugged her shoulders.

“Kate needed a partner to cheer with!” Louise informed him, not looking at all sorry.

“Fair enough,” Harry chuckled.

“Alright guys,” Kate announced, checking her watch and then looking around the group. “We need to head back in and getting ready for tea with Gran. We don’t want to be late.”

************

At some point, Alex figured she would get used to the way timetables worked in Harry’s family. Eventually she would become accustomed to having to arrive to nearly everything after certain people but before certain other people. Even something like tea on Christmas Eve was meticulously planned so that those in the family arrived more or less in order of their place in the line of succession.

“Doesn’t it ever...I don’t know...feel weird to be viewed as more important?” Alex asked Harry as she helped him adjust the collar of the white button down shirt he wore under his soft, tan sweater.

Harry smiled down at her. “It’s not that anyone is being viewed as more important. It’s just...how it’s organized. No one in that room is offended. And if anyone is, it’s me.”

“What? Why?”

“Because there’s a whole host of people who get a go at the chocolate biscuits before I do.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed and shook her head. “Of course.”

“Of course," Harry echoed with a chuckle. "Now, are you two ladies ready?”

Alex nodded and reached for her cardigan, slipping it on over her green, knee length dress. She’d been warned of the chill that could creep into the white drawing room, despite the fire that would no doubt be going. Emma put down the book she’d had her nose buried in and jumped off of the bed, accepting the cardigan that Alex handed her as well.

Alex could feel her smile pulling wider with every step they took down the wide, portrait lined hallways.  She almost couldn’t believe it was finally here; she was here with Emma and they were finally spending Christmas with Harry and his family in this big, beautiful, stately home in the country. When she’d come up with Emma on Boxing Day two years before, it had been a dream they’d looked forward to, spending Christmas here as a family. And now it was a very warm, very happy reality.

Nearly everyone was already gathered in the drawing room and they were greeted with a chorus of “Merry Christmas” and lots of hugs and kisses. Will and Kate arrived just after them with Henry, who immediately pulled his hand from Will’s and took off towards the group of kids already gathered near the tree. Charles and Camilla came in right behind them and as strange as it was, Alex couldn’t help but think that Charles reminded her of Father Christmas himself; kind and warm and welcoming...and a bit rosy cheeked at the moment.

And then, the Queen arrived. She was dressed in red and looked at wonderful and regal as she always did...except that for the first time in the memory of anyone in the room, Philip wasn’t by her side in the doorway of the drawing room.

Alex felt the mood in the room dip just a bit; she felt the realization wash over the room and heard a couple of deep breaths being taken. She did just the same as she reached for Harry’s hand, wrapping her fingers around his and giving them a discreet squeeze as they waited to greet his grandmother. He turned and his eyes met hers for a brief moment, thanking her silently for her steady support.

While there was no way she didn’t recognize the way the thoughts of everyone in the room drifted toward her late husband, the ever steady Queen kept calm and carried on, just as Alex knew everyone else in the room would as well. Elizabeth’s smile stayed soft, kind, and delighted as she stepped up to greet Charles first, a knowing smile passing between the two of them before she turned to Camilla and then to those after waiting to greet her.

“Harry,” Elizabeth said, her lips quirking up as Harry bowed and then leaned in to kiss her cheeks. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Gran,”

“Alexandra,” Elizabeth turned to her next. “Merry Christmas, my dear. I’m so glad to have you with us.”

Alex smiled, her cheeks flushed slightly, and then she dipped into a curtsy. She found she was growing more and more used to that particular action. She leaned in to kiss the Queen’s cheeks in greeting - an action she thought might never fail to leave her a little bit in awe of the company she was keeping.

“Merry Christmas, Ma’am,” she replied, her smile stretching wider as she stepped back. “I’m so happy to be here. I have to say, everything is decorated so beautifully.”

“Ah well, wait until we let the little ones get their hands on the tree,” Elizabeth joked. “Now tell me, where is my newest great-grandchild.”

Alex blinked, confused as to exactly who Elizabeth meant before Harry saved the day, turning around and calling Emma’s name and bringing her skipping over from the group of kids gathered near the tree.

“Gran wanted to tell you Merry Christmas,” Harry said, chuckling at the questioning look on her face.

“Oh!” Emma said with a grin as she turned towards Elizabeth and dropped an adorable bob of a curtsy. “Merry Christmas, Gran!”

Alex bit her lip to stifle the giggle that threatened to slip out; little kids were always so much more relaxed with Elizabeth than adults were and she knew Harry’s grandmother actually really enjoyed how unguarded they were.

“Merry Christmas, Emma,” Elizabeth answered jovially “Are you excited for Christmas?”

“Oh yes, ma’am,” Emma nearly bounced with said excitement.

“And what did you ask Father Christmas for?” Elizabeth asked and Alex swore she saw a little bit of the Windsor twinkle in the Queen’s eyes.

“Hmmmm…” Emma snuck a sly glance up at her parents and then turned back to the Queen, that very same twinkle flashing her gaze. “A new riding saddle...and...a new baby brother or sister.”

“Ha!” Harry clapped his hands together as he laughed and Alex’s cheeks flushed a deep pink. “I hope you only expect one of those things tomorrow morning, Emma. Because otherwise that’s quite a tall order to fill overnight.”

And Alex couldn’t help but flush even further, knowing her cheeks were flaming red by now. Because if anyone was willing to fill that order overnight, it was her husband.

“I can’t believe you said that,” Alex whispered after Elizabeth moved away and Emma had run back off to play with her cousins.

“What?” Harry chuckled, his hand moving to her lower back as he turned to lead her towards the table that held the chocolate biscuits.

“About it being a ‘tall order to fill overnight,’” she said, shaking her head up at him. “You know exactly where my head went...in front of the  _Queen_.”

Harry’s lips twitched up. “You think she doesn’t know how babies are made?”

“Harry. Stop it.”

“What? You like this topic. In fact, as I recall...you really like to practice making babies…”

“Oh my God, Henry Charles...” Alex gave a huffing sort of laugh. “I cannot have this conversation with you right now.”

Harry grinned and reached for a chocolate biscuit. “Wanna have this  _conversation_  later then?”

“This is not happening to me right now,” Alex shook her head and pressed her hands to her heated cheeks. “My husband is not propositioning me in a room full of his family on Christmas Eve.”

Harry just chuckled and then lifted an eyebrow, obviously waiting for an answer to his question.

“Yes, alright?,” Alex huffed, though she couldn’t help but smile. “We can have this  _conversation_  later.”

Harry grinned. “Fantastic. Merry Christmas to  _me_.”

************

It while the kids were decorating the Christmas tree under the supervision of Elizabeth that Harry disappeared. He has excused himself to go use the restroom but after about ten minutes, Alex began to grow suspicious. She kept glancing towards the door as the minutes ticked on, torn between concern and the nagging feeling that he was up to something. He’d had that slight cheshire grin on his face for most of the afternoon, and she knew it wasn’t only to do with him propositioning her at the dessert table.

But she started to grow a bit nervous as the tree neared completion and present opening grew near. Surely he wouldn’t miss present opening? Surely he knew how important…

“Ho! Ho! Ho!”

Alex’s thoughts ground to a halt as the voice she knew so well called out from the doorway to the drawing room. Her head whipped around and her eyes went wide and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as the room around her burst into laughter.

Because there was her husband, with a big, stupid grin on his face, and dressed up just like Santa Claus himself.

_To Be Continued..._


	104. Chapter One Hundred and Four

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! But I really wanted to get the Christmas spirit right for this one. I hope I’ve succeeded. As always, please let me know what you think. Remember, your likes, comments, and messages only encourage my creativity :)**

*************

If Alex were being honest with herself, before coming out to Sandringham for Christmas, she had been slightly nervous. Not because it was a ‘Royal Christmas’ or because of the company she was keeping, but because it was going to be different. All of her life - and for all of Emma’s life too - Christmas had held the same traditions for them year after year. It wasn’t that she wasn’t very much looking forward to this new tradition in their lives, it was just something new and different and for something as special to her as Christmas was, it gave her a tiny case of the butterflies.

But of course, there had been absolutely nothing for Alex to be nervous about. From the second that Harry had shown up in the drawing room dressed as Santa and thrilled all of the children, Alex felt that warmth and happiness that always came with Christmas settle right into her heart and soul.

The kids had been so excited to see ‘Santa’, even if most of them knew exactly who was under that suit. They had laughed and giggled and tried to pull on the fake beard Harry was wearing and he took it all in such stride. In fact, Alex was pretty sure Harry had just as much, if not more, fun as the kids during his time as Santa.

After the tree had been fully decorated, Harry snuck out to change into his clothes and then snuck back in just before the family gift exchange started, sliding back in the door and moving back over in beside Alex with a wink and grin.

And she couldn’t help but grin back at him, her entire heart lifting at how happy he was; at how happy they were.

She remained relaxed and happy as they returned to their rooms in the early evening so that they could get ready for the the traditional formal Christmas dinner that evening. Her focus moved to showering, getting Emma bathed and dressed, getting her own hair and make-up done, and then getting her gown on. In fact, she he was so focused that Harry was fully dressed and stepping up next to where she stood at the dresser, sliding her earrings into her ears, before she snapped out of it and took notice of the tux he was wearing.

“Oh wow…” Alex let out a breath and her eyes widened as she turned to him. “You look...amazing.”

“I believe that’s my line, my darling,” Harry chuckled as his eyes traveled down her body, taking in her midnight blue floor length gown.

She laughed lightly and shook her head. “No no, it’s just that I haven’t seen you in your tux since…”

“The night of the Boodles Boxing Ball,” he finished for her. His eyes flashed as he remembered that night and what had started unfolding then, the pain that events of the days after that had caused his wife and his family.

Alex tilted her head to the side and stepped closer, her hands moving to his chest. “Hey...don’t do that,” she soothed, her smile soft as she looked up at him. “I just meant that it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you dressed up like this…” She reached up to straighten his bowtie, and when her eyes moved back to his, they were soft with just a hint of that innocence she always carried with her. “And you look so sexy, Harry.”

“Oh yeah?” His smile tipped smug and his hands moved to her hips.

“Mhmm…” She nodded and then her voice softened and he felt him being pulled right under her spell. “Though, if I’m being honest, I also found the other suit you wore today a bit sexy.”

His lips twitched. “My Santa suit?”

Alex giggled and her cheeks flushed as she nodded her head. “A little bit. Maybe you could…” She shrugged and cashed her eyes down to her fingers for a moment. “Put it back on later? For me?”

Harry’s brows lifted. “Really?”

Alex grinned. “Yes.”

His smile matched hers. “Well...ho, ho, ho…”

She giggled as Harry’s lips dropped to hers and his hands pulled her closer, her unexpected request sending a wave of want through him.

“Hey!” Emma’s groan as she opened the door that connected her room with theirs put the kiss on hold and they both laughed lightly as they pulled apart. “I leave for five minutes and you’re already kissing!”

“Absolutely,” Harry chuckled. He winked down at Alex before they both turned to their daughter. “You look very pretty tonight, Emma Rose.”

Emma’s face brightened at that and she skipped further into the room. Her fingers pulled at the green satin material of her dress, pulling the skirt out at the sides to show it off. “Thank you, Dad. It’s so pretty. I couldn’t wait to wear it tonight.”

“You look beautiful,” Alex assured her daughter as she left Harry’s side and went to smooth her hand back over Emma’s blond hair.

“So do you, Mummy,” Emma grinned up at her.

“Thank you,” Alex smiled in return. “Alright, Miss Em. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes!” Emma nodded, clearly excited for the upcoming dinner, happy to be included at such a formal affair.

“Alright then,” Harry clapped his hands together and moved towards his girls. “Allow me to escort you both to dinner.”

*************

Dinner was enchanting.

There was no other word that Alex could think of that conveyed the feeling in the formal dining room that evening. The lights were dim, enhancing the glow of the candles lit around the room. They were served dinner on the most beautiful china that Alex had ever seen and the food was simply amazing; rich and flavorful and delicious. The hum of conversation from around the table only added to the mood; combining with the clink of silverware against china to create almost a melody of sorts.

As was custom for formal dinners, couples were not seated next to each other for the meal. Alex didn’t mind though; with Mike Tindall seated on one side of her and Harry’s brother seated on the other, her dinner conversation had promised to be anything but dull.

It was just after their salad plates had been pulled away and the dinner plates were being served that Mike leaned in, his voice lowering so that no one else but Alex could hear him.

“So tell me, at some point do you and Harry plan on making another little one to call me Aunt Mikey?”

Alex nearly snorted wine up her nose.

Coughing discreetly, she turned slightly narrowed eyes to Mike. “I don’t believe that is proper dinner conversation, Mr. Tindall.”

Mike grinned. “I don’t believe that anyone has ever said that I’m known for being proper, Your Royal Highness.”

Alex pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. “It’s been a tough year, Mike. But we’ll get there.”

Mike’s face changed instantly, wincing slightly as he realized how inconsiderate his question had sounded. “Ah Christ, Alex. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“Hey.” She reached out and touched his arm lightly. “It’s fine. Really, don’t worry.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course,” Alex nodded and then her lips twitched as she leaned in a bit closer. “Though...I’ll have you know that you’re the second person in this family to use the Lord’s name in vain today - on Christmas Eve - and I’m honestly starting to worry about the lot of you.”

And this time, it was Mike’s turn to nearly snort wine through his nose.

A giggle threatened to slip from Alex’s lips, but just then the sound of silverware clinking against crystal came from the other end of the table and conversation dimmed. Charles stood from his seat at one end of the table and Alex pressed her lips together, pushing her amusement with Mike down as Charles button his tuxedo jacket and took his glass on his hand.

“There’s always a speech at dinner,” William leaned in and whispered to Alex, somehow catching the slight curious confusion that had wandered into her mind. “It’s given by the most senior male member of the family.”

“Ah,” Alex took a breath as the meaning of that sentence washed over her. “Which is now your father,” Alex whispered in return, her eyes turning to meet her brother-in-law’s.

“A Christmas of firsts,” William nodded with a smile, though Alex caught the emotion that wavered beneath.

Alex blinked in surprise, but before she could reply, before she could really take in how big of a moment this was for not only her, but everyone around the table, Charles cleared his throat, took a breath, and began to speak.

“It’s been quite the year, no?” His rich, deep voice filled the air as he looked around the table. Alex felt tears spring to her eyes as his gaze moved to Elizabeth, around the table to Alex, and then shifted and settled on Harry; a moment passing between father and son before he continued. “I could absolutely address the bad. But, this is Christmas and I think maybe this is the time to reflect on the good...and the good that will be.” He took a breath and his eyes cast down for a moment before lifting back up as his smile pulled a bit higher. “So let us choose to have wonderful memories for those we’ve lost…” He took a moment; a brief silence for Phillip to move over the room. “And let us look forward to the wonderful memories of those our family has gained.” He turned warm, affectionate glances to both Alex and Emma, who both blushed slightly while Harry beamed from his own seat. “And to those who we’re going to gain in the coming year.” His gaze shifted to Kate, who grinned and placed a hand over her pregnant belly. “And finally, to those who’ve taught us how to be strong through everything that’s come our way.” His final gaze moved to the Queen, his mother, seated with her own dignified grace at the head of the table. She responded with a nod and smile that was tinted with pride and raised her glass slightly. Charles nodded in return. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” echoed the room as they raised their glasses along with him.

And toasted to each other.

**********

After dinner the family parted for the evening. The next morning was Christmas; they had to get up early for breakfast and then church. Children needed to be put to bed and the adults wanted to get some rest before the big day that was almost upon them.

As it was nearly always a struggle to get Emma to go to sleep on Christmas eve, Alex  was surprised when Emma voiced no objections to changing into her pajamas and crawling right into bed. She was out nearly as soon as she hit the pillow and Alex and Harry exchanged an amused look before they slipped back into their own room and changed out of their formal wear and into their own pajamas. But as much as they both would have liked to climb into bed right then, they had one more thing to do before they could curl up together and get some rest.

Alex grinned when Harry pulled the little artificial tree from the box they had so carefully packed and hidden away from Emma’s sight. Alex found the accompanying box of ornaments and together they found a place by one of the small windows in their room and began to assemble the small tree.

It didn’t take too long; the tree wasn’t big or fancy, but it was a Christmas tree. A Christmas tree that they placed several presents under for Emma; presents that their daughter could open up first thing in the morning.

Just like she had always done as long as she could remember.

“This was a wonderful idea,” Alex sighed as she plugged in the small string of lights and the tree lit up, glowing against the black of the night through the window behind it. “She’s going to be so happy, Harry.”

Harry grinned and stepped back to admire their handiwork. “Well, I wanted her to be able to keep a part of this holiday that she loves. And I know she loves Christmas morning...and presents.”

Alex snickered and gave him a look. “She loves the feeling of it; waking up with such excitement and sitting around in pajamas and messy hair opening presents.

“I know,” Harry chuckled.

“And this…” Alex waved a hand towards the tree and bit her lip. “She’ll love this. Thank you for thinking of this, Harry.”

“Ah, love,” Harry shook his head. He moved to her and wrapped an arm about her, pulling her into his side and kissing the top of her head. “It was nothing.”

“It’s not nothing…” she sighed, leaning into him. “But you know that.”

“Mhmm,” he murmured in a non-committal way and silence fell between them for a moment, both of their minds wandering over the day they’d spent and the day that was to come.

“Look…” Alex suddenly whispered, nodding to the window behind the Christmas tree. “It’s snowing.”

“Ah, look at that,” Harry murmured, his eyes soft and warm as he turned to look. “It is. And just in time for Christmas.”

Alex sighed and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. “You know, if we were in a movie, White Christmas would start playing right now...and the camera would pan out and the credits would roll…”

Harry chuckled and then moved his arm around her, tucking her closer to him. He turned to kiss the side of her head and then leaned his head in to rest on hers.

“Are you saying this is our happy ending?” he asked, his voice hardly louder than a whisper.

Alex smiled at his question. “Nah. I don’t think it is.”

“Really?” He turned to her, a bit surprised with her answer.

“I’m not saying this isn’t a happy moment,” she shook her head, clarifying what she meant. “It is absolutely a happy moment. I just meant, we’ve been through...God, so much. A lifetime’s worth of bad moments this year really. Surely we’ve that means we’ve got a whole host of good one’s due our way? How could this be the happy ending? We’ve got so much to look forward to; all of Emma’s moments growing up, having more children and raising them to be good people, hopefully watching them find people that they love as much as we love each other. You see, Sussex...I damn near lost you this year and I damn near lost myself too...and I really want to take advantage of the fact that we came out of all of that okay. And so I’m not ready for a happy ending just yet. There’s too many happy moments in between that I want.”

“Oh, Alexandra,” Harry murmured, his lips turning up into a sweet smile. His fingers moved to her face, smoothing a piece of blonde hair back behind her ear. “I want that too.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you promised before God to be with me forever then,” Alex grinned, bringing a soft laugh from Harry.

“I love that smile right there,” he murmured, watching as her smile pulled even wider, stretching her cheeks. “You look happy, baby.”

“I am,” she nodded. “I’m incredibly happy, Harry.”

“Ah see,” Harry murmured, with a soft shake of his head. “That’s the best present you could ever give me right there.”

“Speaking of presents…” Alex’s eyes suddenly danced with a bit of anticipation. “What do you say that...we do ours right now? Right in front of our Christmas tree?”

Harry’s face brightened at the thought. “Are you sure? You don’t want to wait until morning?”

“I don’t think we need to,” she replied with a shake of her head. “Tomorrow morning can really be about Emma opening her presents. Besides...I kind of love the idea of opening ours just the two of us.”

“I like it too.” He bent to kiss her softly and then, with excited smiles, they stepped away from each other to grab their presents quickly before returning to the tree. They each sat down in front of it, legs crossed and facing each other.

“It looks like we both followed the rules,” Alex smirked, eyeing the package in Harry’s lap that was identical in shape and size to the one in her lap. Weeks before, when looking at catalogues and decorating ideas, for their new apartment, Alex had come up with the idea for Christmas presents. They were each to select their favorite picture of the two of them together, and it wasn’t limited to their private photos either. They were free to choose from photos from them any of the public events they had attended, including their engagement announcement and their wedding. The rules were that they would have it framed in a specific size and once their apartment was done, Alex would hang the photo Harry chose in her office and he would do the same with hers; forever reminding them of a moment the other cherished between them.

Harry chuckled. “I do pay attention. You first, my darling.”

“No, you first,” Alex grinned.

“Alex…”

“Fine,” she giggled. She set the package on her lap to the side as he handed her the one he’d so carefully selected. Her hands ran over the beautiful wrapping paper for a moment before she bit her lip, slightly shy and inexplicably a bit nervous. She’d been dying to know which picture he’d chosen for weeks.

“It’s not going to open itself,” Harry quipped, watching her with amusement.

“Ha. Ha.” Alex rolled her eyes playfully and then started to pull at the wrapping paper, feeling a little thrill at the ‘rip’ that sounded out as the paper pulled back from the glass frame beneath it. “Oh Harry…” she breathed when she saw the picture, the moment it was taken popping into her mind instantly.

It was from Wimbledon, their first outing in public together, when the world had learned who the woman that Prince Harry was so mysteriously seeing. They were looking at the each other as they sat in their seats, Harry’s arm across the back of her seat as he leaned in close. Alex was obviously amused; her smile was a mile wide and her nose was scrunched up in the way it did whenever she was just about to let out a big laugh. He was smiling too, his eyes locked on hers, watching her as she reacted to whatever it was that he had just said. They looked happy and relaxed and not at all nervous about the eyes and the cameras of the entire stadium focused directly on them both.

“I don’t remember what I said to make you laugh,” Harry said, his own emotions washing through him as he watched her take in the picture, as he watched tears spring into her eyes. “But I remember that laugh. I can still hear it as clear as day. And I remember…” He shrugged and swallowed back the lump in his throat as her watery eyes turned up to his. “I remember thinking that if you could laugh like that while jumping right into this crazy life with me, while knowing that within minutes the entire world would know your name and have opinions about you, that you could probably find a way to find a smile no matter what you were going through.”

Alex laughed then and wiped at her wet eyes. “You’re killing me, Sussex. This is...beautiful. And the reason you chose it…” She shook her head slowly and then leaned over and kissed him. “Thank you, Henry Charles. It’s perfect. I love it and I just...I love you.”

“You’re so very welcome, my love,” he smiled against her lips as she kissed him again. “Okay. Now it’s my turn,” he grinned and she giggled as she sat back, cradling her new photo in her lap.

He tore right into the wrapping paper, having none of the hesitation or nervousness that she did. She giggled and then watched as his face lit up as he saw what picture awaited him.

“Alexandra Mae…”

The photo in his hands was taken on their wedding day at the altar of Westminster Abbey. It had captured the moment just spoken her vows and a tear has slipped out of one of her eyes and by reflex, he’d reached up and wiped it away softly with his thumb, the sweetest smile on his face as he did so. Though it had been shared with the entire world, it was a private, intimate moment. One that Alex loved with all of her heart.

“God,” he murmured, his hand reaching up to press against his chest, right over his heart. “You...you did good,” he whispered, his eyes finally rising up to meet hers. “This is amazing.”

Alex beamed. “I love that moment. I was trying so hard not to cry and of course I went ahead and did it anyway, but you were right there...taking care of me. Like you always do.”

“We take care of each other,” Harry replied, his gaze moving back down to the photo for a moment before his eyes lifted back to her. He set the photo to the side and then held out a hand to her. “Come here, Alex.”

She went without hesitation, setting her photo to the side as well and moving right over into his lap. Her legs settled on either side of his and her arms wrapped around his neck.

“Merry Christmas, husband,” she whispered, her lips tilting up at the sides.

“Merry Christmas, wife,” he whispered back to her. His fingers lifted to her face and cupped her cheeks, pulling her lips down to his.

He kissed her long and warm and with such reverent passion that she couldn’t help but respond. Her arms tightened around his neck and she pressed herself closer and the softest breath of a moan slipped from her mouth and into his. Harry knew what that sound meant, what she wanted. And he absolutely wanted the same thing. With a groan, his arms moved around her and he shifted, turning her over and laying her back onto the plush rug below them.

And he made love to his wife right there, in front of their tiny little Christmas tree and the snow falling outside of the windows.

*************

Though they’d had a rather late evening, when Alex and Harry were woken up by Emma just as the sun began to peek into the windows, they didn’t mind one little bit. They’d been excited to see Emma’s reaction when she realized there was a tree with presents under it for her and the anticipation was well worth it.

“Oh my gosh!” Emma exclaimed, plopping down in front of the tree and gazing at the wrapped gifts under it. “I didn’t think I’d get to open presents this morning! I thought I’d have to wait until we got to Mimi and Poppy’s tomorrow!”

“You’ll have some there that you’ll open,” Alex smiled as she tied her robe around her waist and then slid in next to her daughter on the floor. “But we thought you’d like to open a few this morning, like we’re used to doing.”

“You thought right, Mummy,” Emma nodded with wide, happy eyes.

Harry chuckled and ran a hand through his hair as he pulled his own robe on. He picked up the phone by the bed to order up coffee for him and Alex and hot chocolate for Emma. They’d be going down for breakfast in a bit, but the need for caffeine couldn’t wait until then. Once he’d taken care of that necessity, he joined his family in front of their little Christmas tree. His eyes met Alex’s and he chuckled as she blushed, memories of their lovemaking from the night before right in that spot washing over her. She shook her head at him and then took a deep breath and turned towards their very excited eight year old.

“Alright, where do you want to start, Em?”

“Does it matter which one I choose first?” Emma asked.

“Not at all,” Alex waved a hand towards to beautifully wrapped gifts. “Go wild. Whichever order you want.”

Emma clapped her hands together and nearly dove for the first present, naturally going for the biggest one first.

*********

“When do you think I can try out my new riding saddle?” Emma asked, her eyes hopeful as Alex slipped the headband that matched Emma’s dress for church into Emma’s thick blonde hair.

“Maybe we can ask Zara before we walk to church if she can do a special lesson for you between now and New Year’s,” Alex replied, standing to make sure her daughter’s outfit was in order.

“Really?” Emma clasped her hands together. “Do you think she will?”

“Probably,” Harry chuckled, loving how excited Emma was about her gifts, the new riding saddle in particular. It had been exactly what she’d wanted. “She helped pick out the saddle, you know.”

“She’s so smart,” Emma smiled wide. She pushed at the headband, adjusting it to feel better on her head and skewing it slightly. Alex resisted the urge to reach out and straighten it; Emma would just move it again and really, it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“She is smart. And she adores you,” Alex winked down at her daughter before turning to do one last check in the mirror at her own outfit. Her dress was free of wrinkles and any dog hair that may have been transported from their home. Her fascinator was firmly pinned into place atop her hair, which she’d left down but tamed in soft curls. Her tights were free of runs and her suede boots were free of scuff marks.

“Alright, I think I’m ready,” she announced, turning around with a smile towards Emma and Harry, who was dressed in his navy suit, complete with the tie that Emma had given him for father’s day that year.

“You look beautiful,” Harry assured her, recognizing the slight nerves in her eyes. Thought they hadn’t spoken of it much that morning, it was her first time stepping out in public since she’d been held hostage in their home that summer. He knew she was ready and she knew she was ready, but it was still a big moment; a moment where all eyes would be on her. “And I’m sure you’re ready.”

Alex smiled back at him, understanding what he was saying, though the nerves still stayed steady in her stomach. “Thank you. Well, then...let’s go meet everyone downstairs.”

They set about gathering their gloves and coats and then departed their room, moving through the halls and down the grand staircase towards the sounds of the gathered family in the great hall.

But with each step they took, Alex could feel her nerves getting bigger, could feel her anxiety growing greater. She knew she shouldn’t be so worried; her rational mind was well aware of that fact. But she had spent four months out of the public eyes; she hadn’t spoken to anyone she didn’t choose to speak to for four months. She hadn’t had to face questions or sympathy or comments from anyone she didn’t feel comfortable facing those things with in all of that time. Now, she was going to face that head on. And no matter how prepared she thought she was, she couldn’t stop the way her fingers shook a little bit and the way it felt just a bit harder than usual for her to breathe.

“Mummy?”

She started, blinking several times as she pushed aside her thoughts and turned to look down at her daughter. “Yes, honey?”

“Are you okay?” Emma whispered, stepping closer. “You look like you might throw up.”

Alex let out a breath of a laugh and shook her head. She crouched down so she was eye level with Emma. “It’s okay. I’m not going to throw up, baby. I’m just nervous is all.”

“About walking to church?”

“Yes,” Alex answered honestly.

“Are you worried there will be bad men there like the one that tried to take you?”

Alex took a breath, aware that Harry had moved in close to them and was listening, but keeping her focus on Emma. “No, I don’t think there will be bad men there.  I’m worried that all everyone will be thinking about is me almost being taken by the bad guy.”

“Well they might be thinking that,” Emma shrugged. “But only because they’re so glad that he didn’t take you and that you’re still here. Just like I am and Daddy is and everyone else here.”

“I think she’s right,” Harry said softly, drawing Alex’s eyes up to his for a moment. He gave her an encouraging smile. “But you know you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, love. No one expects you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

Alex bit her lip, seriously considering his words for a moment. “No,” she finally said with a firm shake of her head. “No, I need to do this. I want to do this. I want to be with the family at church.”

“I can hold your hand while we walk,” Emma offered sweetly, nearly drawing Alex to tears.

“Me too,” Harry joined in and Alex’s blinked backed the emotion at the same time as her heart lifted. She was really just so lucky to have them both.

“I think I would love that,” she said. She leaned in and kissed Emma’s cheek and then stood and kissed Harry’s cheek as well. “I think I would love that very much.”

*************

In the end, the walk to church wasn’t anything for Alex to be worried about at all. With one gloved hand tucked inside of Harry’s arm and the other holding onto Emma’s hand, they set out with the rest of the family towards the beautiful little church on the grounds of Sandringham.

As soon as they approached the crowds, Alex strangely felt her nerves fade away. Here were this group of people who had waited for who knows how long in the cold and the snow to get a chance to see them. The wide smiles on their faces and their excited waves did more to quell any fears within Alex than anything else could have done for her in that moment. She waved and smiled back and she laughed along the rest of the family at little Henry, who was reveling in his first experience of doing the walk. Several times he made attempts at a mad dash away from his parents and towards various dogs and puppies that people had brought out to wait with them. She smiled wide as people called out Merry Christmas to them as they passed, and it struck her that she actually couldn’t wait for the walk back and the chance to return their well wishes and talk to them for a bit.

The church service was undeniably beautiful. She listened and took in the meaningful words that the reverend spoke, she sang along with the hymns, and she bowed her head in prayer, warmth and and joy and love infusing through her throughout the service. And when the reverend brought it all to a close, Alex honestly hadn’t thought that even ten minutes had passed, much less an entire hour. But she rose with the rest of the congregation, bowed her head in prayer once more, and then smiled as people began to put their coats back on, as conversation began to hum around her.

People began to file from the church and Harry, Emma, and Alex fell in line with them. When they stepped outside, the air was just a crisp and cold as they left it, the sky just as bright and sunny.

They stayed in the courtyard for a little while, the family members chatting with each other while everyone filed out of the church and while Elizabeth took a few moments to speak with the reverend before they made their way out to take the walk back to Sandringham.

“Are you ready?” Harry asked softly, leaning in close to her.

“Absolutely,” Alex replied with a wide smile, her nerves from earlier in the morning all but gone.

Pride flashed across Harry’s face and he reached for her hand, squeezing her fingers with his in a show of support before they began to greet the crowds. “I’ll stay near you and Emma,” he promised.

“Thank you,” she murmured, squeezing his fingers back.

And then they were moving, stepping out of the courtyard and moving down the steps towards the path lined with people.

“Come on, Em,” Alex said to him, holding her hand out for her daughter. “Let’s go say hello to some people.”

They moved down the path, stopping to shake hands and take flowers and exchange well wishes from those gathered. Alex found her cheeks hurt from smiling in happiness and in pride at how well her daughter did, how easily she took to this part of their life.

“Merry Christmas!” Alex smiled as she came across a woman standing on the other side of the line, cradling young babies on each hip. “My goodness...twins?”

“Yes!” the woman nodded, delighted that Alex and Emma had stopped in front of them. “Two girls.”

“Oh my goodness. How precious,” Alex cooed as she reach out to run a finger along the soft, pink cheek of one of the girls. “Watch out for my husband. He’ll be along in a minute and he’ll melt when he sees them.” The woman laughed and Alex giggled along with her. “What are their names. How old are they?”

“This is Stella and Scarlett,” the woman replied, pride moving across her face as she looked between her girls. “And they’re six months old.”

“Those are pretty names,” Emma said with a sweet smile.

“Thank you,” the woman smiled in return. “And I happen to think that Princess Emma is a pretty name as well.”

Emma giggled and Alex chuckled as she took her daughter’s hand in hers again, bidding the woman and those around her a Merry Christmas and continuing the journey down the walk through the crowds.

And she couldn’t deny just how great it felt to be out and about, to be talking to people again. It felt like the journey she had been on for months had finally, finally reached it’s the point she’d been wanting to reach. It had been a long four months but she had gotten there. Her life may never be quite the same; but she was fully living again. There was no doubt in her mind about that.

**A/N 2: I’ll cover Christmas at Alex’s parents up through New Year’s in the next chapter :)**


	105. Chapter One Hundred and Five

A/N: Originally the rest of Christmas and New Year's EVE was all going in one post. But the chapter got ridiculously long and I felt like I should split it. You'll get this part tonight (the rest of Christmas) and then the New Year's Eve celebration tomorrow. This part tonight is really just kind of fluffy stuff so I hope it doesn't bore you to tears. Let me know what you think!

********

The snow that had begun to fall on Christmas Eve continued on intermittently through Christmas Day and into the evening. But by the time that Boxing Day dawned, it had stopped and the Sun was shining bright in the sky, warming it up enough to melt some of the snow and making the roads to Alex’s parents house easier to clear for their drive in.

They ate breakfast with Harry’s family, enjoyed a bit more time with everyone, and then, after packing up their things and loading them into the cars, they settled in for the nearly three hour drive to the Berkshire home of the Emersons.

“Do you think Gus misses us?” Emma called from the backseat about an hour and a half into their drive.

“Of course,” Alex replied, smiling as she turned around to look at her daughter. “But I’m sure he’s having a blast with Zuko.”

“Did it snow at Mimi and Poppy’s house too? Do you think that Zuko and Gus played in the snow? What about Cooper?” Emma continued her line of questioning.

“I think it snowed there too,” Alex said, turning to Harry who smiled and shrugged, not knowing for sure either. “Well, if it did snow, I’m sure Mimi and Poppy let the dogs out to play in it. Cooper’s too young to go out by himself though,” Alex reminded her daughter. “He can’t walk yet.”

“Oh yeahhhh,” Emma drawled as her legs bounced up and down and she shifted in her seat. Alex clearly recognized the movement as a sign of boredom.

“Alright, who’s up for a game?” Alex asked. It piqued both Emma and Harry’s interest immediately and Alex couldn’t help the slight laugh that left her lips. They were really so incredibly similar.

“What game, Mum?” Emma called out, sitting forward in her seat.

“What about...the Picnic Game?”

“What’s that?” Harry asked, though he kept his eyes forward on the road as he navigated a turn in the highway.

“Oh! I know what it is!” Emma nearly bounced in her seat. “The first person says, ‘I went to a picnic and I brought a…’ and they name something that starts with the letter ‘A’. The next person has to say, ‘I went to a picnic and I brought a…’ and they name the ‘A’ thing and something that starts with the letter ‘B’.”

“You go through the entire alphabet,” Alex added with a grin. “Emma and I used to play whenever we would fly to Texas to visit Mom and Dad.”

“I’ll start and Daddy can go second and Mummy you go after that, okay?” Emma clapped her hands together, drawing chuckling agreements from both Alex and Harry.

“Okay,” Emma drew herself up, her back straight as seriousness washed over her. “I went to a picnic and I brought an  _apple_ …”

***********

By the time they had arrived at the Emerson’s home an hour and a half later, the Picnic Game was nowhere near finished, having only ever made it to the letter ‘J’ before one of the three of them lost track and the other two dissolved into fits of laughter. But it had made the time pass and all three of them had big smiles on their faces as Harry pulled the car to a stop in front of the big, sprawling house in the country.

It appeared that it had, in fact, snowed there as well. The ground and the roof of the house was still covered in a thick blanket of white, though the driveway and walk up to the front door had been cleared.

They had barely stepped from the car when that very same front door pulled open and Donna appeared in the doorway with that big, bright smile that was so very much like Alex’s.

“Merry Christmas!” she called out as she moved briskly down the path, followed shortly by Mike and both Zuko and Gus, bounding out and wanting to greet everyone as well.

Harry felt that sense of ease and normality that always came with being at the Emerson home wash over him as Donna’s arms folded him into tight, warm hug. He moved to shake Mike’s hand and wish him a Merry Christmas as Donna hugged and kissed the girls. Before he knew it, instructions had been given to the P.O. officers that had tailed them in the other Range Rover, their bags were being unloaded from the cars once again, and they were being ushered inside to the warm, comfortable house.

“Wait,” Alex frowned as she removed Emma’s jacket, hung it up, and then went to work on her own. “Where are Matt and Charlotte?”

“They’ll be here shortly,” Mike offered with a shrug. “Apparently Charlotte had quite a time extracting Cooper from her mother this morning so they could leave and head here.”

“That’s so weird,” Harry chuckled, shaking his head. “Mrs. Blakely, the doting Grandmother.”

“Well, who wouldn’t love Cooper?” Alex sighed.

And then, as if on cue, the sound of another set of tires crunching on the gravel driveway sounded out, signaling the arrival of Matt and Charlotte and of course, little baby Cooper.

************

“I seriously can’t get over how much he looks like you, Matt,” Alex said softly, her eyes trained on the little boy making a mess with all the wrapping paper from the presents they had all opened earlier. “Even that wild hair of his is all you.”

Matt chuckled and reached for Cooper just as his son was making a grab for a low hanging tree ornament. He turned him around and grabbed another discarded piece of wrapping paper, diverting Cooper’s attention and earning an adorably happy baby squeal. “I know. And that’s even after Charlotte tames it down.”

Charlotte snickered. “You should see the two of them first thing in the morning though...blonde hair sticking up in all directions. That bleary, slightly confused not-quite-awake look they both have. It’s hilarious.”

“Oh, I know that look well,” Donna said with a nostalgic smile. “Matt and Alex both have it. And the original owner of that look is right there.” She nodded toward Mike, sitting next to her on the couch.

“Well sure,” Mike chuckled and shrugged. “Though you know that look only lasts all of five minutes. Well for me and Matt anyway. Alex was always the one who struggled to get up in the morning. Even when she was really young.”

“Ha!” A burst of laughter left Harry’s lips and shook his head. “She still does..”

“Hey!” Alex’s eyes widened. “I get up just fine in the morning.”

Harry lifted his brows and smirked at her.  “Really? Because I had to bribe you out of bed with coffee and a chocolate biscuit this morning,”

“A chocolate biscuit,” Matt pulled a face. “Gross.”

“He means a cookie,” Charlotte snickered. “Not those weird pastry things you call biscuits.”

“It’s not a pastry,” Matt sighed. “It’s a...you know what, nevermind. Let’s not go down that road.”

“Alex was always my sleepy kid,” Donna laughed, bringing them back on topic. “Even Christmas wasn’t enough to get her out of bed without a struggle some years.”

“I wake up pretty fast in the mornings!” Emma joined in, looking up from the new books she had gotten for Christmas.

“You do,” Alex nodded. “As long as you go to bed on time, it’s never been a struggle to get you up. You take after your Uncle Matt and your Poppy there. I know you didn’t get that from me or your dad. John, I mean,” she added at the end, glancing at Harry with a small smile.

But Harry just smiled in return. “He wasn’t an early riser either? Not even being in the Army?”

“No,” Alex laughed and shook her head, her memories drifting backwards for a moment. “That was a struggle for him for sure.”

Harry smiled softly and took her hand, his fingers running slowly over hers, silently letting her know that it was always okay to talk about Emma’s father, that he understood the tinge of sadness she would always have that John never got to spend this holiday with his daughter, even if she knew that Harry being there with them was how it was meant to be.

After a moment, it Matt’s low, warm chuckle pulled her attention back to the present. “Remember when I used to drive us to school in the morning, Boot? You would just fall asleep with your head against the window and mumble at me to shut up whenever I tried to talk to you.”

“Oh come on,” Alex rolled her eyes and relaxed back into laughter with those around her. “It’s not like I was any different from the normal teenager. Not all of us can have Matt’s boundless energy.” She’d barely finished her sentence when her nephew chose that moment to let out a squeal and rip apart a rather large section of wrapping paper before dissolving into a heap of adorable baby giggles. “Of course,” Alex giggled along with him and moved to the floor from the couch she was sitting on. “Okay Cooper, I’m coming to play with you since the adults are all picking on me.”

************

It was late into the evening when Alex found herself alone in the living room. Harry had gone to check that Emma was in bed and actually sleeping like she was supposed to be, Matt and Charlotte had crashed after they put Cooper down, and her parents were in the kitchen putting away the dishes for dinner. She sighed in total contentment as she surveyed the room around her. There were shreds of wrapping paper everywhere, several stacks of opened boxes, and various piles of the presents that had been in those boxes in different places around the room. Her own pile of presents was stacked on the coffee table in front of her, right near where her feet rested.

“Hey love…”

Alex’s lips tipped slowly upward as her head tipped back, finding Harry standing behind her, looking down on her with a soft smile. “Hey yourself.”

“What are you doing?”

Alex laughed softly and waved her hand around the room. “Surveying the damage. It’s beautiful isn’t it?”

Harry chuckled and nodded, finding himself loving the chaos of the room amidst the beautiful tree and decorations. “Do we need to clean up a bit?”

“Naw,” Alex shook her head and looked back up at him. “We generally leave it until the next day. Kind of a silly tradition, but it’s what we do.”

“I like it,” Harry said with a shrug.

Alex smirked. “You want to come sit with me, Sussex? Or are you going to stand there all night?”

“Actually,” he grinned and leaned down to kiss her softly. “Gus needs to go out and I’m sure Zuko will want to go too. I thought maybe we could take a walk with them? It’s snowing again.”

“Sure,” Alex nodded, her face lighting up at the suggestion. “I’d love that.”

They bundled up in their coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and boots and then after securing the dogs their leashes and telling her parents what they were doing, they headed out the back door of the house, with two protection officers in tow of course, trailing them from a ways behind.

“Goodness, it really is snowing,” Alex breathed, holding on tight to Gus’s leash with one hand while she pulled her knit cap down further over her ears with the other. The snow was still almost a soft, powdery substance under their feet as they walked, following the path that led out to the little country lane that ran by one side of the property.

“It really is,” Harry chuckled. “And it’s bloody freezing.”

“Says the man who treked the North Pole,” Alex teased, bumping his arm with her shoulder.

“Ha!” Harry laughed, his breath puffing out white into the night air. “Fair point.”

“Mhmm…” Alex smiled over at him with a nod of her head.

They walked along in silence for a few moments, letting the dogs set their pace and then pulling them along when they caught a whiff of something and tried to go off course.

“Tell me, my love...did you have a good Christmas?” Harry finally spoke, his eyes hopeful as he glanced towards her.

“Oh Harry, I had a wonderful Christmas,” she answered with bright eyes and cheeks pink from the cold. “Honestly, probably the best I’ve ever had.”

“Yeah?” Harry smiled wide, obviously pleased to hear her say so. “I’d say it was my favorite Christmas for sure.”

Alex grinned, happy to hear the same from him. “Really?”

“Of course, love. You know it was.”

Alex sighed happily. “Tell me, what was your second favorite Christmas?”

Harry’s eyes moved off into the distance as he thought about it, as he pulled up years worth of memories in his mind. The dogs had gotten past their wild excitement at being outside and they seemed to settle into the walk just as Harry settled into the one memory that seemed to hold place above all others, and their pace slowed a bit.

“When I was six and William was eight, he was being a complete shit one year right before Christmas and told me that Santa Claus wasn’t real,” he turned to Alex with a shrug. “And I took it really personally.”

“Oh no,” Alex giggled. “Why do older siblings do that? Matt ruined it for me too.”

“I have no idea,” Harry replied with a chuckle. “But I was so pissed at him for lying to me, because I  _knew_  that Santa was real and that year,  I made it my mission to prove it.” He paused and reached for Alex’s hand, wrapping his gloved fingers around hers while still holding tight to Zuko’s leash with his other hand. “I decided to stay up and then sneak down into the drawing room after all the adults went to bed on Christmas Eve, and wait for Santa Claus to show up.”

“Oh yeah?” Alex smiled warmly at the thought, at the image of Harry as a little kid, clad in pajamas as he tried to sneak stealthily down into the drawing room. “And how did that work out?”

“Oh my mother caught me before I even made it halfway down the staircase,” Harry laughed and shook his head.

“What did she say?” she asked, absolutely caught up in his story. She loved when he talked about his mother, the way his face looked as he remembered the many happy times they’d had together.

“Well, as soon as I admitted what I was doing, she stood straight up, took my hand, and told me that she was going to help me set a trap to catch Santa.”

“Awww, what an amazing thing to do,” Alex sighed, feeling her heart swell at how much the gesture must have meant to Harry. “What kind of trap did she help you set?”

A low, rumbling laugh moved through Harry. “Well first, we snuck into the kitchen and she stole a handful of cookies and a glass of milk.”

“To tempt Santa?” Alex smiled knowingly.

“Exactly. And then in the drawing room, she pulled a chair up behind one of the sofas, draped a blanket across the top of them both to create a little fort for us.” He let out a breath and turned his gaze down to hers. “She crawled under there with me, pulled me into her lap, and said that we would wait as long for Father Christmas to show up as it took. And then I promptly fell asleep right there in her lap. Just like she knew I would.”

Alex giggled and then let out a sigh as she tucked herself closer into his side. “That’s so sweet, Harry. I’ll bet you didn’t even mind missing Santa.”

“Not at all,” Harry agreed happily as they rounded a corner on the path and the Emerson home came into view. “Especially since I had a note from Father Christmas himself waiting on my pillow when I woke up, telling me how he was sorry he missed me, but that he hoped I liked the presents he left for me.”

Surprised laughter fell from Alex’s lips. “What?!”

“Mum had a staff member write it I think,” Harry winked down at her.

“Ahhh,” Alex nodded. “And let me guess, you made sure William saw that note.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Harry grinned.

Alex snickered. “In your face, William.”

“Ha! Pretty much. I definitely gloated for a long time on that one.”

“I don’t doubt it,” she shook her head and then turned to smile up at him as they moved up the walk, the snow crunching under their feet. “Thank you for telling me that story, Harry. I love hearing about your mother.”

He nodded and bent to kiss her. “And I love to tell you about her.” He kissed her once more. Her lips were warm, despite the chill around them. “Come on love, let’s go inside. You can warm me up.”

“Ohhhh…” Her lips curled up against his. “And how exactly do you suggest I do that?”

Harry’s grin was completely cheeky as he moved to open the back door and let the dogs in before they stepped inside after them. “I don’t know, but it definitely involves less snow and less clothing than what’s going on right now.” 


	106. Chapter One Hundred and Six

A/N: Here’s the second part of the chapter I promised you! I really hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! :)

***********

The rest of their time at the Emerson’s was spent much the same as their first day; in a state of relaxation and ease. The house was full of laughter and fun for the three days they were there but before they knew it,  their escape from London for Christmas had come to a close and they were headed back into London.

But the holidays weren’t quite over yet.

Though Alex and Harry had spent the previous New Year’s Eve at a low key celebration at Matt and Charlotte’s townhome, this year the decision was made to go out; to live it up, to enjoy ringing the New Year in in style.

Eugenie’s boyfriend Jack was managing a new club in Mayfair and Eugenie had invited them all, Matt and Charlotte included, to be VIP guests at the New Year’s party the club was throwing that year. Though Harry had worried that maybe it was too much, too soon for his wife, Alex jumped at the chance. She was ready to be out, to let loose with their friends, to drink wildly expensive champagne while wearing a somewhat wildly expensive dress, and most of all, to kiss her husband at midnight surrounded by falling confetti and glitter with Auld Lang Syne playing around them.

Alex very nearly glowed that night as she got ready, slipping into the black Stella McCartney dress that she’d bought while shopping with Charlotte the day before. She’d pinned her hair up, done her makeup a bit darker than usual, and as she slipped on the final piece of her ensemble - a pair of beautiful diamond earrings Harry had given her for her birthday - she knew she looked amazing. A fact that was confirmed for her when her husband laid eyes on her as she stepped from the big walk in closet of their temporary apartments at Clarence House.

“Oh. Holy. Shit.” Harry’s lips parted and his eyes widened as they moved down her body.

Alex’s lips pulled into a smug smile. “Oh yeah?”

“Jesus,” Harry shook his head. “I think...I think I’ve changed my mind.”

She blinked, momentarily confused. “Changed your mind?”

“I don’t want to go out,” he said in a low voice, his hands moving to her waist.

Alex smirked. “I suppose you want to peel me out of this dress instead?”

He nodded slowly and his hands rounded her waist, pulling her up close against him. “Absolutely. And then bend you over the dresser and take you while you’re wearing just those earrings and those sky high heels you have on.”

Alex’s cheeks flushed with heat at his words. “Well...I can’t say that I’m opposed to that idea…”

Harry grinned. “Yeah?”

Alex leaned into him as her arms snaked up around his neck. “Well, I rather enjoyed when you did that very thing on when we were on that yacht for New Year’s Eve two years ago.”

“Oh Jesus,” Harry groaned, shaking his head as the memory washed over him. “Now I’m going to be thinking about that all night.”

She giggled and then leaned up on her toes to kiss him softly. “Good. You’ll be nice and worked up when we get home.”

“Alex…” he groaned again.

“Come on, Captain Wales,” she laughed, kissing him again before pulling back and stepping from his arms. “Let’s go tell our daughter good-bye and then go meet our friends. I’m ready to drink too much champagne and have a damn good time.”

“Fine,” Harry sighed as he turned and reached for his suit coat from over the back of a chair, though he was still smiling. He slid the coat on and adjusted his shoulders in it. Befitting the occasion, he wasn’t wearing a tie and the neck of his white button down was undone down to the second button and he looked so incredibly sexy that Alex stalled for half a second, nearly changing her mind and asking him to bend her over the dresser right that moment. But with a deep breath in, she held firm and grabbed her clutch and they stepped from their room, headed down the hall to say goodnight to Emma, who would be happily staying the night with Camilla and Charles.

It looked like Harry wouldn’t be the only one worked up by the end of the evening.

**************

The paps were waiting out front, clued in to the presence of the young royals by Eugenie, Beatrice, and Dave’s arrival shortly before Alex and Harry’s.

“You okay with this?” Harry turned to Alex, taking her hand as he checked with her one more time before they exited the vehicle.

“I can handle the paps,” Alex laughed with a slight roll of her eyes. “Come on, Sussex. Take me inside.”

Jack’s club was everything Alex had been imagining when she jumped at the chance to go out for New Year’s Eve. Situated on the top floor of a building in the heart of Mayfair, it was large and modern, offering a bar the spanned one entire wall, a dance floor, an array of private tables surrounded by low couches, and best of all, floor to ceiling windows that offered stunning views of London.

It reminded her of her early days with Harry, when they would go out with their friends and his cousins, when they would drink a little too much and dance and laugh with everyone late into the night. She wasn’t sure they’d actually been out like this since their engagement. Between wedding planning and then all that had occurred after the wedding, it wasn’t something that had been a priority.

But they were out tonight; with lively spirits and ready to dive into some fun.

There was already an open bottle of champagne on their table when they arrived and Beatrice, after hugging and kissing both Alex and Harry hello, wasted no time in pouring Alex a glass while Jack pulled a beer from a bucket for Harry. They had barely had time to greet everyone else before there were two more arrivals to their party, Ben and Mia.

“Doctor Ben!” Alex grinned, leaning in to kiss his cheeks after hugging Mia hello. “I’m so glad you came.”

“You’re still insisting on calling me Doctor Ben?” he chuckled before accepting a beer from Harry.

Alex laughed. “I’m sorry. Does it bother you?”

“Nah,” he shook his head and gave her an easy smile. “I’m just grateful that you and your husband still speak to me after the torture I’ve put him through over the last six months.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed again and nodded. “He was fairly convinced that you were trying to kill him slowly there at the beginning. But you know, now that he has the full use of his leg he’s pretty grateful. Plus, he rather enjoys talking shit to you about the fact that you’re former RAF.”

“Oh, please don’t get them started on the armed forces showdown,” Mia groaned, shooting Ben with a playfully narrowed gaze. “They’ll be trying to out insult each other the entire night.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing, love,” Ben teased, putting an arm around Mia and grinning down at her.

Mia just rolled her eyes and giggled before turning back to Alex. “Where’s Matt and Charlotte? I thought they were coming.”

“We’re here!” Charlotte called with impeccable timing as she and arrived hand in hand with Matt. “Sorry we’re running a bit late.”

“I feel like we apologize for being late way more often now that we have a kid, ”Matt chuckled with a shrug and once more, the group was pulled into a round of greetings.

***********

Four glasses of champagne later and forty minutes away from midnight, Alex and Harry were definitely having the amazing time they’d set out to have. Even though the club seemed to be at max capacity and everyone knew that there were definitely some cell phone photos snapped of the table of young royals and their friends, it wasn’t anything that any of them were going to put a damper on the celebratory feel that surrounded them.

“See, I told you that once they got started on insulting each other’s respective branches of the military, that they wouldn’t stop,” Mia groaned, motioning towards the group of men standing across from where they sat in their private area, engaged in lively banter.

“Matt has never even been in the military and he’s in on it,” Charlotte snickered, watching her husband’s head tip back in laughter at whatever was being said in the group of guys.

“I really love that Harry’s found such a good friend in Dr. Ben,” Alex said.

“Dr. Ben,” Charlotte snickered and then took a sip of her champagne. “Tell me, Mia...do you play ‘doctor’ with Dr. Ben?”

Mia nearly choked on her champagne. “Jesus, Charlotte. I am not answering that.”

“Come on!” Charlotte protested, reaching out and pushing lightly at Mia’s shoulder.

“No way,” Mia shook her head.

“Fine,” Charlotte pouted. “At least...tell us this. Is it good?”

Mia giggled and relented with a roll of her eyes. “I mean, of course it is. Look at him.”

“Fantastic,” Charlotte grinned and nodded, pleased to have extracted information. “Congratulations on the great sex, Mia.”

“Ha!” Alex nearly fell backwards with her laughter. “Well, I think it’s fair to say that’s Charlotte’s toasted.”

“Oh fucking bite me,” Charlotte shrugged. “Like you never wondered.”

Alex laughed. “Come on. I…”

“Want to know what I wonder, Alex?” Charlotte interrupted, her lips curling up and her eyes dancing mischievously.  “When are you going to give Cooper a cousin?”

Alex let out a snort of laughter as Mia turned surprised eyes to Charlotte.

“Cooper already has a cousin,” Alex countered. “Emma. Remember her?”

“Oh you know what I mean,” Charlotte waved a hand in the air. “But fine. Play it that way.” She smirked and then turned towards the group of men containing the very men they had been talking about. She cupped her hands over her mouth, allowing her voice to travel farther when she yelled out, “Wales! WALES! SUSSEX!” He turned towards them, visibly chuckling at a drunk Charlotte waving him over.  “Wales!” she sang out as he moved in closer, his eyebrows lifted in curiosity. “Tell me. When are you going to knock up your wife?”

Harry’s eyebrows shot up and a choked sort of laugh fell from his lips. His gaze moved to his wife; her cheeks were flushed pink but she met his gaze head on, sipping on her champagne, even as her lips curled up at the side. He chuckled, shook his head, and cleared his throat as he turned back to Charlotte. “Well...I suppose I’ve got some time right now.”

“Nice,” Charlotte grinned. She lifted her glass to him and he clinked his beer to it, more than amused. She took another sip of her champagne and then stood from the couch. “And now that I’ve sufficiently embarrassed everyone...I’m going to make my exit. Come on Mia,” she reached down for Mia’s hand and tugged. “I brought up babies so he’s going to want to try and feel her up now.”

“Oh my God,  _Charlotte_!” Alex squeaked and shook her head, feeling her cheeks getting even warmer as she watched her friends move away and Harry moved in next to her.

“Yeah, she’s tanked,” he grinned and leaned in so his lips were close to her ear and he didn’t have to talk loudly over the music. “And also right. I do want to try and feel you up.”

“To be fair, you’ve been wanting to do that all night,” Alex’s lips twisted up as she turned her eyes to his. “Even before she brought up babies.”

“True. But you know that only makes it worse.”

“Mhmm…” Alex sighed and bit her lip as she looked up at him. “You weren’t kidding were you? You would do it right now if I asked, wouldn’t you?”

“What? Knock you up?”

“Yes.”

“Alexandra,” Harry chuckled and moved his hand to her hip, sliding her closer to him on the couch. “If you asked me right now, we’d be home and making a baby before the clock struck midnight.”

“That’s in like, twenty minutes,” Alex teased.

Harry lifted his eyebrows in a playful challenge. “And?”

“Harry…”

“Do you want me to?” He asked, his voice dropping lower and the noise of the room seeming to die out around them. “Right now?”

“Should I even test you to see if you’re kidding?” Alex teased, even as she tried to calm the way her heart raced at the thought; at the idea.

“You know that I’m not,” Harry chuckled as he moved his hands up her arms, over her shoulders and up her neck before cupping her jaw with soft fingers. “But you also know as well as I do that we’re not leaving right now.”

Alex smiled softly up at him, loving how sweet and understanding and wonderful he was with her. “It’s about to be a new year. We always planned on trying this coming year. And we will. I promise, Harry. Just...not quite at this moment.”

Harry smiled in return and then and bent to kiss her softly, slowly. “Whenever you’re ready love. You know that.”

“Hey! Knock that off! It’s not midnight yet!” a voice called out, making them aware once again that there were other people around, that the club was noisy and a little rowdy, and approaching midnight very, very fast. Harry and Alex both turned to find Charlotte grinning at them and Matt standing behind her, trying his best not to laugh at the antics of his wife.

“Charlotte, I mean this from the bottom of my heart when I say this,” Harry called back as he stood from the couch and pulled Alex up with him. “But that was entirely your fault so you can kindly bite me.”

"No thanks," she retorted. "I'm married."

**********

Upon re-joining their group of friends, the focus had shifted to the countdown to midnight that was fast approaching. Sparkly plastic hats and feathery headbands with 2016 written across them in black and silver glitter were passed out among them and glasses of very expensive, very delicious champagne were poured to toast with as the clock struck twelve.

“Tell me love,” Harry murmured into her ear as they approached the one minute mark. “What is your New Year’s resolution?”

“Not telling yet,” Alex’s lips curled up at the sides.

“What? Why?” Harry laughed. “It’s not like when you make a wish on your birthday candles. and you can’t tell anyone or it won’t come true.”

“Fine then,” Alex teased. “What’s yours?”

“That’s easy,” he shrugged. “To make you happy.”

She felt her heart thump with his words and she opened her mouth to respond, to tell him exactly how happy he already made her. But her words stopped before they even began as the DJ broke into the music, announcing that they were just twenty seconds away. An excited murmur went through the crowd and couples began pairing off, ready to welcome in 2016 with a kiss.

“Now, I told you mine, so tell me yours,” Harry prodded, making her laugh as he returned to the topic of resolutions.

“Nope,” Alex grinned but shook her head as he pulled her to him, his arms moving around her waist.

“Now that’s not fair.”

Alex shrugged, playfully avoiding the question as the countdown suddenly began around them.

_“Ten!”_

“Come on...tell me…”

_“Nine!”_

“So impatient, Sussex.”

_“Eight!”_

His arms tightened around her and his lips dipped closer to hers and Alex swore she nearly forgot how to breath. “Will you tell me after midnight? After I’ve kissed you senseless?”

_“Seven!”_

“Maybe…” she breathed, her eyes dancing as she teased him.

_“Six!”_

“Alex...you’re killing me love.”

_“Five!”_

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You love it.”

_“Four!”_

His gaze dropped to her full pink lips. “Any chance you’ll let me kiss you early?”

_“Three!”_

Alex grinned. “Yes.”

_“Two!”_

Victory flashed in his eyes for only a moment before he pulled her tight against him, lifted her up so her feet left the floor, and took her mouth with his.

_“One!”_

She moaned against his lips and then, she was kissing him back with everything she had.

_“Happy New Year!”_

And in that moment, Alex couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so happy. She couldn’t remember the last time that she felt so easy and relaxed and carefree. Christmas had been wonderful with Harry’s family and hers, but this moment, getting back to this place with Harry where they hadn’t been for so long. Where they were just...happy. Where their life together wasn’t dictated by accidents, sadness, recovery or anything other than the absolute love and devotion that they both had to each other and to their beautiful daughter. There was absolutely nothing holding them back from anything they wanted. She felt it in her heart, her soul, and most of all, she felt it in the way that Harry was kissing her, the way they were welcoming in the new year wrapped up in each other.

“Happy New Year, my love,” Harry murmured as he reluctantly pulled his lips from hers, though he didn’t relax his hold on her, keeping her close and tight to him as her eyes opened to his.

“I love you so much, Harry,” she smiled wide and her heart leapt in her chest and before he could respond, she rushed ahead, unable to help herself.  “My resolution...it’s not so much of a resolution as…I'm ready, Harry.”

The smile remained on his face even as his brows lifted with his confusion. “Ready?”

She nodded, lifted big, hopeful blue eyes to his, and said the words that leveled the room around him. “I want to make a baby with you. Right now.”

Harry’s entire body jolted to a halt. His heart stalled in his chest and his eyes flashed wide and his lips parted and his hands involuntarily tightened on her. “I...you want to...but…” He let out a shaky laugh and tried to pull it together, to remember how exactly he was supposed to form a sentence. “Darling, you said earlier...

“I said I wanted to wait until the new year,” she interrupted as she slid her hands to his cheeks, holding him as close to her as she could in that moment. “It's the new year, isn't it?”

“I...Jesus, Alex,” he shook his head, but he was already feeling his body start to come alive again. He could feel his heart racing and his blood pumping through his veins at the thought, at the idea, almost unable to believe she was handing him this dream of his. “Are you messing with me? Do you really want to…”

“Honestly Sussex,” Alex giggled. “After all the talk earlier, I really thought you'd have me out the door by now…”

“Alex…” His voice tipped serious and his eyes searched hers, putting all the teasing and joking to the side for the moment. He brushed a piece of confetti from her hair and then laid his hand gently on her cheek. “Alexandra...you really want this?”

She blinked at the rush of emotion that came with his words, the lump that rose in her throat. “More than anything.”

The words had barely left her mouth before he was kissing her again. His arms were wrapping tightly around her and his tongue was pushing into her mouth and Alex honestly wasn’t sure that he hadn’t forgotten where they were and wasn’t going to try and drag her down to the couch and try to make a baby right then and there.

“God. I love you,” he said fiercely, pulling back to say the words and then pressing one more kiss to her lips.

They were forced to pull apart to accept New Year’s wishes from their friends, to accept hugs and kisses and toast with a glass of champagne with everyone. But neither of them could think about anything but each other and the monumental decision they had just made. Neither of them could contemplate much else beside the overwhelming and primal urge that it seemed they had held at bay for so long and then finally let wash over them.

It took just a little over twenty minutes for Harry to find the chance for them to slip unnoticed away from their group. But once he did, he was a man on a mission, taking his wife’s hand and guiding them from their private area and out the backdoor of the club to the waiting Range Rover.

But they still weren’t alone. There were of course, two protection officers in the vehicle with them, but thankfully the drive back to their temporary apartments at Clarence House was short - only about five minutes. Though he was unable to talk to her, to tell her the way his heart was beating fast and furious in his chest, to convey the complexity of the emotions he was feeling right in that moment, he kept her hand held in his and expressed it the only way he could in that moment. His thumb swiped back in forth of over the back of her hand, he dropped soft kisses on her knuckles, and shared soft, knowing looks with her that only made him want her more - if that were even possible.

As soon as the car pulled through the gates and pulled to a halt in front of the entrance that would take them up to their apartment, Harry was opening the door and pulling Alex from the car with him. They bid their P.O.s a goodnight and then stepped inside through their door. Harry shut the door softly, locked it behind them, and then with a breath full of anticipation, he turned his eyes to his wife. His gaze met hers across the soft light of the foyer and then he was moving to her, wanting nothing more in that moment than to resume the connection with her, not being able to stand not to be touching her.

“I am so blown away by you,” he murmured, his hands sliding along her jaw and tilting her face up to his. “You have no idea how…” His voice wavered and he shook his head, though he couldn’t help but smile as he watched her smile up at him. “After all that you’ve given me, after all that you’ve brought to my life, after everything that  _you’ve_  been through…”

Her breath hitched and she blinked at the tears that rose unexpectedly. “Harry…”

“After all of that...after everything…” he continued, stepping closer to her and pulling her lips to his. She moaned against his lips and leaned into him, his words only increasing the incredibly desire she had for him. “I love you, Alexandra. And I want this with you right now more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life.”

She was up in his arms before she could even take a breath, before she could even think of responding to the words that made her want to cry. He groaned as her legs moved around him and her arms wound around his neck, holding on tightly as he moved them down to their bedroom.

As much as he’d thought that he’d be rushed and desperate for her when this time finally came, as he set her on her feet in their room, he found that in no way did he want to rush this moment. He was slow and sweet as he bent and undid the straps on her shoes and pulled them from her feet, tossing them to the side. He was soft and reverent as he found the zipper of her dress and pulled it slowly down her back. He wanted to savor every single second of it. Maybe it was mushy. Maybe it was overly sentimental. But really, when it came right down to it, he didn’t care. Though the practical part of him knew and understood that this was just a start, that making love that night didn’t necessarily mean she was going to get pregnant, the emotional part of him knew that it was one of the biggest decisions of their lives to start trying to have a baby, and he wanted to pay it all of the attention that it deserved.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t groan with lust when his lips when her dress fell to her hips and then to floor and the black, lacy bra and panties she’d worn underneath was revealed to him. It didn’t meant that when she pushed his jacket off his shoulders and to the floor and start to unbutton his shirt, that his blood didn’t pool south and make him throb with want. And it didn’t mean that when she pushed his pants down and left him standing in his boxers that he didn’t want to be inside of her so badly that he could barely stand it.

He stepped out of the pile of clothes at his feet and pulled her into his arms and towards their big, comfortable bed. He laid her back on it and moved in above her, his heart pounding as his lips and his hands moved to her.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice husky and heavy as he unhooked and pulled off her bra with soft hands.

“Harry…” Her breath came out in a rush as he lowered his lips to the swell of her chest, moving lower until he pulled a taut nipple into his mouth. Her body arched out against his. “Please…”

But he wasn’t to be deterred. He needed to love her more, to give her more, even though he knew that he could never equal what she was prepared to give to him.  She moaned and gasped and said his name in whispered pleas as he seemed to cover every inch of her skin with his lips. Her fingers entwined in his hair as his mouth descended lower and lower. By the he pulled her panties off and then began to stroke his tongue against her most intimate of places, Alex was so worked up that it took her nearly no time at to come undone against his mouth.

And that was his kryptonite. Feeling and tasting her as she came apart for him urged him on, finally broke down his will to hold on until he felt he had given her enough to pay respect to what she was giving him.

He rose above her and his lips covered hers as he pushed down his boxers. For the first time in months, he didn’t have to stop and reach for a condom for the drawer and they would be both be lying if they said that the thought of that didn’t turn both of them on even more.

And then before she could beg him to take her, before she could tell him once more just how much she wanted this with him, he was moving between her legs and pushing himself inside of her, one long, slow, deep stroke that sent a tremor through her and nearly ended Harry before he began.

“God, Alex…I...” he groaned as he opened his eyes and found hers, the moment passing hot and heavy between them. His forehead pressed to hers and he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

“Harry...” she murmured as she wound her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him closer and deeper and making him moan. “If you want me to give you a baby...you’re going to have to move.”

He blinked in surprise at her words, his shoulders began to shake with laughter, and then right there in that moment, he fell in love with her all over again. And then, because she was absolutely right, he began to move.

He stayed close and tight to her, his forehead against hers, their chests pressed together, their gazes holding each other as he moved above her. He moved in long, slow strokes and pressed so deep that she swore she could feel him right in her soul.

It wasn’t long before she felt the burn start in her belly, that delicious tingle that told her that she was close. The look in her husband’s deep blue eyes, so close to hers, told her that he was right behind her, that it wouldn’t be long for him either. And for some entirely emotional and sentimental reason, the thought made her want to cry, made tears rise right in her eyes.

“Oh love,” Harry whispered, leaning down to kiss her softly as he pressed even deeper, as he worked even harder to bring them both to an end. “I know...I want it too. So badly, Alexandra.”

She whimpered and then her breath hitched and then her second orgasm hit her like a tidal wave. It surprised her with it’s intensity and she cried out into the room and it pulled Harry right over the edge with her. With a primal groan, his head dropped into her neck and he lost everything he had inside of her.

Harry was the first to stir, taking a deep breath and then turning his head slightly to press a kiss into the damp skin of her neck.

“Happy New Year, love,” he whispered, kissing her again.

She let out a soft, happy sigh and tightened her arms around him, not willing to let him go quite yet. “Oh Harry, I really, really hope so.”


	107. Chapter One Hundred and Seven

A/N: I’m so sorry for the wait! I’ve been wanting to get this out all week but my silly job got in the way ;)

Also, ahead of time you should know that Harry’s speech in this chapter is [his actual speech from The Walking With the Wounded Walk of Britain launch event.](http://walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/blog/2015/03/20/hrh-prince-harrys-speech-at-the-walk-of-britain-launch/) I did not write that. I simply included it here because it fits so well.

That being said, enjoy! And please, let me know what you think :)

************

“Alex!” Harry called out as he knocked on the bathroom door. He glanced at his watch again and took a deep breath, trying to keep his rising irritation in check. They’d had a late night the night before, they’d had woken up later than they should have, had gotten Emma off to school late, and then had had to rush around to get themselves ready. They were attending a memorial service at St. Paul’s to pay tribute bomb disposal heroes that morning. After that, they would be moving on to a press conference for the Walking With the Wounded Walk of Britain event that was coming up later in the year and he would be making a speech, which always made him anxious and frayed his nerves. Then, in the late afternoon they would cap the day off with a private meeting at Kensington Palace with some of the Sentebale team about their upcoming trip to Lesotho in a few months.

All in all, it was the wrong day to get off to a late start and the fact that they did ensured that Harry wasn’t in the mood to be overly patient. He was ready to go, he was dressed in his suit and tie, but Alex was taking forever in the bathroom and he was losing his cool in a way he rarely did. “What’s taking so long? The cars are waiting! We’re going to be late!”

“I’m sorry! I’m coming!” came the reply from the other side of the door. He heard her rustling around, a drawer open and then slide back closed, and then finally the door swung open and she appeared, looking just as flustered and rushed as he felt. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry. My hair wouldn’t stay pinned and....”

“It’s fine.” Harry waved off her explanation and shook his head. “You’re good now though? Ready?”

“Yes, I’m ready.” She reached for her clutch from the dresser and then took a deep breath, silently reminded herself to smile, and then did exactly that as she turned back to him.

And despite his less than stellar mood, watching her visibly make the effort to walk out of the house calmly made him stop and do the same. He stood tall, ran his hand along his tie, and then bent to kiss her quickly. “You look lovely today.”

Alex’s face softened and the smile she gave him was genuine. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He kissed her again. “Alright, love. Let’s go before we’re late.”

They managed to make it to St. Paul’s on time, even in the rainy weather that seemed to have been a constant throughout the entire month of January. The memorial service ran smoothly and Harry managed to relax a bit, smiling and listening and talking to the families of those that had died in service while Alex did the same at his side. 

They were back to Clarence House after the service, but there wasn’t any rest to be had. They were there just to change into jeans and the signature Walking With the Wounded fleece jackets for the press conference and then they were back out into the Range Rover again and heading over to the Mandarin Oriental.

“Who’s idea was it to schedule all of this on one day?” Harry grumbled as they pulled once again from the gates of Clarence House.

Alex snorted and threw him a look. “It was yours, you big crab apple.”

Harry’s brows lifted and his lips twitched. “It was not. And...crab apple?”

“Crabby, grumpy...whatever you want to call it,” she shrugged. “And it was too. But at least your crazy ambition allowed for a change into comfortable clothes. You’d think I’d be used to those hats by now but…”

“Sorry I’m a grump,” Harry murmured, reaching to take her hand into his. “It’s just one of those days. Even if I’m a big crab apple, I do like having you with me for this stuff. More than you know.”

“I like it too,” Alex smiled, tilting her head to the side. “Even if you are a big ol crab apple.”

Harry chuckled and pulled her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles just as the car pulled around the corner and slowed as it approached the entrance to the Mandarin. There was a press pool and fans waiting on either side of metal barriers that lined the walk to the door, anticipating their arrival. Harry sighed as he spotted them all and Alex laughed softly.

“Come on, Sussex. Cheer up. No one likes a grump.”

Harry snorted. “What about crab apples?”

But before Alex could reply, the car pulled to a stop, their doors were being pulled open, and they were “on” again. They smiled and waved at the crowd and then moved inside where they were greeted immediately by Ed Parker, the co-founder and CEO of Walking With the Wounded, along with the soldiers that would be participating in the Walk of Britain. They took some time to chat and ask questions before the press conference started, Alex knew that it helped Harry’s mood a bit, being among these soldiers who viewed him as just one of them.

By the time that the press conference started and Alex took her seat in the front row in front of the stage, she was relieved to see that her husband wore a happy, relaxed smile as he made his way up onto the seats on the stage with the soldiers.

When it was time for Harry to get up and make his speech, Alex knew her grin was ridiculous, she knew had the ‘heart eyes’ Charlotte always made fun of her for having when she watched Harry, but it seemed she just couldn’t help herself today. She loved watching him speak and she was amazed that despite how nervous it made him, he always did so well at it.

He walked up to the podium, took a deep breath, and found her eyes with his. She winked at him and she saw his lips twitch as he tried not to laugh. But it seemed to give him what he needed and with one small smile in her direction, he turned his eyes out to the room, and began.

_“Walking With The Wounded has given men and women the opportunity to push themselves to extremes in some of the most inhospitable places on earth; both the Poles and Mount Everest. The challenge we are launching today, although closer to home, is no less formidable in scale – walking 1000 miles around Britain._

_The public’s support for our Armed Forces continues to be extraordinary. However, as the memory of our military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan fade, we must encourage people to continue supporting our servicemen and women; particularly those who are seeking to transition into civilian life. This process can be challenging, as it is for anyone seeking a new career. As I make this transition myself, I’m determined to do all I can to help others._

_The men and women of our Armed Forces are highly trained and motivated. Whether someone is leaving the services after 20 years or just a year, or having experienced a life changing injury or not – they are all in need of the same thing: a job. We should also not just think about those who have served in recent conflicts. There are veterans from previous wars who find adjusting to the world beyond the military very difficult. Employment is the key to ensuring their independence and long term security._

_Walk of Britain will cover all parts of the country. Walking through the communities in which our service personnel and veterans grew up and now live. In doing so, Walk of Britain will give everyone the opportunity to meet these remarkable men and women. People up and down the country will get to see first-hand the determination and resolve of those who have served, and in particular those who have been injured or suffer hidden wounds. They will see that whatever their circumstances these men and women are looking to the future. They are looking to employers to give them the chance to keep making a contribution to our communities._

_These men and women want to continue to serve their country in whatever way possible. PTSD and mental injury can make life a daily struggle. There seems to be a general consensus amongst the public that most people leaving the military are damaged goods. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We should remind people that nearly all cases end well, whether it be total cure, adjustment of life, or the ability for the individual to accept and admit the issues that face them, amongst a tricky culture of stigma._

_It is a delicate balance between being ready to support those who need it and recognising the valuable role those who have served in the military can play in civilian life._

_It is an honour to be stood on this stage as we announce that WWTW is coming home to walk amongst the people they have helped and the communities who have supported our armed forces so enthusiastically. I’m delighted to say that I will be joining the team for a small part of their journey and I’m hugely looking forward to it.”_

***********

Harry let out a sigh as they finally stepped out of the conference room at Kensington Palace. It had been an incredibly long day after an incredibly long week in the public eye that had capped off a very busy month of January for them.

But they were done for the day. All they had left to do was pick up Emma from Molly’s then and Harry’s only intent was to faceplant into their bed and sleep for twelve hours.

“Tired?” Alex asked softly as she turned to look at her husband.

“Bloody exhausted,” he grumbled.

She gave him a sympathetic smile and took a deep breath, her voice slightly nervous as she asked, “Any chance you have just a little bit more energy left in you?”

He stopped and turned to her, slightly suspicious. “Why?”

“I would like to go check the progress on the new apartment. I got an email from the contractor and…”

“Alex,” he groaned and rubbed his hands up over his face. “Really? Can we not do this tomorrow? I’m beyond tired and these new shoes are killing me and all I want to do is take them off and…”

“Harry…” She smiled softly and tilted her head to the side.

“Oh no, don’t give me those eyes…” He shook his head and gave her a pleading look, though he already knew he was going to give in and he knew she knew it too.

“Please? It will only take fifteen minutes and that way, tomorrow will be completely free. We can just be lazy all day…”

“Alright,” Harry gave in with a sigh, though his lips tilted up at the sides. “Fine, let’s walk over there.

“Yay! Thank you!” Alex clapped her hands together in victory and then reached for her phone, pulling it out to text Molly and tell her that they would be running a few minutes late picking up Emma.

“What did the email from the contractor say?” Harry asked as they stepped outside through a heavy wood door and then set across the gravel walk towards the side of the palace where their new place would be.

“The walls for the rooms are all up and insulated.” She offered him a shrug and a happy smile. “I couldn’t help but want to see it. You know, as more than just a plan on paper. I promise it won’t take too long.”

“It’s fine, love,” Harry said, reaching over to squeeze her hand with his. “Don’t apologize. I’d like to see it as well. Just don’t be surprised if I lay down in what is supposed to be our new bedroom and go to sleep right there.”

Alex smirked as their future apartment came into view. “You know you’ve gotten grumpier as the day has gone on.”

“I’m becoming an old man, my darling,” Harry joked, bringing a snort of laughter from his wife.

Their new place was still fronted by scaffolding and inside there was still tools lying around and tarps covering the still unfinished floors. But Alex was right, the walls were up and general look and feel of how it would be could almost be imagined as they stepped inside the future foyer of their home.

“Wow,” Harry let out a breath of a chuckle.

“Memories?” Alex asked, turning to watch him as he looked around.

“Mhmm,” he nodded and then gave a small shrug and walked through the foyer back towards the living room. “It’s different. I mean, I can see how it will be different than when I lived here when I was young. But it’s still the same too. If that makes any sense whatsoever.”

“It makes sense,” she said softly as she reached for his hand, letting him pull them through the rooms, their footsteps echoing off the unfinished walls. “Your mother’s private study,” she nodded towards a large room that had a doorframe but no door quite yet. “Now your private study.”

Harry stopped in front of the room for a moment, his brain conjuring up images of sitting in that room with his mother, content to just be watching her as she wrote up thank you notes or drafted a letter or read correspondence that she had received. He squeezed Alex’s hand and even though he didn’t say anything, she understood exactly how much he loved that his mother’s private study would be his now.

“And my study,” Alex smiled as they walked past the next room. “Next to yours.”

“Exactly where you belong, next to me,” Harry said, drawing a warm, touched smile from Alex.

The moved through the downstairs rooms, walking through the drawing room, the formal dining room, the library, and the kitchen, before coming full circle to the foyer and then carefully navigating the rail-less stairs to the second floor.

“Our room,” Alex announced with a grin as they stepped into the largest room on the floor. “In case you want to lay down, our bed will go right there I think,” she teased her husband, pointing to a spot near a wall with a smirk.

“You think I’m joking,” Harry snorted. “I could lay down and go to sleep right there. Construction dust and all.”

“Alright, alright. We’re almost done, I promise,” she laughed and after taking a quick peek into their large bathroom and walk in closet, she pulled him from the room, stopping as they stepped out into the hallway. “That’s Emma’s room,” she pointed towards the still door-less room down at the end of the hall, but didn’t move to go down to it. Instead she turned towards the room that was across from theirs. “And this room…”

“Hmmm..” he followed her right into the empty room, his mind working over the floor plans, trying to remember in his fuzzy, tired state what that room had been designated as. “What are we putting in here? A second closet?

“No,” she narrowed her eyes playfully. “The giant one they've built in our room will do, thank you. Right now this is just a guest room, but I was actually thinking that this room is in a perfect place to be a nursery.”

His eyebrows lifted and his lips tugged up at the sides and he forgot for a brief moment just how tired he was. “I think…that it would be a lovely place for a nursery, Alexandra.”

“Good,” she sighed as she stepped a bit closer, her eyes dancing as she did. “I was really hoping you would agree.”

“Yeah?” He couldn’t help but grin as she moved closer. “I see that look on your face, Alexandra..”

“What look?” she feigned innocence and he laughed.

“One I’ve come to know quite well over the past month. Like you’re wanting to go for a bit of baby making right now.”

She smirked. “Actually, I’m not.”

“Ha! Liar,” Harry laughed and pointed a finger at her.

“I am not!” Her grin pulled even wider. “The thing is, I wanted to make sure this would work as a nursery because..." She took a deep breath and her eyes danced in the low light of the room. "We already made a baby, Harry. A baby that will need a nursery in a little less than nine months.”

His entire body felt the shock of the words instantly; years and years of waiting and aching for this exact moment washing over him, filling him with the best form of shock, the most amazing form of surprise and delight he’d ever felt in his entire life.

“Oh my God…” His voice came out hoarse and he shook his head as he cleared his throat, chuckling at himself as he did. He moved to her and his slid swiftly up her back, over her shoulders, and to her face, cupping her cheeks with soft fingers and he stooped down so his eyes were level with hers. “Alexandra…” His own voice wavered and when he saw the tears filling her eyes, he had no hope against the tears that sprang to his own. “Love…we made a baby? You’re…”

“Pregnant,” she nodded, tears slipping from her eyes as she confirmed it. “I’m pregnant, Harry.”

“Holy shit!” Harry exclaimed as entire face lit up and he pulled her up in his arms. They both laughed as her feet lifted from the floor and he swung her around in a circle before setting her back down and dropping a firm, happy kiss on her lips. “I can’t believe you’re pregnant already! We barely just started trying a few weeks ago! I...God. How...what...ha!” He laughed and shook his head and kissed her again. “I don’t even know what I want to ask first.”

“Well, seeing as I think you know how it happened,” Alex giggled, loving Harry’s smug grin at her words. “Maybe start with the next question that comes to mind?”

His voice was soft as he brushed a piece of hair back from her forehead. “How long have you known?”

She smiled up at him and blinked at the emotion that rose as she was finally able let him in on what had been going on for nearly twenty-four hours now.

****The Night Before - 100 Women in Hedge Funds Gala*****

Alex tried her best to be inconspicuous as she shifted in her seat for what seemed to be the tenth time since dinner had been served. She didn’t know if she had strained something that day or if she’d just been sitting too long, but she had a backache that assured that she couldn’t get comfortable in her chair no matter how she sat. She reached for her water glass, taking a long sip and shifting her ankles over each other under the table, hoping that would help.

But it didn’t help. And the more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she got. She managed to make it through the main course, keeping up with and participating in the conversation around her, but as the plates were cleared, she decided to take her opportunity and excuse herself to use the restroom and move around a bit.

“Are you alright?” Harry asked, lifting his eyebrows as he stood with her.

“Of course,” Alex whispered and smiled up at him reassuringly as she reached for her clutch. “I have to use the ladies room. I’ll be right back.”

Charlotte stood as well, catching Alex’s attention and motioning that she was going to join her. They both smiled and nodded towards the rest of the table, towards the other gentleman who’d stood when she and Alex had, and then Charlotte moved to Alex’s side and the two women wove their way towards the back of the ballroom, trailed by a protection officer of course.

Alex let out a sigh of relief as they stepped from the ballroom and out into the quiet hallway and Charlotte turned to her with a surprised look.

“Oh come on now, I didn’t think it was that boring in there.”

“No, no,” Alex laughed and waved a hand in the air. “It’s not that. I just can’t get comfortable in that chair. I’ve got this backache and…Oh...”

Charlotte made it a few steps before she realized that Alex’s words had not only trailed off, but also that she had come to a dead stop in the hallway. Charlotte turned back around, instantly growing concerned as she saw her friend standing there with wide eyes and her hand pressed to her chest.

“Whoa. Alex. Are you okay?”

“I…” Alex took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. She didn’t know why it had taken her so long to recognize the ache in her lower back, but once she did, once she realized that it was something she’d felt like that only once in her life, it hit her like a ton of bricks.

“Okay. Seriously,” Charlotte stepped closer, increased worry flashing across her face. “Are you okay?”

“Charlotte,” Alex whispered, reaching out to grab her friend’s hand and squeeze it gently. “I need you to get something for me. And I need you to not tell Harry. Or Matt. Or anyone actually.”

“Maybe you tell me what that something is before I throttle you for scaring the shit out of me,” Charlotte lifted her eyebrows, all at once worrying for her friend and taking control of the situation like she did so well.

Alex blinked at the emotion that welled within her, but she couldn’t fight the smile that began to creep up on her face.

“I think I need a pregnancy test.”

****The Next Morning****

Alex took in a deep breath as she stared down at the box containing the pregnancy test Charlotte had secured for her the night before. She had put it off since they’d gotten home the night before, telling herself that she’d wait until after they were done with their incredibly busy day of work the next day.

But after a night of tossing and turning and wondering, she’d decided that she couldn’t wait any longer. And then when she’d pulled out the pregnancy test from it’s hiding spot in one of her drawers, she’d suddenly been almost afraid to take it. She was almost positive she was pregnant, but what if she was wrong? What if she’d just convinced herself of it because she wanted it so badly? What if…

“Oh for the love of God, Alex,” she huffed to herself. “Just do it. Pee on the stick.”

She pulled open the box before she could talk herself out of it and pulled the stick out along with the directions. She read through them quickly and then, with slightly shaky legs, she turned towards the toilet. She pulled down her stockings and then couldn’t help but giggle as she had a picture of herself looking rather ridiculous, fully dressed and ready for their day with a big ol’ fascinator was securely pinned to her head as she peed on a stick.

“Okay…” she breathed once she was done. She carefully set down the stick on the counter, pulled up her stockings, washed her hands, and then set a five minute timer on her phone. She winced slightly as she caught sight of the time and realized that it was very likely that Harry was going to lose his mind if she didn’t come out soon, but she pushed it to the side. It wasn’t going to make her come out of that bathroom any sooner; not until she knew if the pregnancy test read positive or negative.

While she waited, her mind drifted back to the last time she’d done this; taken a pregnancy test. It had been when her and Harry had a scare nearly two years before. She remembered the fear and the uncertainty that had come with that test - and the unexpected twinge of sadness that had surfaced when it came up negative.

Her phone beeped from the counter and she jumped, reached out to swipe the alarm away as her heart began to hammer in her chest. She closed her eyes for a long moment, took a deep, steadying breath, and then, she looked.

Her fingers flew to her lips and she shook her head slowly, almost in disbelief.

There it was. Her answer was waiting for her in the form of two pink lines where the last time she had done this, there had only been one.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, unable to help the giant smile that pulled across her face. “I’m pregnant.”

“Alex!”

Harry’s voice and the three sharp raps he made on the bathroom door nearly made her jump out of her skin. She turned towards the door with wide eyes, knowing that she only had a moment to decide whether to let him in on it now or try to keep this incredibly news to herself until they got home later that evening.

“What’s taking so long? The cars are waiting! We’re going to be late!”

She sucked in a breath and made a split second decision.

“I’m sorry! I’m coming!” she called out. She quickly stuffed the stick back into the box and then slid it back in her drawer. More quickly than she ever imagined was possible, she pulled herself together and put on the best poker face she had. Then, with a still slightly shaky hand, she pulled open the bathroom door.

****Present Time****

“This  _morning_?!” Harry’s eyes widened. “You took the test right before I started barking at you about us being late? And you never let on?!”

“I’m sorry,” she laughed and swiped at her wet eyes. “But we were already running late and I figured you’d probably be able to do your job with a grumpy attitude better than if you’d just found out you were going to be a father.”

“Okay, okay. Fair point. I’ll give you that. But you know, I am already a father,” he corrected with a soft smile as he pulled her back into his arms.

“You know what I mean,” she replied, her smile matching his as she leaned into him. “That we made a baby. That Emma is going to be a big sister.”

“Oh my God,” Harry whispered, shaking his head. “I can’t believe it. We really did it. We made a baby.”

Alex sighed happily and wove her arms around his neck. “We made a baby.”

“And damn near on the first try too,” he grinned, everything about him suddenly radiating swagger.

“Oh God,” Alex laughed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, you cocky man. You got your wife pregnant right away. You’re virile and manly and…”

“And I love you,” he interrupted, his voice dropping low and rough and thickening the air around them. “I love you so much, Alexandra. You just keep making me happier and happier and this is just…”

“I love you too,” she whispered, her eyes growing wet again as he pulled her closer and dipped his lips to hers.

She moaned into his mouth as he took her mouth in a slow, hot, unbelievably kiss. She pressed tighter to him and tightened her arms around him and the emotion and desire flared up fast and bright and hot between them.

“Baby…” Harry’s breath fell heavy from his lips as he pulled back slightly. “You know they say pregnant women have a really high sex drive…”

A surprised peal of laughter fell from Alex’s mouth and her head tilted back with it. “You’re ridiculous.”

He grinned. “I know.”

“Come on,” Alex leaned up to kiss him once more and then pulled back. “Let’s go get Emma and then go home and tonight we can absolutely test that theory.”

It was the mention of Emma that lit up Harry’s face even further, if that was possible. “Can we tell her? Emma? Can we tell her tonight?”

And suddenly Alex felt like she was going to cry with happiness and excitement all over again.

“Yes,” she nodded. “God, Harry. I can’t wait to tell her that going to be a big sister! She’s going to be so happy!” She reached for his hand, wanting to pull him from the room and out to the car, wanting to get to their daughter right then.  “Come on, Harry. Let’s go get our little girl.”

Harry grinned, nodded and then turned to lead his happy, beautiful, and pregnant wife from the room with him. And he was one hundred percent sure that he’d never felt happier than he did right in that moment.


	108. Chapter One Hundred and Eight

A/N: Okay, I’m really sorry for the long wait! But I’m feeling inspired again and I don’t think it will be that long again.

I know this chapter is all kinds of sappy, but I hope you like it. Please take the time to let me know what you think! I’d really appreciate the feedback!

Enjoy! :)

*************

The evening started off completely normal, as far as Emma was concerned. She had been picked up at Molly’s by her parents and they had gone back home and gone through their usual routine. Alex sat down and helped her go through the homework she hadn’t finished up at her grandmother’s while Harry whipped them up something quick for dinner. Then, after homework was finished and they had eaten, it was bath time. It wasn’t until after she was dried off, clad in pajamas, and the tangles had been worked out of her wet, thick blonde hair, that the night changed from just a normal night to one that she’d always remember.

“Mummy! Daddy! I’m clean and...” Emma’s skipping halted as soon as she moved through the kitchen door and spotted her parents leaning up against the kitchen counter, seemingly attached right at the lips. “Ick! Come on!”

“Emma!” Harry called out as he stepped back from his wife, whose cheeks were flushed pink with excitement and a tad bit of embarrassment. He clapped his hands together and turned towards his daughter with a wide smile. “I’d say we’re sorry, but we’re not…” He laughed when Emma just rolled her eyes before he continued, “But I have a feeling you might be willing to forget about it and sit and have a bowl of ice cream with us? Chocolate chip cookie dough?”

Emma’s eyes widened and her head bobbed up and down in agreement. “What kind?”

“Why, Blue Bell of course,” Alex said with a wink towards her adorable daughter. “What else?”

“Yes!” Emma danced on her feet and clapped her hands together as Harry went to pull the carton of ice cream from their special stash in the freezer.

“Come on, Bug,” Alex laughed and motioned towards the kitchen table. “Let’s let Daddy dish it out for us while we sit.”

“Blue Bell is usually only for special occasions,” Emma chattered happily as she followed Alex to the table and slid into her normal chair. “Like, birthdays or...uh-oh. Is it someone’s birthday and I forgot?”

“No,” Alex laughed and shared a look and a small smile with Harry as he moved up to the table, passing out bowls to Alex and Emma before sitting down with his own. “It’s no one’s birthday. Your’s is the next birthday we have around here.”

“I’ll be nine,” Emma replied, though her big blue eyes were focused intently on the ice bite of ice cream she was bringing to her mouth.

“Nine,” Alex sighed and shook her head. “I can’t believe it.”

Emma swallowed her ice cream and then looked at Alex and nodded seriously. “I know, Mum. It’s old.”

Harry chuckled around his own bite of ice cream. “You think so, Em?” Emma shrugged, her attention once again focused on scooping up another bite of ice cream. Harry caught Alex’s gaze and her eyes danced as she smiled wide and gave him a slight nod. “Tell me, Princess Emma,” Harry drawled. “Do you think nine years old is too old to be a big sister then?”

Emma turned slightly confused eyes to Harry, her spoon frozen on it’s way back down to the bowl. “That’s a silly thing to say, Dad. Of course nine years old isn’t too old to be a big sister.”

“No?” Alex asked, drawing her daughter’s attention to her. “Well, I suppose that’s a good thing, Bug. Because that’s how old you’ll be when you become a big sister this fall.”

It took a second for it to register with Emma, for her to understand exactly what her mother was telling her; but once it did, the look on her face threatened to send Alex into giggles and tears at the very same time. Emma’s eyes went wide, her spoon dropped into her bowl, and she had this smile that twitched between unsure and ready to beam wide at any moment.

“Mum?” Emma squeaked. “I’m going to be a big sister?”

Alex leaned forward and, deciding to go for sweet in that moment, smiled softly as she tucked a piece of hair behind her daughter’s ear. “Yes, my darling. You are going to have a little brother or sister. We just found out today.”

Emma’s gaze whipped towards Harry and then back to Alex, still not sure if she should believe what she was hearing or not. “Are you messing with me, Mum?” she asked, making both Alex and Harry chuckle.

“Emma,” Harry called softly, bringing her attention back to him. “We are absolutely not messing with you. Congratulations, big sister.”

“Big sister!” Emma squealed as it finally sunk in; as she finally believed what she was hearing. She leapt from her chair and threw her arms around Harry, hugging him tightly. “I can’t believe it! Thank you! Thank you!” She squeezed him tightly once more and then turned and rushed right into her mother’s arms.

“You’re happy then, Em?” Alex murmured into her daughter’s hair as she held her tightly in her embrace, unable to help the tears that sprang into her eyes.

“Oh Mummy, yes! I’m so excited!” Emma pulled back and her little hands moved to play in Alex’s hair; something she’d done as a habit more when she was really little, but not so much in recent years. And it made Alex tear up even more. “Are you happy, Mummy?”

“Yes,” Alex let out a breath of a laugh and smudged at her damp eyes. She looked over at Harry, finding him watching them with tears in his own eyes. “We’re beyond happy, baby.”

“We couldn’t wait to tell you,” Harry said, reaching over to stroke a hand over Emma’s hair. “We couldn’t wait for you to know with us.”

“Oh my gosh,” Emma sighed, her smile a mile wide as she nearly bounced back into her chair, her ice cream all but forgotten in front of her. “I can’t believe it! When will it be born? When will you know if it’s a boy or a girl? Can I help pick a name?”

“Ha!” Harry’s head tipped back with laughter. “We don’t know exactly when it will be born yet. Sometime in September maybe?” He looked to Alex for confirmation.

“Around there,” Alex nodded, grinning wide. “I won’t go to to the doctor for a few weeks, but once I do, we’ll get a better due date. And we won’t know if it’s a boy or a girl for awhile, but we promise that we’ll tell you when we know.”

“And,” Harry added. “You can absolutely help us pick out a name when the time comes. It will, after all, be your baby brother or sister.”

“It will be,” Emma nodded excitedly. “Do Mimi and Poppy know yet?”

“No,” Alex shook her head. “We told you first. We probably won’t tell them until after I go to the doctor. Do you think you can keep it a secret that long, Em?”

“Oh man,” Emma sighed dramatically, sinking back into her chair and making her parents laugh. “It’ll be hard, but I can keep the secret.”

Alex’s smile was happy and the very best kind of content as she looked at her daughter. “I know you can...big sister.”

************

“Can I see it?”

Alex looked up at her husband’s reflection behind her in the bathroom mirror. She slid her toothbrush back into the holder and smiled back at him, tipping her head to the side. “It?”

He grinned, no shame at all as he replied, “The test…”

She laughed softly. “The pregnancy test? You want to see it?”

He leaned in closer, his body surrounding hers as his hand laid flat on on the counter on either side of hers. His eyes held hers as he dipped and pressed his lips softly against her neck. “Come on love, you know that I do.”

“Of course you do,” Alex sighed, torn between wanting to hold his lips to her skin and never let them leave or retrieving the test he wanted to see. But she took a deep breath and, moving out of the circle of his arms, she opened her bathroom drawer and pulled out the box the test had come in. She opened it and pulled out the stick carefully before turning it around to show him with a smile and a bite to her lip. “Here you go. Two pink lines.”

“Two pink lines,” he echoed, shaking his head as that crazy sense of disbelief washed over him once again. His eyes stayed on the stick for a long moment before he couldn’t help it any longer and his gaze dropped down to her still flat stomach. A small bit of pale skin was showing between the top of her lacy boyshorts and the bottom of the light camisole she wore and before he could stop him, his hands were there, pushing up under the camisole and resting on her warm, soft skin.

She couldn’t help but smile at his hands on her, at the way it made her sentimental and made her want to drag him to the bedroom at the same time. Choosing to indulge the sentimental for just a moment, she set the test stick carefully on the counter and then leaned into him, her hands running up his arms to his shoulders.

“Harry….do you remember when you came home to Texas with me for the first time to meet my family?” she asked, her voice husky and soft as she tipped her face up towards his.

“Yes, of course…” His lips tilted up at the sides and his hands spread out over her waist, his fingertips moving over her hips as his thumbs stayed to stroke lightly again and again over her soft stomach.

“And remember that first morning, when you saw that picture of me pregnant with Emma?”

His eyes sparked with the memory and he leaned further into her, his hips pressing hers into the counter behind her. “Oh Alex...yes, I remember.”

Alex arched against him, grinning as she felt him pressed against her; long and hard. “And do  remember how you told me that someday, you wanted to make my belly swell like that...that someday, you wanted to put your babies in here.”

“Alex,” Harry groaned into a laugh and then bent to press a warm, soft, but entirely took short kiss to her lips. Then, much to her surprise, his hands moved around her waist and he was lifting her up onto the counter and stepping between her parted legs. His hands moved to her camisole. He pushed it up over her stomach and then her breasts before pulling it from her completely and tossing it down to the floor of the bathroom. “How could I possibly forget that?”

But before she could answer, he was kissing her again. This time it was longer, hotter; full of pent up passion and the realization of the dream they’d both had for so long. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue slipped in and found hers. Her fingers slid down to the hem of his t-shirt and she pulled, wanting it off of him now - sooner than now. He stepped back to pull his t-shirt over his head, but when he moved back to her, instead of pulling her lips back to his as she had fully expected him to do, he moved to his knees and pressed his lips to her stomach.

Her hands slid into that bright red hair of his and she sucked in a breath, as much from the way it felt to have his lips on her body as the way his action made the emotion surge through her body.

“I can’t believe we did it,” Harry whispered. His breath against her sensitive flesh raised Goosebumps over her skin. “We made a baby.” He kissed her again, this time drawing his lips across the flat plane of her stomach right below her belly button. She moaned softly and her fingers clenched in his hair. “I put my baby in here.”

“Harry…” Alex let out a breath of a moan and her hips arched up slightly against the press of his lips into her skin.

His eyes turned up to find hers; dark and heavy as they looked down at him. Her lips were parted and swollen from his kisses. The flush from her cheeks had spread down to her chest; her skin pink and alive with want him. He smiled against her -- and though he could have risen right then, though he knew that she desperately wanted that, he couldn’t pull himself away from his spot. He couldn’t drag his lips from her skin. He couldn’t help but want to keep kissing her; his mouth moving lower and lower with each pass of his lips over the incredible softness off her skin.

He wasn’t deterred by the lace of her panties, his fingers coming up to curl into the tops of them and pull them lower as he went, his lips following the lace down. Her hips arched and twisted and she gasped and moaned and when his mouth finally reached the soft, sensitive skin just above her center and his lips brushed back and forth slowly, she groaned, her eyes closed, her head tilting back, and she clenched her fingers tighter in his hair.

“Harry...don’t stop kissing me...please…”

His eyebrows lifted in surprise and his lips pulled into a smirk. He’d expected her to try and pull him up to her, to beg him to take her. But in no way was he complaining that she wanted him to put his mouth on her -- in fact, he wanted more than anything to give her exactly what she wanted.

After all, he thought to himself as he pulled her panties off of her and let them fall to the floor, all she’d ever done for him was give him everything he’d ever dreamed of.

“I’m not going to stop kissing you,” Harry murmured, his hands pulling her legs over his broad shoulders as he moved his lips back towards that hot, wet juncture between her thighs. “Not until you shake and cry and call out my name.”

“Jesus!” Alex gasped, his words washing over her at the same time as his tongue flicked out against her. There was no denying the magic that Harry could weave with his mouth on her sex. She’d never been able to resist the way he moved his lips and tongue over her -- gentle but insistent, teasing but thorough, sweet but fiercely demanding. She could never resist the way he would dip his tongue inside of her, scorching the millions of nerve endings there until she thought she would go mad, before finally moving up circling his tongue around her clit to work her towards the peak she sought so desperately. And she’d never, ever be able to resist when he would add his fingers into the mix, sliding inside of her and finding that spot that would make her hips buck and her legs shake and without fail, would make her come so hard she’d see stars behind her eyes.

Just like he did that night with her hands in his hair and her legs clenched around his head as she sat on that bathroom counter.

“Harry!” she cried, her back arching and her legs beginning to tremble. “Please...I’m going to...oh god!”

He groaned against her as she went, her soft voice moaning his name over and over again as the waves of it washed through her. And then he was rising up to her, pushing his boxers down and off as he went. He pressed kisses on her thighs, her stomach, her breasts, and finally her lips and then before she could even take another breath, he was pushing into her, desperate to have her. He groaned into her neck at the feel of her and his teeth nipped at the soft skin there. She squeaked and then moaned as he pressed deep inside of her again. He pulled back to look at her then, his eyes dark and heavy but his lips smiling softly back at her. And in that moment, he could have he could have been smug and self-assured, he could have teased her and made her beg for more. But instead, in that moment, he found he wanted something different than that. 

He leaned in to kiss her softly and then, pulling a gasp of surprise from the smiling, flushed, happy and beautiful woman wrapped around him, he pulled her from the counter and up into his arms.

“Where are we going?” she breathed as he turned and began walking them away from the counter.

“I love you, Alex,” he murmured in response, his eyes never leaving hers as he stepped from the bathroom and out into their bedroom. “And I’m going to make love to you. On our bed. Slow and sweet and all night long.”

A soft giggle pushed from her lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on tight when he reached the bed and moved them onto it and then lowered her down to the mattress, still joined with her. “All night? Well, well, well…”

“Well, well, well…?” He chuckled and peered at her, loving how she could make him want her desperately and make him laugh at the very same time.

Her smile was smug. “It seems my grumpy, exhausted husband isn’t so tired anymore if he’s planning on all night long.”

Harry’s shout of laughter moved into the room then he was kissing her, deep and slow and pushing all of the jokes and the teasing to the side; letting the enormity of the love they felt for each other take over everything as he began to move above her.

************

Alex groaned as the sound of Harry’s phone ringing pulled her from her deep sleep. She rolled over and one eye pulled open into the dark room, finding her husband sprawled out next to her and it seemed not even a single bit disturbed by the loud, insistent ringtone of his own phone.

“Harry!” she groaned and poked at his side. When he didn’t even flinch, she pushed harder and it finally did the trick. He grunted and his eyes pulled open, already accusatory as they met hers. “Don’t look at me like that. Your phone is ringing,” she grumbled with a roll of her eyes. “At four in the morning.”

He seemed to come partly to life then, turning towards his nightstand and grabbing blindly for his phone. When he finally found it, he fumbled with it for just a moment before swiping his finger across the screen, not even looking at the caller ID before he pulled it to his ear. “Mmmphh?”

Alex couldn’t help but smile at his groggy, scratchy greeting, even as she hoped whomever was calling him wasn’t calling with a reason that was going to drag them out of bed that early. She didn’t know exactly how long before they’d finally gone to sleep, but it wasn’t more than just a few hours and she desperately wanted a couple more before she had to get Emma up to start the day.

“Will?” Harry blinked and forced his eyes open. “No, it’s okay...is everything…” He trailed off and Alex watched as a slow smile spread across his face and his eyes turned to hers, still sleepy but a bit wider and brighter than they had been a moment before. “No, thank you for calling and letting us know...I’m so thrilled you did...yes, I’ll let Alex know right now. Good luck and give Kate our love...okay. Okay, keep us updated….okay, bye.”

He pulled the phone away from ear and let out a soft laugh as he slid it back onto his nightstand. “Kate’s in labor,” he said, not even waiting for Alex to ask. “They just checked into the hospital.”

“Shut up,” Alex sat straight up in bed, a wide smile on her face and her hair somewhat of a wild mess as it settled around her shoulders. “She’s having the baby today?!”

“Yes,” Harry chuckled and nodded his head, unable to find his wife anything but adorable in that moment. “It seems we’re right in the middle of a Wales baby boom.”

“What a time to be alive,” Alex grinned, bringing a rumble of laughter from Harry. She giggled herself and then laid back down in the bed, pulling the covers back up as she let Harry pull her into his side. “What did Will say? They’re going to keep us informed, right?”

“Yes,” Harry nodded and settled in, wrapping his arms around Alex and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “They’ll call us once the baby has been born and before they put out a press release.”

“I’m so excited,” Alex murmured, even as she let out a yawn and snuggled into him further. “Harry?”

“Mhmmm?” His own eyes were already sliding back closed.

“Remember when Henry was born? And you surprised me at the hospital?”

Harry felt his heart thump in his chest, right under where her head was currently resting. “Of course I do,” he murmured. “I hadn’t seen you in four months and you looked like...well, heaven. Standing there and shining bright and holding my nephew. The image is burned in my brain.”

Alex sighed and her eyes turned up to his. “If I wasn’t so exhausted, you would be getting so incredibly lucky right now.”

Harry chuckled and leaned down to kiss her softly. “Maybe I can get lucky later?”

“Are you kidding? I’m pregnant and we’re getting a new niece or nephew today and we’ll get to go meet him or her and hold the baby and snuggle it and...oh yes,” she winked up at him before settling into him again. “I’d say you’ve got a lot of luck coming your way.”

*************

They could almost feel the air of excitement in London that morning.  They dropped Emma - who was just beside herself with excitement but sworn to absolute secrecy regarding anything regarding the impending arrival of her new cousin or the fact that she was going to  be a big sister - off at school, and then they made their way to Kensington Palace, armed boxes of pastries and mugs of tea and coffee, for which the harried members of the press office that they shared jointly with Will and Kate were incredibly grateful.

“You know, I cannot believe you’ve left me hanging for over twenty four hours.”

Alex laughed in surprise as she spun to find Charlotte standing in front of her, the brunette’s arms crossed over her chest while she pulled the most cross look she could manage on her face. Alex took a sip of her tea and shrugged. “I have no idea what you could possibly mean. And what are you even doing here? You’re supposed to be on maternity leave.”

Charlotte smirked. “Please. They nearly fell all over themselves when I called and asked if they needed help handling the press this morning.”

“You’re really not confident in yourself at all, are you?” Alex snickered.

“Alexandra,” Charlotte narrowed her eyes and pulled Alex off to the side a bit, ensuring that no one was listening. “Two nights ago you asked me to get you a pregnancy test. I did exactly that and I didn’t tell anyone. Not even your brother - my husband. Do you know how hard that is? You can’t just sit here and expect me to…”

“Charlotte,” Alex whispered, unable to help the smile that pulled at her lips. “Look at my husband. Just...look at him.”

Charlotte’s eyebrows scrunched together but she did exactly as Alex said and turned to peek around the corner, finding Harry talking and laughing with Robin. He was standing tall and straight and proud and…

“Oh Christ,” Charlotte gave a half-laugh, half snort. “I recognize that look. Matt looked just like that when we found I was pregnant with Cooper. Just...as proud as a fucking peacock.”

Alex snickered. “That’s the look.”

Charlotte’s lips curled up into a smile and her voice turned soft. “Because he knocked you up.”

“Yes, Aunt Charlotte,” Alex smiled and nodded slowly. “He knocked me up.”

“God,” Charlotte shook her head and then pulled her friend into a tight hug. “Congratulations. I’m so excited for you guys. Now tell me,” she whispered as she pulled back with a smirk of a smile on her face. “Did he nearly stroke out when you told him?”

Alex burst out into laughter. “Nearly,” she finally managed to reply. “Come on, let’s get out of this corner before someone comes after us. And I hate to ask this, but can you not tell Matt for just a bit longer?”

“Ugh, fine,” Charlotte sighed, though she was still smiling. “I’ll find some way to make you pay me back for that later.”

“Of course,” Alex snickered and rolled her eyes as they stepped back around the corner. Harry’s eyes moved to her immediately and he smiled and winked at her. He didn’t need to ask what they’d been whispering about, he knew, but his smile told Alex that he didn’t mind one bit. He’d trust Charlotte with their very private news almost more than he’d trust anyone else in his life.

“Wales,” Charlotte murmured, clinking her tea cup to his and nodding, her own silent way of congratulating him because she couldn’t do it out loud.

“Charlotte,” he grinned, nodding in return. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you…”

“On maternity leave, yes,” she finished for him, waving a dismissive hand in the air. “I’m helping out. You’re paying me anyway, might as well get a little work in.”

“Jonesing for the insanity a bit?” Harry teased.

“Yes, and you’re distracting me,” Charlotte bantered back, bringing a laugh from those around them that weren’t busy answering calls and typing up drafts of announcements.

“I think Robin has some charity requests for us to go over,” Alex laughed, nodding her head in the direction of the office that she and Harry shared when they spent time in the KP offices. “Why don’t we do that and let them get to work. It’s going to get crazy around here once the call comes in.”

They took their leave, wishing the team luck and then stepped into their private office, each armed with files from Robin on the charities that had requested meetings with them in the upcoming months.

“You just wanted to get me alone,” Harry teased when he shut the door behind them. Alex turned to him with a smirk of a smile, but before she could reply, Harry’s phone buzzed in his pocket. A grin lit up his face as he looked at the screen. “It’s a text from William.” He reached for Alex, pulling her close and turning the screen to her.

She gasped. “It’s a girl! Born at 8:34 am. Mum and daughter are happy and healthy!” she read, her eyes filling with tears as Harry tapped the photo that had come attached with the text. “Harry! Look at her! She’s so tiny!”

“She is! And beautiful,” he agreed, his arm moving around Alex and pulling her close to him.

“Oh I can’t wait to meet her,” Alex sighed.

“Me either, love. Me either.”

**********

As it turned out, the wait to meet their new niece wasn’t a very long wait at all. To their surprise, along with the surprise of most of the world and the media, Will and Kate stepped out and introduced their baby daughter to the world not even ten hours after her birth before climbing into a waiting Range Rover and heading home to Kensington Palace.  Still, Alex and Harry decided to wait until the following day before heading over for a visit, choosing to allow Kate to get a little bit of rest before having to welcome visitors on their home.

But the next morning, after they had given Kate’s parents and Charles and Camilla the opportunity to meet their new granddaughter first, the Sussex family made the short drive over to Kensington Palace once again.

“It’ll be nice once our place is finished and all we have to do is walk over to the offices or to visit Will and Kate,” Alex said after they’d driven through the gates, dutifully waving at the waiting photographers who were fervently documenting every visitor to the yet unnamed baby Princess of Cambridge.

“Just a couple more months,” Harry murmured. He steered the car down the gravel drive and around to the wing of the palace that housed Will and Kate’s apartments.

“I’m so excited for my new room,” Emma piped up from the backseat. “And my new cousin...and my new baby brother or sister!”

“So much to be excited about,” Harry chuckled. “But remember, the new baby is still a secret for now.”

“I knoooooow,” Emma sassed, tossing a pointed look at Harry. “You don’t have to keep reminding me.”

“I think he’s reminding himself more than anything,” Alex laughed, tossing a wink in Emma’s direction as Harry pulled the car to a stop.

They were quick to exit the car and the door to Will and Kate’s place pulled open before they could even knock, a clearly tired but very happy William waiting to welcome them in.

“Uncle Will!” Emma was the first to greet him, running up to hug him before standing aside and letting her parents greet him.

“Congratulations,” Alex grinned as she leaned in to let him kiss her cheeks and then hug her. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Thank you,” Will grinned before turning to Harry. The two brothers enfolded each other into a tight hug, the emotion passing between them so evident to Alex that it made her a bit misty-eyed. “So listen, Father and Camilla are still in the living room with Henry, Kate, and the new baby. Alex and Emma, why don’t you guys go in...I wanted to have a private word with Harry if I could.”

“Sure,” Alex nodded, smiling as she looked back and forth between Will and her husband. “Take your time. The more snuggle time I get with the baby means the more jealous Harry will be.”

“Nice,” Harry chuckled, shaking his head before kissing Alex’s cheek and nodding at her to go ahead into the living room. Once his wife and daughter had disappeared around the corner, he followed his brother across the marble hallway and into Will’s private study.

“What’s going on, Will?” Harry asked asked Will closed the heavy wood double doors behind them.

“Sit,” Will motioned for Harry to take a seat in one of the deep leather chairs and then took the one across from him. “I wanted to talk to you...about her name.”

“Your daughter’s?” Harry looked slightly surprised.

“Yes,” William nodded, a soft smile tilting at his lips. “We’ve picked out a name, but I wanted to run it by you first.”

And suddenly Harry understood. Though somewhere in his mind he had known this was a probability, though he had thought he was emotionally prepared for this moment, it still made his heart thump in his chest and brought a lump to his throat. He took a deep breath, blinked at the emotion in his eyes, and let it out and then sat forward in his chair. “You’ve named her after Mum, haven’t you?”

“Well, we’ve honestly named her after several people, but yes, Mum is one of them. We want to call her Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.”

A wide smile moved across Harry’s face as he took in the names. “Charlotte is for Charles? For Father?”

“Yes. And Charlotte is also Pippa’s middle name,” Will answered with a matching grin. “And Elizabeth...well, of course you know that’s for Gran. It’s also Kate’s and Carole’s middle name. And then Diana for Mum.”

“I think it’s beautiful,” Harry nodded. “I love it. Mum would love it.”

“I think so, too,” Will murmured. “And you’re sure you’re okay with us using Mum’s name?”

Harry blinked. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know,” Will sighed and shrugged. “I wouldn’t want you to think that you couldn’t use the name because we’re using it…”

“Okay, now that’s absurd, William,” Harry laughed. “I love that you’re honoring Mum like this. And I would never think that I couldn’t use the name if I wanted to when Alex has the baby.”

“I didn’t think so,” William breathed, relaxing into his chair. “But I thought I should make sure and...wait.” He broke off and peered at Harry. “Did you say when Alex has the baby?”

Harry’s eyes widened as he realized his error. “I...well, shit. Yes, I guess I did say that.”

“Ha!” William clapped his hands together as he laughed. “That’s amazing. Alex is pregnant then?”

“Yes, she is. We literally just found out two days ago. But you cannot breathe a word,” Harry pointed at his brother, though he couldn’t help but chuckle along with him. “Though I suppose I’m doing a fine job of letting the cat out of the bag myself.”

“Congratulations, little brother,” William grinned. He stood and Harry followed, letting William enfold him into another tight hug. “That’s incredibly exciting. And I won’t say a word, not even to Kate.”

“Thank you,” Harry nodded, finding the emotions overwhelming him again. He blinked and chuckled as him and Will stepped back from each other. “I appreciate that.”

“Sure,” Will nodded. “Alright, now would you like to go meet Charlotte?”

“More than anything,” Harry replied with a smile, already moving to follow his brother from the room. His smile pulled even wider and if it were possible, his heart felt even fuller when they entered the living room and his eyes found Alex, cooing down at a tiny little bundle in her arms while Emma leaned in and did the same on one side and his two and a half year old nephew did the same from the other side.

He greeted his father and Camilla quickly and then turned to Kate, kissing her cheeks and smiling down at her. “Congratulations, Mum. You look wonderful.”

“Such a charmer,” Kate snickered. “But thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Harry grinned and then turned and moved towards his family sitting on the couch. He tickled his nephew and then plucked the laughing little boy up into his arms before sliding in next to his wife on the couch. “Now who do we have here, Henry?”

“Charlotte!” Henry exclaimed, clapping his hands together proudly. “My sister!”

“That’s right,” Harry kissed his nephew’s blonde head and then turned and met Alex’s eyes. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Alex whispered in return, looking over and smiling at her husband. “Your niece is beautiful. Do want to hold her?”

“Of course I do.”

With a little bit of shuffling, Henry was shifted over to sit with Emma and then Alex carefully lifted the tiny, sleeping baby girl into Harry’s arms, feeling her entire body warm as she watched him cuddle her close.

“Oh wow, she’s so tiny. And incredibly gorgeous,” Harry murmured as he took in her sweet sleeping face. “Just perfect.”


	109. Chapter One Hundred and Nine

_A/N: I ended up having to split the chapter. It just got way too long with too much going on. The good news is that part two of this is just a few paragraphs from being complete so you’ll get it tomorrow. But for now, here’s part one. Let me know what you think :)_

***********

“Jesus Alex,” Harry groaned. He ran his hands through his mess of red hair and looked helplessly at her. “I feel like I can’t win with you.”

Alex’s face twisted in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about?!” Harry threw his hands up and his voice rose, as much as he didn’t want it to. “You just get... _mad_ at me about everything. I know you haven’t been feeling well, but for the past few days it seems like I can’t do anything right. And even when I inevitably apologize for whatever it is that you yelled at me for, you just...yell at me some more!”

Alex narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe if you weren’t so God damned patronizing in your ‘apologies’...”

Harry’s eyes widened and his lips parted, stunned at her words. “I’m sorry...but... _what_?”

“You treat me like some breakable object! Like I’ve got the words ‘Handle With Care’ stamped across my forehead!” she shouted, her eyes flashing with anger and her cheeks flushing pink. “I know you’re protective and I get it, Harry. I really do. But you have to quit fucking hovering over me.. I know how to take care of myself! And more than that, I know how to take care of this child!”

Harry’s lips tightened and he could feel himself flush all the way to the tips of his ears. “I hope you know how ridiculous you’re being right now.”

“Well,” Alex snapped with a roll of her eyes. “I’m sure you’ll try to act all patient and caring while you tell me exactly how ridiculous I’m acting.”

“Alex! You’re pale and I know you’ve lost a little weight and you are barely eating anything! Why are you being so fucking stubborn about admitting that you feel like shit?!”

“Because you’re making a huge deal about nothing!” Alex yelled, her fists balling together at her sides.

“Oh fuck this.” Harry threw his hands in the air and then turned away from her. “You know what, Alex,” he called as he strode towards their bedroom door. “You can just be miserable by yourself.”

“Fine!” she shouted after him.

“Fine!” he hollered back, and then slammed the bedroom door behind him.

*****Two Days Earlier*****

“Harry! _Harry!!_ ”

“I’m right here, love,” he replied, his eyebrows lifting as he stepped into their kitchen, finding her standing in front of their fridge, the freezer door wide open in front of her. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?!” she nearly screeched, making Harry taking an involuntary step back in surprise. “What’s _wrong_ is that someone STOLE all of my ice cream!”

Harry’s lips twitched. “What?”

“Someone STOLE all of my Bluebell stash!” Alex repeated. She jerked the freezer door wider and waved her hand in front of it. “Look! It’s gone.”

Harry shook his head and stepped closed to her. “No one stole your ice cream, Alex. I threw it out.”

Alex’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head and Harry let out a nervous chuckle, which only served to make her cheeks flush even further. “You did _what_?”

“Alex,” he said slowly, peering at her, trying gauge exactly what was going on in that kitchen. “I had to; there’s a Listeria outbreak at several of the plants in the States. We can’t take that chance.”

“Oh.” Alex blinked, the frantic look about her fading for a brief moment before it flashed back in her eyes. “Well you should have _warned_ me!”

“But...I did,” he insisted as she slammed the freezer door shut. “We talked about the outbreak of Listeria a few days ago and how you weren’t going to be able to eat Bluebell until they figure it all out.”

“Well, I didn’t know that applied to the stash we already had!”

“Darling,” Harry stepped up to her, his voice soothing as his hands moved to her shoulders. “I can go get you some ice cream, just not Bluebell.”

She rolled her eyes and then shrugged his hands off her shoulders. “It’s not the same, Harry. And honestly, you acting like it’s no big deal is pissing me right off.”

Harry’s entire face flashed confusion as she pushed past him and towards the kitchen door. “What in the...Alex…”

“ **Don’t** follow me!”

He stopped in his tracks, unused to her tone of voice and somewhat irrational reasoning. “Well...fine then,” he muttered to himself. He turned away from the door she had gone through, intending to make his way out of the other door. “Jesus Christ!” he jumped, startled to see his brother standing there, a knowing, smirk of a smile on his lips.

“No, just the Duke of Cambridge,” William chuckled as Harry rolled his eyes.

“How long have you been standing there?” Harry grumbled.

“Long enough to be assured that pregnancy cravings aren’t just limited to my wife.”

“Nice. What are you even doing at Clarence House?” Harry narrowed his eyes.

Will shrugged. “I had to pick up some papers from Father and decided to drop in on you before I head home. Best decision I made all day.”

“So you could see my wife lose her shit at my over ice cream? Nice,” Harry pulled a face as he plopped down on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. “I don’t know why she’s so mad. I would think that protecting herself and our child from a listeria outbreak would be…”

“Harry,” William laughed and shook his head. “She’s mad because right now she would probably sell you off to have just one bite of that ice cream, and you’re in here acting like she’s being ridiculous.”

“She is being ridiculous.”

“Well, yeah…” Will shrugged. “But you would be too if you were in her place.”

Harry let out a sigh, knowing that William was right. “I know. It’s just...Ales is supposed to be the level-headed and reasonable one. I’m supposed to be the irrational one.”

“Well, it’s good to see that she’s keeping things down. Kate didn’t have cravings until after the first trimester with either baby because she could barely eat anything at all.”

“For the most part she’s been alright. She’s been throwing up in the mornings,” Harry replied, his forehead creasing as worry flashed momentarily across his face “A lot in the mornings. She didn’t get sick like that with Emma, but she says it’s normal.”

“When’s her first doctor’s appointment?”

“Two weeks,” Harry said. “I tried to get her to go earlier, but you know...she’s being stubborn. Wanting to keep it to ourselves and all for right now.”

“Understandable,” Will shrugged. “I’m sure she’s fine. She would go if she felt like it was a danger to the baby, I’m assuming.”

Harry took a deep breath and smiled reassuringly - as much for his own benefit as well as his brother’s. “She would. Absolutely.”

******One Day Earlier******

“Alex, are you sure you want to do this?” Harry asked, his eyes full of concern as he watched her bend down to tighten the laces on her sneakers. He wasn’t sure that anyone else would notice the paleness of her face, but an hour of strenuous activity with young rugby players might not help the nausea that had plagued her earlier that morning. “I can go and play with the kids. You don’t have to go out there. We can make up some excuse.”

“I’m fine,” she huffed, her eyes flashing up to his as she stood and straightened her shoulders. “I don’t have to restrict my activity just because I threw up hours ago.”

“You were bloody sick for two hours this morning,” he insisted, his voice dropping down to a whisper as he stepped closer to her. His body angled so that the press or anyone watching couldn’t get video of their conversation. “I don’t want you to stress yourself…”

“You don’t want?” Alex’s eyes snapped up to his, narrowing briefly as she processed his words. “What about what I want?”

“Hey, that’s not what this is about,” he bent closer, his hand moving out to rest gently on her shoulder. “I’m just making sure you aren’t pushing yourself too hard.”

“You think I don’t know my limits?” She lifted her eyebrows and Harry saw much more of a challenge in her eyes than he’d expected.

“Why are you acting like this?” he found himself hissing down at her as the tension between them grew at an alarming rate.

Alex glanced around, meaningfully pausing at the pack of photographers aimed at them before turning back to look up at Harry. She artfully let a wide smile across her face and then spoke her reply through her teeth. “You really want to do this right now?”

Harry opened his mouth but quickly snapped it shut and let out a sigh. “No. Of course I don’t. I want to play rugby with the kids.”

Alex’s smile widened, though the flash of irritation aimed at him remained in her eyes. “Thought so.”

And with that, his wife turned and sauntered away, giving him no choice but to follow her across the rugby field towards the waiting group of kids and leave their disagreement behind them.

*******Present Time*******

After pouring himself a large whiskey, he found himself settling himself down on the couch in the living room. He turned on some mindless program on the TV, something that was just background noise. When she’d gotten upset about the ice cream several days before, he’d thought it was just hormonal and he’d understood. But the aftermath of the spat at the rugby event the day before and the fight they’d just had left him feeling incredibly uneasy. He hated fighting with her. He hated that he couldn’t seem to say anything right. He hated that he couldn’t seem to fix it. And what’s more, he hated that he felt like there was some underlying issue that had nothing to do with him being overprotective - and maybe nothing really to do with him at all.

“Damn it, Alex,” he muttered to himself. He shifted restlessly on the couch before finally giving up and laying back on it, stretching his long legs out in front of him as he sipped his whiskey. For all the things he didn’t know, the one thing he did know was that going back up to their room right then wasn’t going to solve anything. He would give her some time to relax, he would let the fight settle, and then he’d go back up. He took a deep breath, then tipped the last of the whiskey in his glass into his mouth, the burn oddly soothing as it made it’s way down his throat, and then he settled back into the couch, ready to just bide his time until he could try and talk to his wife without it ending in a screaming match.

**********

“Dad? Dad! Wake up!”

Harry started awake, but it took a few seconds for him to realize where he was, to realize that he had fallen asleep on the couch. He blinked several times as Emma’s face came into focus above him, her eyes wide and ringing a tiny bell of alarm within him.

“Em? What are you doing out of bed?”

“Mummy’s throwing up,” she said, her little fingers worrying together in front of her.

“Oh sweetheart,” Harry soothed, sitting and then reaching to smooth back a wild piece of blonde hair from Emma’s face. “It’s okay. Sometimes the baby makes her sick.”

“No, I know that,” Emma insisted, her little chin sticking out in determination that he would listen to her. “I got up to get a drink of water from my bathroom and I heard her. I know I’m not supposed to walk in without knocking when the door is shut but I did anyway and saw her in your bathroom. She looks really sick, Daddy. She was...crying and you know the thing where you feel like you need to keep throwing up but nothing is coming out?”

“Christ!” Harry breathed, flinging the blanket from his legs and rising to his feet. He knew Alex had told him to stop hovering, but if Emma thought it was bad enough to wake him up, nothing was going to stop him from going to her.

“I’m sorry I had to wake you up but…”

“Oh Em, you’re not in trouble at all. You did exactly the right thing,” Harry stopped to assure his daughter. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then turned from the room to hurry down the hall to his wife.

He strode into the bedroom and then straight to the bathroom door, pushing it open and quickly rushing inside. He moved straight to his wife, who just as Emma had said, was still leaning over the toilet, heaving and coughing though there didn’t appear to be anything else coming up.

“Jesus, Alex,” Harry breathed, dropping down to the floor next to her. He immediately reached up to pull her hair back from her face and then let one hand drop to her back, warm and comforting. “How long has this been going on?”

“Too long,” she choked out before her body heaved again. Harry could see how flushed her chest and cheeks were, showing the strain her body was going through, and how red and swollen her eyes were from that same strain and from crying. “I...I haven’t felt good all day...but this is…” She leaned over again, a combination of heaves and sobs wracking her small frame.

“Alexandra,” Harry murmured, trying his best to remain calm. “When was the last time you kept any kind of fluid down? Have you kept anything down today at all?”

To his surprise, tears pooled in her eyes and she shook her head slowly. “No…I can’t.”

“Oh good grief, Alex,” he groaned, though his eyes were full of concern. “You haven’t kept fluids down in nearly twenty-four hours? Listen, I don’t care if you get mad and yell at me, but I’m putting my foot down. You’re probably dehydrated and this can’t go on. You have to go to the doctor. Now.”

It took several long, shuddering breaths before she was able to turn to look at him with tired, red-rimmed eyes. She nodded slowly, even as more tears pooled in her eyes. “Okay.” 

_**To be continued....** _


	110. Chapter One Hundred and Ten

**A/N: As promised, here is part two of the chapter. I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think :)**

****************

Within the hour, they were pulling up into the private alley behind the private practice of the Surgeon-Gynecologist to the Royal Family, Dr. Alan Farthing, who hadn’t faltered for a moment when he’d received a phone call at 12:30 at night from the Duke of Sussex.

Harry held tight to Alex as they stepped from the car and into the chilly air. Making sure she was steady, he turned and pulled Emma from the car, who was still in pajamas underneath her coat and boots, but had fallen right back to sleep in the car ride in that way that only children seemed to be able to do.

The door to the office opened as they climbed the steps, emitting soft light into the dark of the night. A nurse appeared in the doorway, a kind, warm smile on her lips as she ushered them in. The doctor was waiting on the other side of the door, somehow looking completely un-frazzled despite the late hour.

“Your Royal Highnesses,” the doctor nodded at all of them, including Emma, and then turned to focus his attention on Alex. “I’m Dr. Farthing, may I call you Alexandra?”

“Alex,” she nodded and smiled as much as she could, grateful for the immediate step he took to build a personal relationship with her. “And this is my husband, Harry, and our daughter, Emma,” she murmured, gesturing toward Harry and the little girl draped over his shoulder.

“Very lovely to meet you all, though I wish it could be under different circumstances, of course,” Dr. Farthing said, smiling at them before his concerned gaze moved back to Alex. “You can put Emma down in our waiting room if you’d like; there’s a comfortable couch in there. And then we’ll get you in a room, get some fluids in you, and do an exam.”

***********

Emma hadn’t even stirred as Harry settled her into the private waiting room, accompanied by her female PO, while the nurse took Alex down to change into a gown and get settled. When he stepped into the room, Harry moved to the chair by Alex’s side and  watched with wide eyes as a sense of relief as the nurse quickly inserted an IV into Alex’s hand, hooking it to the bag of fluids that would send the much needed hydration into her body.

“Is this weird for you?” Harry whispered to Alex as Dr. Farthing pulled Alex’s feet into the stirrups of the chair and then quickly began the pelvic exam while they waited on the fluids to start working.

Alex rolled her eyes and looked over at Harry with a tired, heavy gaze. “No,” she whispered in return. “He’s all business, don’t worry.”

Harry’s lips twitched but he shook his head. “You know what I meant, but I’m sorry. Just relax, love.” He watched as she took a deep breath and then let her eyes close once again, trying to relax as the doctor quickly went about his business. She looked tired; worn out and a little worried, even though Dr. Farthing had been reassuring so far.

“Okay Alex,” Dr. Farthing announced minutes later, sliding his stool back and standing from it. He snapped off his gloves, washed his hands, and then moved back over to them, helping to adjust Alex’s legs from the stirrups and back into a more comfortable position. “We’ll run all the normal screenings on the pap smear, but I’m not seeing anything to be concerned about tonight. Since I don’t have your records from your previous doctor yet, I’d like to go over just a couple of things before we do a quick scan.” Dr. Farthing flipped to a new page in her chart and clicked his pen open. “When was your last period?”

“Right before Christmas. December 18th was the first day of my cycle.”

Dr. Farthing did a quick mental calculation. “So you’re roughly about six weeks along. Did you have nausea during your first pregnancy by this time?”

“None at all during the whole thing. Emma was super easy,” Alex murmured, her eyes closing as she tipped her head back against the exam chair. She knew the this all needed to be done, she knew he needed to make sure things were okay, but between not being able to keep anything down all day and the tension and stress that was building, she wanted nothing more than to lay there, rather than answer questions about her pregnancy history.

“Not uncommon,” Dr. Father remarked with a smile as he made a note in Alex’s chart. “How about your emotions? How were they early on during your first pregnancy?”

Alex sniffed and opened watery eyes, finding Harry and his sympathetic gaze before turning to look at the doctor.  She took a deep breath and her voice was tight and heavy when she spoke. “To be honest...I’m not entirely sure. My first husband...he died when I was barely six weeks pregnant. I was a mess, but I don’t know if it was heightened by pregnancy or not.”

Harry felt something click inside of him at her words; realization washing over him. He kept silent, knowing he could talk about it with her later, but he did reach out and tentatively lay his fingers on top of hers, careful to keep away from the IV inserted there. She didn’t push him away, much to his relief, letting him rest his fingers comfortingly on hers, his thumb stroking softly back and forth across her soft skin.

“Have you had any bleeding? Any abdominal pain?” Dr. Farthing continued.

“None,” Alex murmured.

“Any additional pregnancy symptoms? Breast tenderness?”

“Yes,” Alex answered honestly. “They’re much more tender than they usually are with my period. Especially my nipples. And I’ve had lower back aches, which I definitely did have with Emma.” Unable to help it, she risked a glance towards Harry as she finished answering. If she were at all feeling well, she would have been a tiny bit amused at the way his cheeks flushed with a bit of embarrassment with the question.

“Very good,” Dr. Farthing nodded. “I know it doesn’t seem that way, but symptoms are good. Though I’m glad you came in early if you’re not able to keep anything down. You made the right call there. Are the fluids helping at all yet?”

“A bit,” Alex nodded. “I don’t feel like I’m going to vomit all over you any second.” Both Dr. Farthing and Harry chuckled and a small smile pulled at Alex’s lips.

“That’s a good sign,” the doctor nodded as he stood from the stool and wheeled a machine close to the bed.

“What is that?” Harry asked, looking from the doctor to Alex.

“It’s an ultrasound machine,” Alex tipped her head to the side and smiled curiously at her husband. “You know, for the scan?”

Harry blinked and he couldn’t help the smile that began to spread across his face as realization dawned. “We get to see the baby? Tonight?”

And the upset and frustration towards Harry that Alex had been feeling for past few days began to melt away a little bit. He looked so happily stunned and instantly excited at the realization that he was going to get to see their child on the screen that was blinking to life, that she couldn’t find it in herself to hold on to those feelings in that moment. She blinked as the tears rose in her own eyes and she sniffed, her voice wavering as she met Harry’s gaze and nodded.

“I can give you a moment, if you’d like, “Dr. Farthing said kindly, reaching for a tissue and passing it to Alex.

“No, no. We’re ready.” Alex shook her head and wiped at her tears. She turned to Harry for confirmation and he couldn’t do anything but smile and nod; a little afraid if he said anything that he would break down into tears right along with her.

After pulling out a sheet to cover Alex from the waist down, Dr. Farthing pushed the gown up over her stomach. Alex sucked in a breath as he quickly applied to jelly to her abdomen, memories of doing this very thing when she was pregnant with Emma rushing back to her and making her want to cry again.

“Is it cold?” Harry whispered, catching her rush of emotion and wanting to talk to her, to pull her back from the emotional edge for the moment.

“A little,” she sniffed, blinking as she shifted her eyes to his. She smiled softly, feeling the tension between them fade even more as the doctor pressed the wand to her belly and the familiar-to-her “whoosh whoosh” sound began to pulse faintly from the machine.

“Oh wow…” Harry breathed, her fingers tightening over hers as his gaze shifted to the screen. “That’s...so weird looking.”

Dr. Farthing chuckled and pressed the wand into Alex’s belly as he moved it around slightly. “Alright, little one. Let’s see you…” he drawled slightly, reaching over to press a button on the machine. He suddenly peered closer, adjusting his glasses over his face as he pressed another button. “Well, would you look at that...”

“What is it?” Alex whispered, her heart tripping up in her chest.

“Is something wrong?” Harry’s voice rose a bit, his eyes flashing wide as he looked at the doctor. “Do you see it?”

“Oh yes,” Dr. Farthing turned a wide smile to them and shook his head. “Right here,” he pointed to a little round blip on the screen. “See that?”

“Oh wow…” Alex smiled wide, taking it in before turning to find her husband, his gaze still riveted to the screen.

“And _this_ ,” Dr. Farthing continued, his finger shifting just slightly to another small blip near the other.

Alex’s head whipped back around. “I’m sorry. Did you say **AND**? As in... _another one_?”

“Oh holy crap…” Harry breathed next to her, feeling his world shift around him a bit.

“Mhmmm…” the doctor nodded. “We’ve got two babies in here; twins. And see how they’re in the same bubble here?” he circled it with his finger. “Monozygotic. Or, identical if you’d like.”

A moment of stunned silence filled the room; both Harry and Alex stared at the monitor, watching the two little fuzzy blips.

“Twins?” Harry finally whispered, his gaze swinging to his wife before flicking back to Dr. Farthing.  “Oh my...I just…” He could barely take a breath over the way his heart was going like a trip hammer in his chest. Finally giving up his quest for words, he just turned to his wife, finding her eyes just as wide as his. “Alex…”

“Twins…” she let out the word in a slow breath as her eyes searched his. “Ha! I can’t believe...twins! TWINS.”

Harry laughed, his eyes crinkling up at the side as he shook his head in disbelief. “Oh my God. Alexandra…” And then, forgetting that the doctor was in the room with them, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and then lightly to her lips, squeezing his eyes shut again the tears that surged forward.

“Oh God,” Alex breathed, pulling back and smiling up at Harry before turning wide eyes to the doctor. “Is that why I’ve been so sick?”

“Most likely,” Dr. Farthing confirmed. “Two babies can take a lot out of you. You could stop feeling nauseous tomorrow, or it could continue on throughout the first trimester, but we can always administer nutrients or fluids privately at home if needed.”

“Okay,” Alex nodded, laughing lightly as she swiped at the tears in her eyes. “Okay. I think we can deal with that.” She turned to Harry and he nodded, his eyes soft and happy and his grin wide as looked back at her.

The next few minutes seemed to pass by in a haze for both of them; the news having thrown both of them for quite the loop. Dr. Farthing took a picture of the screen, printing out one for them and placing one in the file. Then, after making sure Alex was cleaned up and situated comfortably again, he stepped from the room to give the parents-to-be a moment.

And then they were alone - just them and this incredibly, gigantic news that they were still both trying to absorb.

“Alexandra,” Harry murmured, turning to her just as soon as the door clicked shut behind the nurse. His eyes filled with tears and wonder and his hands moved to her face, sliding along her jaw as he pressed a kiss to her lips. “You little overachiever!”

“What?” she laughed and leaned back against the chair, tension flowing out of her by the second.

“Twins!” Harry laughed along with her. “Two babies! At once! One would have been fine, but you’re just...going to go ahead and give me two. I’m so fucking happy right now I could just…”

“Forgive your wife for being a completely crazy person this week?” Alex asked, her smile a bit shy as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Oh love,” Harry sighed, his head tipping to the side.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “I didn’t realize why I was so frustrated by everything.”

“I get it,” Harry nodded, bending down to kiss her fingers. “It’s different this time...than when you were pregnant with Emma.”

“I did it by myself before,” Alex whispered, blinking at the tears in her eyes. “He was gone and I did it all by myself; loving my baby and taking care of her. I knew what was best and that was that and I…”

“But you don’t _have_ to do that this time,” Harry smiled softly and his hand moved to her stomach, warm and comforting and protective as it rested there. “I’m here. I want to take care of you and Emma and our... _babies_. Our _family_.”

“I want that too...” Alex lifted a hand to cover his where it rested on her stomach, over the place where their children were growing. “I’ve never wanted anything more in my entire life.”


	111. Chapter One Hundred and Eleven

**_A/N: Here you go! I hope you enjoy. And please, please don’t be afraid to let me know what you think! Happy reading :)_ **

*****************

They had decided to wait until she was eight weeks along before they shared the news with their families. And it wasn’t easy keeping the secret to themselves; not only that Alex was pregnant but that they were expecting twins. The truth was that Harry constantly looked like he had slept with a coat hanger in his mouth and Alex knew that she wasn’t much better. But they’d decided to let it settle for themselves first and they both stuck to that; not even telling Emma, who besides William and Charlotte, was the only other person in their lives who knew Alex was expecting. Though Alex was still suffering from morning sickness, the tips Dr. Farthing had given her to help ease those symptoms helped quite a bit; enough to assure that she wasn’t having to cancel engagements. She had lost a little bit of weight, but not enough to bring any real attention or worry from those around her. **  
**

So for two weeks, they shared their secret only with each other; waiting until they were alone in bed at night to whisper about the excitement and possibilities of bringing two children of theirs into the world in about seven months time. And it just so happened, that those two weeks were two of the most public and busiest weeks that had been and would be planned for them in quite some time.

The Danish Crown Princely couple had made a three day visit to London and their activities included two that involved the Sussexes as well. The first of which had been a formal affair; a dinner in Frederik and Mary’s honor at Buckingham Palace, joined of course by other various members of the British Royal Family. The second had been a more low key, relaxed affair; the opening of a children’s park near Kensington Palace - the designer of which was Danish. Emma joined this outing, along with Mary and Frederik’s four children; Christian, Isabella, Vincent, and Josephine. Though Alex had met both Mary and Frederik when she and Harry had married the year before, she hadn’t had a chance to speak very much with either of them then, but was found herself liking them both very much this time around. And the fact that Emma seemed to immediately become as thick as thieves with Isabella and Christian made it easy to momentarily forget the big secret they were hiding, to not worry for the afternoon if their faces were giving anything away.

At the end of the two weeks came the event that was personally and professionally one that Alex had been looking forward to for months.

The opening of the new branch of Healing Family Through Friends.

At times it had been hard on her; having to bring her experience with Patrick over the summer to the front of her mind in order to remind herself and those she was working with exactly why and how she had wanted to form this program. But it also been incredibly therapeutic; to talk about her harrowing ordeal and the way she felt after it happened - which is what she hoped it would do for the individuals that had been selected to be the first to participate in the program.

“Are you okay?” Harry murmured, scooping up her hand and squeezing it as their car rolled through the streets of London towards the HFTF offices. “You look nervous.”

“Ha! I feel like I want to throw up,” Alex shook her head. “And for the first time in weeks it has nothing to do with…” She waved a hand over her stomach, laughing when she caught Harry’s gazing lingering there for a moment longer than it should.

“Sorry. Sorry,” he chuckled, squeezing her hand once more. “Is it the speech?”

“Sort of,” Alex shrugged. “It’s more like...speaking to the entire world about what happened that day. I mean, I know everyone knows...but, you know…”

“It’s very, very personal,” Harry agreed quietly, the mood growing a bit more solemn in the car. “And very, very brave.”

“Mhmmm…” She smiled softly up and him and squeezed her fingers around his. “I do have to admit, however nervous I may be, more than that I’m very excited to go back and see everyone.”

“I know you are.” Harry’s smile brightened. He was happy she was going to get to step back in her old offices as well, as place that probably felt like home to her more than she would ever admit. “And after all of this, we have dinner with our families…”

“To tell them about the babies,” Alex whispered, the nerves vanishing for a moment.

“Well, officially, it’s in celebration of you for opening of the new branch of HFTF,” Harry chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah…” Alex giggled. “We both know what it will turn into once we let the cat out of the bag.”

“Probably,” he laughed and nodded. “The cards are all ready to go?”

“Yep. They’re sitting on the table in the entryway. We’ll stop by and grab them going over to your father and Camilla’s for dinner.”

“Fantastic!” Harry grinned, clapping his hands together in excitement. “I can’t wait.”

**********

Alex glanced down at her notes, taking a moment to gather her building emotions before looking back up - at the cameras and at the small crowd; silent and waiting expectantly for her to begin speaking. Her eyes moved to Harry and he smiled soft, full of pride and encouragement. With a small nod and smile, she took another breath, let it out, and began.

“As most of you know, Healing Families Through Friends was first opened nearly ten years ago. At the time, I was a very young, and very pregnant, war widow who didn’t quite know how to go on. But I began to find solace and understanding and hope in talking to others who were going through what I was going through - people who had lost their loved ones in active duty in the Armed Forces.

“To be quite honest, I don’t know where I would be without each and every one of those people I met throughout the years,” she continued. “And that was the heart of what I wanted to create when initially formed Healing Families Through Friends. And it worked; for me, and I hope, for the thousands who’ve come through the doors here in the last decade.” She took a deep breath and blinked back the moisture that surged in her eyes.

“A Traumatic Event is defined as is an experience that causes physical, emotional, psychological distress, or harm. It is an event that is perceived and experienced as a threat to one's safety or to the stability of one's world. And as most of you know, I am very personally familiar with the safety of my world being ripped out from under me.” She could feel the breath suck from those in the room; it wasn’t new knowledge to anyone, but she knew that no one had expected her to speak so frankly.

“Last summer, I was attacked and held hostage in my home. For ten hours, I was terrorized by someone who was supposed to be protecting me. I was lucky enough to come out alive and physically okay, but it destroyed a part of me that I wasn’t sure I could recover. And more than that, I didn’t think anyone could understand what I was going through. I felt like something had been taken from me that I could never quite explain; at least not to them. ” Her voice caught on the last word and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye, but she brushed it away quickly and pushed forward, keeping eye contact with the group in front of her as she did.

“And that’s part what I hope people will take from this. Just as with losing a family member or in any number areas, being able to voice your fears and feelings can go miles to helping a person heal. But even if are as lucky as I am to have an incredible support system that held me together, sometimes there’s nothing quite like someone who’s been where you are. Sometimes being with a group of peers, a group lead by peers, can be the most powerful place for rebuilding.

“Years ago, creating this place and finding the inspiration and strength from those who came through these doors, guided me through the first major tragedy in my life. The hearts and open arms of the people I came to know sustained me through so many highs and lows; they helped give me the strength to smile, to be happy, to be a whole person again, and most important -- to be a mother to my daughter. And after after my most recent tragedy, it was the strength that I’ve seen for so many years from those who’ve served and have been served by this organization that ultimately helped me to take the biggest steps forward in my own healing process.”

She paused and took a deep breath, feeling the smile begin to pull at her lips, the excitement at her announcement taking her over now that the hardest part of the speech was over.

“And I’m happy to say that I’m standing here today, changed forever but once again whole, in part because of the healing process I once again found in this place, with these people, And now, on the other side of a giant mountain that I once wasn’t ever sure that I would summit, the natural thing this for me to want do next is to take this organization one more step forward.” She shifted her gaze and it caught Harry’s and her smile pulled even wider at the pure pride radiating from his eyes. But before she could get caught up in that, she turned her eyes over to the team from HFTF. Her gaze grew softer as she looked at them and continued, “Over the last several months, I’ve been working with Susannah Griffin, the wonderful woman who took over Healing Family Through Friends when I left, on opening up a new division of the organization. The primary focus of this new division will be focusing on people who have lived through traumatic events.” She paused and smiled, shifting to her next page of notes as a small smattering of applause went through the room.

“For the past few weeks, Susannah and the team here have been working hard to select an initial group of twenty  individuals to participate in this program. I’ve been lucky enough to sit in on some of these meetings, to speak frankly and at length with most of these individuals and I find myself absolutely blown away by them. The bravery of the people who will become part of this new program is astounding. It is my greatest hope that this place will be for them what it has always been for me; a second family that gives them the chance to recover, to rebuild, and to find themselves again. Thank you.”

She took a deep breath as she stepped back from the podium. But as the applause sounded out in the room, she couldn’t help but smile, feeling an intense relief and sense of accomplishment wash over her.

And she realized, as much as anything else, this had been incredibly therapeutic for her; publicly talking about her ordeal and how important it was to help others that had felt like she had because of it. Telling the people in that room, telling the whole world, gave her a voice she hadn’t known she was missing.

***********

“There you are…”

Alex turned in surprise, her smile pulling wide as Harry stepped through the doorway, closing the door softly behind him. “Sorry, I just needed minute to take a breath. I took the opportunity to slip away.”

“Do you want me to go?”

“No no,” she shook her head and turned from the window. “I’m good. Deep breath accomplished.”

Harry’s smile softened as he looked over her and then stepped closer to her. “Alex, you were amazing up there today.”

“Harry…”

“Don’t even try to brush it off,” he laughed and shook his head. “You were. I am so proud of you that I felt like I was going to burst with it during your speech.”

Alex’s lips twisted up. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re incredibly corny?”

“Ha!” His laughter filled the room around them and he reached for her then, his hands circling her arms and pulling her to him. “Yes. But you like it.”

“I do,” she sighed, leaning into him. “Thank you, Harry. That means a lot to me, it really does.”

“You’re welcome,” he murmured as he bent to kiss her sweetly and then lifted his head, meeting her eyes with his for a moment before looking around the room. “This is...your old office, isn’t it?”

“Mhmmm,” she nodded, her smile pulling wide as she looked around as well. “It was the first place I thought to go to when I slipped away.”

“It’s Susannah’s now?”

“Of course,” Alex nodded. “She runs the show.”

“I see she got rid of that horrid chair that was in here. It was huge and...wasn’t it pink?”

“It was red,” Alex snickered, smacking at his chest. “And it was old. But sooooo comfortable.”

“Of course,” Harry shook his head with a chuckle. He stepped away from her, moving to the bookshelves and his fingers along them, obviously lost in thought. “I still remember the first time I was in here alone with you. After I did the official visit here. There were different books on the shelves, the furniture was arranged differently, but...it was very you. I think I knew that even then.” He stopped and pointed a finger at her. “And that’s not corny. It’s true.”

Alex’s fingers rose to her lips, her smile pulling up behind them. “You know what I remember about the first time you were in here?”

“How devastatingly handsome I was?”

“Sure,” she laughed. “And the fact that you nearly kissed me. And that we got interrupted by Mia banging on the door because like an idiot I forgot to sign Emma’s permission form for some field trip.

“Ha!” Harry’s eyes crinkled up at the sides and he clapped his hands together, clearly finding the memory incredibly humorous. “Ah, well. It turned all turned out fine, didn’t it?”

Alex sighed, nodding her head slowly as she looked around the office once more. “I really don’t think it could have turned out better, Harry.”

“Three years later...married...with a beautiful daughter and two more babies on the way?” he grinned, moving back over to her, his hands slipping to her waist.

“Happily married,” she corrected, leaning into him. “But yes, all of those things.”

He smiled down at her, letting the nostalgia and the moment sit with them both for a moment. He bent to kiss her, soft and sweet, and then nudged her nose with his. “There’s a few more pictures that need to be taken out there. And then we can leave...head over to Clarence House for dinner?”

“Mhmm,” Alex smiled nodded, her forehead moving against his. “To tell our family about the babies.”

“Emma is going to be beside herself...I hope anyway,” Harry chuckled as he stepped back and reached for Alex’s hand.

Excitement of her own flashed in Alex’s light blue eyes as Harry opened the door and led them out, back to the waiting group upstairs. “Are you kidding? Two little kiddos to boss around? She will be, absolutely. I can’t wait.”

***********

“I’m so glad you came,” Alex smiled, leaning in to kiss Molly’s cheeks. Along with Emma, Alex and Harry had stepped into the dining room at Clarence House moments before, finding their families already there waiting on them.

“Oh psh,” Molly waved a hand and then turned to let Harry kiss her cheeks in greeting. “I couldn’t miss the chance to celebrate your amazing accomplishment. Thank you for including me.”

“You’re family,” Harry insisted, giving her an undeniably charming smile. “You’re always included.”

“It’s true,” Alex nodded before turning to continue on with greeting everyone gathered in the large, opulent room. Her parents, Matt and Charlotte, Will and Kate, and Charles and Camilla all moved in and Harry looked on with immense pride as everyone took time to offer their congratulations to his wife; to tell her how proud they were of her.

“We watched the footage,” Camilla said, glancing at Charles and sharing a look with him. “You were absolutely wonderful.”

“Thank you, Camilla. That means so much to me,” Alex beamed.

“We’re so proud of you, Boot,” Mike added, moving his arm around her affectionately and smiling down at her.

“Thanks, Dad,” Alex said, laughing lightly and pressing her hands to her cheeks that were flushed from all the attention.

And then, she was quite literally saved by the bell. The bell signaling that dinner was about to be served sounded out into the room, and formality took back over for the moment as everyone moved to take their seats at the long, ornate, immaculately set table.

“This is a far cry from family dinner back in Texas, no?” Alex murmured to her brother, who was seated to her right.

Matt chuckled and leaned in closer to her. “Think we’ll get Chicken Fried Steak for the main course?”

Alex pressed her fingers to her lips, smothering a giggle as a servant came around and began to pour wine in their glasses. She looked at it and then looked up, catching Harry’s amused gaze across the table. She would simply have to hope that no would notice that she wasn’t drinking from the glass, until it was time to make their announcement, of course.

The meal began in earnest very quickly, with the salads being brought out as the conversation around the table hummed out into the room. Alex could feel herself getting antsy; she had to stop herself from bouncing her knee under the table, afraid she was going to bounce it too high at some point and bash it right into the underside of the table. They had planned to wait until dessert was served before passing out the little gifts they had for everyone, and Alex was seriously wondering why they just hadn’t led with the news about her pregnancy when the servers started to come through from the kitchen with the plates containing the main course.

And she smelled it.

Her nose wrinkled up and pressed herself back in her chair, trying desperately not to be obvious. But Harry, ever attuned to his wife, immediately caught on when he saw her reaction at the same time as the plate was slid down in front of her.

Red meat. Steak to be exact. Something that was not on the list of foods that Alex was decently tolerating these days.

“Ahem, Dad?” Harry spoke up, seemingly nonchalant. “I thought chicken was on tonight’s menu.”

“We had trouble getting them in from the farm. Organic, you know,” Charles smiled proudly, nodding towards Donna, who was seated next to him. “But the beef was readily available. I wasn’t aware you had an aversion, Henry.”

Harry nearly snickered at the use of his real name; his father’s way of telling him to zip it and stop being rude. He took a quick glance at Alex, and seeing that her fingers were now pressed to her lips and the color was draining from her face, he only had one choice. Even if it was rude to do it right during the main course.

“Actually, before everyone starts...I’d like to say a few words,” Harry said, rising to his feet. “Alex, if you would join me?”

Alex’s eyes flashed wide for a moment and her cheeks flushed pink, but she stood, understanding that he was purposely pulling her away from the offending plate of food, even if it was disrupting dinner.

“Harry, what on earth are you doing?” William called out, amusement on his eyes at the confusion and irritation he saw on their father’s face. “Can’t this wait until after dinner?”

“No,” Harry said firmly, offering a smug smile to his brother as Alex came around the table to join them. “It can’t. I am very, very sorry to interrupt. And I can explain...but first...Emma, do you have the gifts?”

Emma perked up from her place in between Kate and Mike, a wide smile spreading across her face. “Yes. Do you want me to do them now?”

“Please,” Alex murmured, nodding as her smile pulled wider.

Emma grinned and moved from her chair, reaching under it to pull out a small bag. She pulled a small stack of plain envelopes from the bag and handed it half to Kate and half to Mike. “Can you please pass them down? They’re all the same.”

Both Kate and Mike, humored and curious about what was happening around them, agreed and the envelopes quickly made their way around the table.

“This is just a little bit of something,” Harry chuckled, looking down at Alex with a wide, kid-like grin. “To everyone at the table. The people we love the most.”

“Harry, this night is supposed to be in celebration of Alexandra,” Charles narrowed his eyes slightly at his son.

Harry laughed. “Believe me, Dad. It still is. Come on, open it.”

Charles lifted a brow and then slid his finger into the envelope, breaking the seal. The sound of ripping paper sounded out into the room and everyone else quickly followed suit. There would be no confusion on exactly what was happening once they all saw what was included in their envelopes: a picture of Harry and Emma followed by a plus sign, a picture of Alex with her hand over her belly, followed by an equal sign and finally, a number five; indicating the new size of their little family. Alex took a deep breath as that moment of silence hit; that brief moment between unknowing and knowing. The split second before the room was let in on the biggest secret that either Harry or Alex had ever kept.

Donna was the very first one to react; as Alex knew she would be. Her audible gasp of surprise and delight was followed nearly instantly by everyone else’s.

“You’re PREGNANT?!” Donna squeaked, tears rising to her eyes as she looked hopefully up at Alex from her chair.

“Oh Henry...” Charles murmured, emotion and delight immediately surging through him.

“Wait Mum!” Emma called out. She was looking at the card in Kate’s hands next to her, picking up on something that didn’t seem to be occurring to anyone else at the table. “MUM! This is wrong!”

“What’s wrong?” Alex smiled, even as everyone else stalled for the moment to glance back at their cards. “You’re not going to be a big sister?”

“No no no,” Emma shook her head and pointed at the card. “I am. But the card says _five_. There will only be _four_ once the baby is here.”

And then another gasp sounded out from the table; this time from Charlotte. She’d known Alex was pregnant, had been keeping the secret for nearly as long as the parents-to-be had. And just like Emma, it was the lack of shock that let it click in her brain. “Oh. My. God. _Five._  You’re having twins. Are you having TWINS?”

“No way…” Emma’s eyes flew wide and she stood straight out of her chair. “Mummy? Are...is there two babies?”

And suddenly Alex could keep silent no longer. She let out a breath, a wide grin broke out across her face, and a giggle fell from her lips as she nodded her head. “There _two_ babies. We’re having twins!”

And the room exploded into chaos.

The seats around the table were empty within half a second and Alex and Harry found themselves pulled into hugs and kisses, tearful congratulations, and humorously, into a round of rapid fire questions.

“I can’t believe it! Two!” Donna sighed “How far along are you?”

“Are you feeling alright? Everything okay so far?” Mike was quick to ask, checking up on his little girl as always.

“Do you know what kind yet? Fraternal or identical I mean,” Will asked after hugged his brother tight and clapping him on the back.

“When did you find out?” Molly asked with a grin, obviously delighted to be included in this moment.

“Does this mean we get to do up TWO baby rooms?” Emma asked, making everyone in the group laugh.

Alex laughed and swiped at her damp eyes, looking up at Harry and sharing a smile before turning back and attempting to answer some of the questions. “We found out I was pregnant about a month ago. I’m eight weeks along. I was having some pretty serious morning sickness so we went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago...and that’s how we found out that it was twins.”

Charles chuckled and shook his head. “I can’t believe Harry kept it to himself for an entire month that you two were expecting.”

“Well, I did blow it once...to Will. That Alex was pregnant, not the twins bit,” Harry chuckled. “And of course Emma knew she was going to be a big sister. And...Charlotte knew.”

“You knew?!” Matt turned wide eyes to his wife. “I can’t believe you!”

Charlotte smiled smugly and nudged him in the side. “Of course I knew. I know everything.”

“And...the doctor says they are going to be identical, though we don’t know what sex yet of course,” Alex continued, mentally ticking off the questions they’d been asked.

“Oooooh, I hope it’s girls,” William snickered.

“Of course you do,” Harry laughed and shook his head before turning to Emma. “And Em, sorry kiddo, they’ll still only be one baby room.”

“But two cribs, right?” she looked alarmed for a moment and Alex couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yes, two cribs,” she assured her adorable daughter.

“Okay, but most importantly,” Kate spoke up next, her trademark big smile on her face as she addressed Harry and Alex. “Are you happy?”

Alex and Harry turned to each other, sharing a warm smile and a look of love.

“Over the moon,” Alex said softly.

And there’s no way anyone could doubt that; their absolute bliss was written all over their faces. They were happy; about the babies and about the fact that they were finally able to share this amazing time with the people they loved the most.


	112. Chapter One Hundred and Twelve

**A/N: This is sort of a long one, _but_...I felt super inspired and motivated and I got wordy, which hasn’t happened to me in a long time. So I really, really hope you enjoy it and please, please let me know what you think!**

**One little note. I used a little real life inspiration from the media here, but changed a certain reporters name to something fictional. Just in case.**

**************

 

Harry’s eyes blinked open, startled awake by the woman crawling onto his lap and making herself right at home there.

“Alex...” he murmured, a sleepy smile moving across his stubbled face as he looked up at her. A halo of warm light surrounded her from the early morning sunlight streaming through the curtains behind her, and she wore a knowing smile on her lips. “Is this how we’re doing wake-up calls now? Because I have to say, I’m a fan of…”

“Shhh…”Her fingers moved to his lips, silencing his words. Her mouth curled up into a soft, sweet smile and she shook her head slowly. She pulled her fingers from his lips and reached for his hand. Her smile tipped a bit higher as she slid his hand down and pushed up under her t-shirt before pressing his warm fingers against her belly.

"Oh my…” Harry blinked. Emotion flashed across his face as realization washed over him, as his big, warm hand cupped the small bump under it. “Alex..."

“I would apologize for waking you up for this, but…”

“Don’t you dare apologize,” he shook his head and laughter fell from his lips. “Did you just... _find_ it? Is that the right word?”

She giggled and nodded. “I did. Just now.”

“Wow,” Harry grinned, his eyes crinkling up at the sides in that way she loved. His thumb swiped back and forth softly over her skin, over the small swell that hadn’t been there just the day before. “Can I see please?”

“Of course you can,” Alex said with soft laugh. She lifted up her t-shirt and, surprising Harry even further, she pulled it right over her head. She tossed it to the side and her smile was smug as she looked down on him.

“Damn Alex...” He groaned as his gaze traveled down over her slowly before landing on her stomach. And sure enough, it was there. His eyes fell over the outward curve of her stomach and he felt an unexpected lump rise in his throat. “It actually is just a little bump.”

“What did you think it was going to be?” She giggled, sighing as he reached out and smoothed his hands over it.

“I don’t know…” He laughed and shook his head. “I can’t believe there’s a bump already. It’s soon, right?”

“Well, generally women who’ve had a child or children already show more quickly than women who haven’t. And since it’s twins, they take up more space so…”

“Earlier bump,” Harry finished for her. He sat up slightly, tilting her back so that he could lean down and kiss the swell of her stomach. “Hi there babies. I'm your Daddy. I hope you're warm and snuggled up together in there.” His smiled turned softer and he kissed her stomach again. “Oh Alex…” His voice cracked and he looked up at her with wet, wide eyes

“Hey,” her brows drew together and her hands moved to his face, cupping his scruffy cheeks with soft fingers. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” He shook his head and chuckled. “Absolutely nothing is wrong. It’s just...ha. I’m such a sap.”

“Well, that’s true.” She smiled down at him her fingers slid up into his mess of red hair. “Tell me…”

“I told you a long time ago that I wanted to make your belly swell with my babies…”

“Ahhh…and now that you’re seeing my belly actually swell…”

“I get all choked up. See. A big ‘ol sap.”

“Come here, you giant sap,” she laughed, tugging on his hair to pull him. He went easily, sitting up, wrapping his arms around her, and finding her still smiling lips with his.

Her mouth was hot over his, parting his lips with her tongue and tightening her hands in his hair as she kissed him; hot and wet and deep. And then she let out this sound; this low, needy whimper of a moan as she arched her body into his.

“Alex…” he groaned in response. His hands moved up her sides, his thumbs brushing over the sides of her breasts. “We need to lock the door...”

“I already did,” she smirked, her eyes dancing as she reached for his t-shirt and pulled. His arms moved from around her only to let her pull the shirt over his head. She tossed it aside to join hers on the floor, and then she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her naked chest up against his, and tugged his mouth back to hers.

He groaned into her mouth, desire blasting through his veins as the way she was kissing him, at the way her hips had begun to rock over his. He could feel her desperation for him and god, he felt it for her too. His hands shifted between them, he cupped her breasts in his big, warm palms. His thumbs swiped over her nipples and she jumped slightly in his arms, squealing as he gently worked over the sensitive points.

“Damn it, Harry…” she moaned. Her hands tightened on his shoulders, surprising him as she pushed at him. His back landed on the plush mattress beneath them and she sat tall and proud above him.

“I can’t take it…” she breathed, the words coming out in a rush as her eyes flashed fire down at him. Her fingers moved to the band of his boxers and she yanked hard. He gave a groaning sort of chuckle as his cock sprang free and then he was leaning forward, his fingers moving to push at her panties, wanting them off of her as much as she had wanted his boxers off of him.

“You can’t take it?” he teased, even as his hands moved to her hips and he pulled her back over his lap.

“No...I can’t. You’re just so sexy and…” Her lips curled up into a smile as she looked down over him; those broad shoulders, the wide chest with the smattering of ginger hair that crossed it. His flat, toned stomach that was clenched in preparation for what was about to happen between them. The soft hair that started under his belly button and trailed that incredibly sexy line down to his cock; currently incredibly hard and standing at attention for her. She let out breathy moan and she reached for him, wrapping her hot little hand around him. He grunted and then groaned as she ran a firm stroke up his length. “I can’t take it Harry, I need you right now…” She moved over him, positioning him at her entrance. “I need you inside of me and...ohhhh…” She sank down at the same time as he thrust his hips up, unable to resist the call of her hot, wet, flesh over his.

He gritted his teeth as she took him all the way in and immediately began to move, wasting no time in chasing exactly what it was that she wanted from him. He groaned as he watched her move, his eyes traveling over her body. He loved to watch her like this; on top of him and taking her pleasure of his body. He loved to see the way her body reacted as they worked each other into a frenzy; the flush that spread over her chest, the tightening of her nipples as she got closer and closer, the way her skin began to glisten and become slick with perspiration.

“Christ...you’re so beautiful, Alexandra...” His hands slid over her, hot and urgent. Palming her breasts and pinching her nipples before sliding down over her stomach. His fingers curved gently on the small swell of her belly, savoring the feel of having that little bit more of her to touch and discover.

“Ohhhh...Harry…” she moaned out into the room. Her hands fell to his chest, her fingers clenching as she rode him harder, faster.

“God, it’s true…” Harry groaned, his hands moving to grip at his wife’s hips, his fingers make red marks in her fair, slick skin. Her eyes were heavy and dark, her cheeks were flushed bright pink, her hair was a wild mess around her shoulders, and suddenly he was so close to bursting under her that he could barely stand it.

“What’s...true?” she gasped.

“Pregnant woman...and sex...and…” He grunted as she changed tactics and began to rock back and forth, her hips nearly a blur as they moved over his. “Jesus Christ, Alex!”

“Ohhhh fuck…” she moaned. Her fingernails dug into his chest and she tossed her head back. “I’m...gonna...come…”

“Yes!” Harry encouraged, completely enthralled as he watched her chase her orgasm. “God, you feel so fucking good. Come on…”

She let out a low, growl of a moan at the same time that he felt the heavy pulses of her release begin, squeezing him tightly over and over again. Her eyes clenched shut and her legs shook with the intensity of it and it was so fucking sexy that Harry was lost. He groaned low in his throat, gripped her hips as his own arched up, and exploded inside of her.

“Fuck...fuck…” he shuddered his end, let out a harsh breath, and then his heavy eyes lifted to meet hers. “Jesus Alex…”

Her lips curved up into a smug smile and she took  deep breath as she sat up straight on him. “Enjoyed that, did you?”

“Like you didn’t?”

“Ha!” Her laughter filled the air around them. “You know that I did, Harry.”

He laughed along with her as she lifted herself from him and then collapsed on the bed next to him. “I could tell. Also, not a bad way to start the day.”

“Mhmm…” she smiled and turned her head to look at him. “Not at all. Though...we do have to get up. Emma will be up soon and we have things to do before we head over to Matt and Charlotte’s this afternoon.”

“We do have things to do...like Emma’s science project,” Harry said, turning humor filled eyes to his wife.

Alex laughed and rolled her eyes. “I forgot about that! I am so bad at science projects.”

“Even Fourth Year science projects?” Harry chuckled.

“Yes, even Fourth Year science projects,” she groaned and shook her head. “I used to con Matt into used doing all of mine for me.”

“Ha!” Harry’s shout of laughter filled the room. He leaned over and kissed her soundly on the lips. “I love you, you little con artist.”

She giggled and patted his stubbly cheek. “I love you too, Sussex. Very, very much.”

***********

“Boot! What are you doing?!”

Alex spun at the sound of her brother’s voice, but didn’t even bother looking guilty as he strode over to her, his eyes scanning frantically over his record collection on the shelves in front of her.

“Matt,” she drawled, as if she were addressing a small child. “This makes absolutely no sense.”

“Yes, it does,” he groaned, as he began pulling out records and putting back in the spots he’d had them, spots that Alex had apparently moved them from. “It makes sense to me.”

“It's not alphabetical. It's not by year. It's not by genre,” she waved an irritated hand at the shelves before her. “I can't _stand_ it.”

Matt rolled his eyes. “You don't have to stand it. These are my records and I like it the way it is.”

“What if Charlotte wants to listen to something? She'd never find it the way you have it.”

“Charlotte hates my music so it doesn't matter...what is _with_ you?!” He swatted at her hands, but he couldn’t help but chuckle as she giggled and tried to get around him. “Quit messing with my shit!”

“What in the world is going on in here?”

The Emerson siblings both spun around, nearly identical indignant looks flashing across their faces.

“Alex is being ridiculous,” Matt was the first to speak.

“No, you’re being ridiculous,” she countered, resisting the urge to turn and stick her tongue out at him.

Mike chuckled as he looked back and forth between the two of them. “Am I going to have to put someone in timeout?”

“She’s trying to be sneaky and rearrange all of my records,” Matt explained.

“Ahhh,” Mike nodded, his lips curling up into a knowing smile. “I’d say that you’d better get used to that, at least for the next seven months or so.”

“Ohhhh that’s right!” Matt groaned and shook his head. “I forgot about that.”

“Forgot about what?” Alex prodded, her nose scrunching up as she looked back and forth between her father and her brother.

“You got all obsessively hyper-organized when you were pregnant with Emma,” Matt laughed, watching as realization dawned on his sister. “I didn’t see it as much as Mom and Dad because there were here with you more than I was then, but I do remember that whenever they’d fly back from London, their suitcases would be meticulously packed. They would not only be organized by type of clothing, but by color as well.”

Alex pressed her fingers to her lips as she tried not to giggle at the description; however true that it may be. “There is nothing wrong with being organized.”

“I am organized!” Matt protested, turning to point at his shelves of records. “Before you came in here and mucked it all up, I knew where every single records was on that shelf.”

“If no one else can figure out your system, then it’s not organized,” Alex argued.

“Okay, okay,” Mike laughed as he stepped in, holding up his hands as he halted the revival of the argument his grown children were having. “As amusing as it is to watch the two of regress back to your high school years, I’m going to put an end to this. Alex, leave your brother’s records alone.”

“Fine,” Alex grumbled. She tossed a longing look at the shelf and then turned around with a huff. “I’m going to go find my husband then. He wouldn’t argue with me about how to arrange a bunch of silly records.”

“They’re not silly!” Matt’s outraged exclamation was met with a giggle from Alex as she strode from the room, confident she’d bested him with her last words.

The smirk was still on her face as she rounded the corner, peeking into Matt and Charlotte’s kitchen and looking for Harry. Her mother and Emma were seated at the kitchen table, playing an intense game of Go Fish and she stopped for a moment, smiling at the sight as she watched them. And then, intent on finding her husband, she turned quietly from the kitchen doorway. She continued down the hall and then halted, her ears perking up as she heard voices coming from Charlotte’s study at the end of the hall.

“You have to tell her.”

“Come on, Charlotte,” Alex heard Harry reply with a frustrated groan. “This is so stupid. It doesn’t even matter.”

“It will to her,” Charlotte pressed, a certain amount of sadness in her tone that sent a shiver of worry through Alex. “You don’t want her to hear this from an assistant or one of the PR staff or even worse, see it on the news. You need to be the one who shows this to her.”

“Show what to me?” Both Harry and Charlotte jumped in surprise at Alex’s words and both of their faces looked anxious as they turned to where she stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrows lifted as she waited for an answer. “Well?”

“Fine,” Harry sighed. He strode over to Charlotte’s desk and punched a button on the keyboard of Charlotte’s laptop.

“Jesus, don’t break it, Wales,” Charlotte said, earning a slight glare from Harry.

“Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Alex asked, exasperation and a little bit of worry clearly evident in her tone of voice.

“Come over here,” Harry answered, nodding his head for her to join him. “I’ll show you.”

Alex took a deep breath and joined him, feeling the teeniest bit reassured when he smiled gently at her as she moved in next to him. She turned and looked at the screen, blinking a few times as she realized what she was looking at.

“Twitter? Charlotte are you on Twitter?”

“Of course I watch social media,” Charlotte rolled her eyes.

“You’re on maternity leave,” Alex argued back.

“Okay. Let’s stay on track,” Charlotte said pointedly, though her amusement at Alex’s train of thought was evident on her face. “That’s Robert Porter’s Twitter. The Royal Correspondent for The Daily Express.”

Alex leaned in closer and squinted at the screen. The fleeting thought that she really needed to get some reading glasses crossed her mind as she focused on the words and then began to read.

“‘The Duchess of Sussex seems to be cashing in on her ‘traumatic experience’ from last summer to promote her own charity. Meanwhile her other ‘patronages’ seem unsupported by her…’”Alex stopped and straightened up, feeling the heat of embarrassment and anger rise in her cheeks. “What the fuck?!”

“Alex,” Charlotte stepped forward, sympathy showing in every corner of her face as she looked at her friend. “You know that this is bullshit, right?”

“Of course it’s bullshit! I’ve been working my ass off since January!” Alex exploded. “I’ve been puking my guts up every morning and still, I pull my shit together and go to work. And he’s a Royal Correspondent! He should know how charity visits work. I can’t just call and say I want to come visit and...”

“Love,” Harry interrupted in a low voice, laying a soothing hand on his wife’s back as he turned to look at her. “Please don’t take this personally.”

She turned her eyes to the screen again and shook her head, fighting the emotions that were rising fast to the surface. “How could I not? I mean, why would he come after me like this?”

“For a million reasons,” Charlotte said. “None of which have to do with you as a person and none of which are even remotely justified. He’s a reporter. He’s trying to drum up a story; trying get a rise out of people to sell papers and draw in readers. And he has a history of these negative comments…”

“But this is worse than just a negative comment,” Alex interrupted, her eyes dark as she turned her gaze to Charlotte. “And you know that. Or you wouldn’t have been insisting that Harry tell me right away.”

“Alex, listen…” Harry began.

“No, she’s right,” Charlotte interrupted with a quick nod at Alex. “You’re absolutely right. It’s not a scandal or a crisis and honestly, it’s a story that will probably fade in less than a week. But…”

“He’s crossed a line,” Alex finished, her eyes glancing down at the screen again before flickering over to her husband. “Didn’t he?”

“Yes,” Harry answered honestly. “He did.”

“But we can’t engage him or respond directly, can we?” Alex asked, looking back and forth between Harry and Charlotte. “It would open the door and set a precedent for other reporters to expect the palace to respond to stuff like this.”

“Exactly,” Harry said, sighing as rubbed at the back of his neck. He hated that he had to say that, that he was in a position where he was unable to step up in defense of his wife when there was absolutely nothing else he wanted to do more in that moment.

Alex’s lips tightened and her gaze held Harry’s for a long moment. Finally she let out a sigh, ran her hands through her hair, and then straightened her shoulders. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Harry’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “That’s it? Okay?”

“What do you want me to say, Harry?” Alex lifted her hands in the air and shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, I’m glad you told me because Charlotte was right, I wouldn’t have liked to hear it from anyone else. But obviously there’s nothing we can do about it right now, if ever, so I really don’t have anything else to say about it at the moment.”

“We will figure out something to do,” Charlotte spoke up, her voice firm and confident.

“Sure,” Alex smiled and nodded, though her voice didn’t contain quite the conviction that Charlotte’s did. “But for now, for tonight at least, let’s drop it. Okay?”

Harry smiled down at his wife and moved his hand to her shoulder, squeezing gently and with reassurance. “Of course. Whatever you want, love.”

And Alex tried to drop it. She really did. Through that night spent having dinner at Matt and Charlotte’s with her parents, through the time she spent playing with her adorable little nephew before they had to go home, and all the way through the ride home and the routine of putting Emma to bed, she tried to push it from her mind. But as hard as she tried, the words from the reporter’s tweet kept creeping back in and playing through her mind.

And the more she thought about it, the more what Robert Porter had said infuriated her. Sure, the press had come after her before. When she and Harry were dating, they’d always had plenty to say about her. They’d made jabs at her clothing choices, printed unflattering pictures, and made snide remarks about her being a single mother. But for the most part, she’d been able to handle those things with relatively little personal worry or angst over it. But the way Robert Palmer had  trashed the good she was trying to do, the way he trivialized her personal experience at the same time, it was incredibly demeaning - to her and to anyone else who had experienced trauma and then faced recovery.

She knew she could have talked to Harry about her increasing anger over it. He would understand; he was used to his charity work being sidelined for more salacious tabloid fare. But after a nearly sleepless night, she found herself seeking the confidence of another royal - one that hadn’t been born into this. One who’d had to learn, just like Alex, how to stop and think and figure out how to address these issue without a direct response.

“Alex!” Kate’s smile was bright as she pulled open the door to her Kensington Palace apartment. She had little Charlotte - now close to two months old - hoisted on her shoulder.

“Good afternoon,” Alex smiled wide in return as she stepped inside the door and let Kate close it behind her. “Thanks for not laughing me off the phone for asking to totally interrupt your day.”

“Please,” Kate laughed and, keeping Charlotte carefully tucked up against her shoulder, leaned in to kiss Alex’s cheeks in greeting. “I love that you called. Stepping out for lunch sounds amazing. I’m going to feed and burp Charlotte and then Maria will put her down for her nap and we can go. Is that okay?”

“That’s perfect,” Alex nodded. “Where’s Henry this morning?”

As if on cue, her adorable two-and-a-half year old nephew came zooming around the corner right then, his sweet little face lighting up when he saw that they had a visitor.

“Aunt Awek!” He dropped his toy truck and ran at full speed to her and she laughed as she caught him and swung him up into her arms.

“Henry!” she leaned in to kiss his chubby cheeks, making him giggle.

“You came to visit me?” He asked, his big brown eyes widening hopefully with his words.

“Yes of course,” Alex answered. “And your Mummy and your sister.”

“You can play trucks and ‘copters with me?” Henry asked, already clapping his hands together in excitement and immediately started squirming to get down, ready to get back to his toys.

“Ask Aunt Alex nicely, Henry,” Kate smiled at her son encouragingly. “Say please.”

“Please?” Henry dutifully stopped and turned back to look at Alex, a smile that already showed beginnings of the Windsor charm on his chubby little face.

“I would love to,” Alex smiled. “Show me the way, Henry.”

***********

“So tell me, Alex,” Kate smiled across the small table at her. “How are you feeling? How are the babies?”

Alex’s glanced around quickly, but the small restaurant in Notting Hill had taken care to seat them at a relatively private table and so far, no other lunch goers had been seated within fifteen feet of them. Assured that they could speak in relative comfort and privacy, she couldn’t help the wide smile that spread across her face. “Well, I’m still pretty nauseous in the mornings, but it’s manageable. But the doctors say that babies are really good so far.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to wait until the first trimester is over to announce?”

“We’re going to try,” Alex shrugged.. “We’re only three weeks out from that, but I’ve officially started to show as of yesterday morning…”

“No way!” Kate’s eyes went wide with surprise. “Well, you hide it well. I didn’t even notice. And nine weeks! That’s early.”

“It is early,but it’s my second pregnancy and it’s twins, so pretty soon it will be impossible to hide it.” She took a sip of her water and then took a deep breath, deciding to get right down to the point; the reason she had asked Kate to come to lunch with her. “Did you see the tweet? From Robert Porter?”

“Ugh. Yes,” Kate grimaced. “Harry called Will last night. Will showed it to me. I’m so sorry, Alex.”

“Yeah,” Alex sighed and sat back into the plush chair. “I have to admit. I’ve let it get to me more than I probably should. And...it’s the reason I wanted to come see you this afternoon.”

“Me?” Kate’s head tipped to the side, her eyes curious.

“Sure,” Alex gave her a small smile. “For the most part, I’ve always been able to shut out what’s written about me in the media. I’ve got better things to worry about usually.” She paused and shared a small laugh with Kate before continuing on. “But this one got to me. And Harry didn’t want to show it to me, which makes me think I’m not totally out of line for being upset. But…I suppose, what I wanted to know was your opinion on exactly what I should do about it.”

Kate looked a bit startled. “Well...I’m assuming that ignoring it isn’t the option we’re going for, here?”

“No,” Alex smiled over her the rim of her glass and then took another sip of water. “Is that what you would do though?”

“Well…it’s always the first reaction,” Kate answered honestly. “That’s what we’re taught, right? Keep Calm and Carry on.”

“Sure,” Alex smirked at the saying.

“But...you're right. His remark was nasty and totally demeaning to your causes,” Kate continued. Her lips pursed as she tossed a thought around for a few moments. “You know what would be really interesting...if we could make them write about our causes instead of ignoring them to create drama for their papers..."

Alex’s eyebrows lifted and she sat up straighter. “Do you have something particular in mind?”

Kate grinned. “You know, I think I just might.”

**********

Alex was grinning from ear to ear when she burst through the front door of their home later that afternoon. Gus was the first to greet her, his tail wagging rapidly back and forth as he butted his head into her leg, nearly panting his excitement to see her.

“Awww hello, Gus Gus,” she snickered, bending down to give his ears a quick scratch and a few pats on the back before standing back up straight. “Where’s your dad, Gus? And Emma?”

“Mummy! Where in here!” Emma’s voice called out from the direction of their living room. With Gus at her heels, Alex moved across the foyer and into the living room. Her smile widened at the sight she found. The coffee table had been pushed to the side, clearing a wide space on the floor where Harry and Emma sat with what seemed like a million art supplies and several poster boards spread out between them.

“What is going on here?” Alex giggled, her hands on her hips as she looked at the two of them.

“We’re doing the presentation for my science project, Mummy,” Emma grinned, waving her hand at the chaos on the floor.

“Yeah, couldn’t you tell, Mummy?” Harry added, winking up at her before his focus moved back to the piece of construction paper that he was running a gluestick over.

“Ahhh,” Alex nodded and stepped further in the room. She stepped around the mess and then sank down on the couch. Gus joined her instantly, flopping down and laying his head right in her lap. “How is it going?”

“Good,” Emma shrugged. “Dad isn’t so good at cutting straight lines, but he’s really good at gluing things.”

“Well sure,” Alex snickered, earning a playful glare from Harry.

“How was lunch with Kate?” Harry asked, setting down his part of the project for a moment and turning his focus to Alex.

“It was…” She smiled wide and then bit her lip. “It was really good, Harry.”

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to talk to her about that stupid tweet,” Alex shrugged, knowing that Harry had probably already figured that out but wanting to tell him anyway. When he nodded she sighed, mindlessly scratching Gus’s ears as she continued. “She gets so much shit…stuff,” she corrected her bad language with an apologetic glance towards Emma. “She gets so much stuff from the media herself when she tries to do good things...you know, they focus on her clothes or superficial things and don’t write about the causes she’s supporting. They do that to all of us but…” Alex smiled and shrugged. “Anyway, you know what I’m saying. She understands what it’s like to be in my shoes better than anyone. And I wanted to see what she thought about doing something other than just ignoring it.”

“Very smart,” Harry nodded encouragingly. “And what did she think of that?”

“We’re going to team up,” Alex said slowly, really hoping that Harry would approve of the plan. “Instead of trying to get the media to pay attention to the causes we’re supporting instead of trying to focus on the silly things are make up stories about us to sell paper, we’re going to...be the media for a day.”

Harry sat forward, his interest piqued. “How so?”

“We called Jason in the communications office and ran it by him and he made a few calls to some of the media outlets that haven’t been so…”

“Full of shit?” Harry said.

“Stuff!,” Emma corrected with a roll of her eyes.

“Sorry Em,” Harry chuckled. “Yes. Full of stuff.”

“Exactly,” Alex laughed. “We were surprised...but you know the Huffington Post?”

“Sure,” Harry nodded.

“They jumped at the chance. Jason got us on the phone with the editors and they want us - me and Kate - to guest edit for Huffington Post UK for a day during Mental Health week.”

“Alex!” Harry grinned, his face lighting up at her announcement. “That’s amazing! What will you be doing? Writing articles or…”

“We don’t have all the details firm yet, but the basic gist of it is that we will probably each write some form of editorial, highlighting the mental health causes we support and why we support them. The rest of the content we choose for the day will be articles from mental health experts, survivors, advocates. That’s the hope anyway.”

“Oh love…” Harry moved from the floor, leaning up to kiss Alex, pride shining from every corner of his face as he did so. “That’s wonderful.”

“Yeah?” Alex grinned back at him. “You approve?”

“Of course I do!” he nodded, kissing her again quickly. “I think you and Kate are going to do something fantastic there.”

“Good,” Alex sighed, relieved to be able to tell him and happy that he was so on board. “Kate is going to run it by Will too, but she thinks he’ll be all for it.”

“He will,” Harry nodded quickly. “He’ll love it.”

“I think so too,” Alex smiled. “Alright, so is there anything I can do to help with what you two have going on…” She trailed off as her phone rang out from her bag, startling a dozing Gus and making them all laugh. “Hold that thought,” she snickered as she pulled the phone from her bag. “It’s the KP office. Probably with questions about the Huffington Post thing.” She pressed the button to answer the call and then pulled the phone to her ear. “This is Alex.”

Her happy grin faded into a somewhat bemused smile as she listened to whomever was on the other line. “Of course,” she sighed shaking her head as her eyes turned up to the ceiling for a moment. “Alright. No...thank you for letting me know. Send them over and we’ll have a look at them and make a decision. Okay. I’ll call you back shortly, Robin.”

“Uh oh,” Harry drawled, watching her with questioning eyes as she hung up the call, but kept her eyes focused on her phone for a moment. “What was that about?”

“Well…” Alex took a deep breath as her phone pinged, whatever Robin had told her he was sending her obviously coming through. Her fingers moved over the screen as she continued on, “There were some photos snapped of Kate and I leaving the restaurant today. Apparently, the wind blew my shirt just the right way and…yep, there it is...” She held up the phone to show Harry what she was talking about. “They’ve got the bump.”

Harry sighed as he looked at the pictures. His face fell a bit and he shook his head as he scrolled through the pap pictures. “And I suppose, the speculation has begun?”

“Robin said the communications team has had at least ten calls from media outlets in the past hour,” Alex replied.

“People are starting to think you’re having babies?” Emma asked, leaning over to try and see what Harry was looking at.

“That’s exactly it,” Alex smiled at her daughter. “And now we have to decide whether to say that we are...or keep it a secret for a bit longer.”

“Ohhhh...” Emma drawled, her eyes wide as she looked up at her mother.

“What do you think we should do?” Alex turned to Harry, her shoulders lifting with the question.

“Ha...I don’t know, Alex,” he laughed and shook his head. “I mean, we could keep silent. It would only be for three more weeks. But every time you would go out in public…”

“The entire focus would be on my stomach,” Alex finished his thought. “And since we would be hiding it...it would look like we’re hiding it...which would only make the speculation more intense.” Alex took a deep breath, rolling her head to the side as she thought about it. “You know what? Let’s just confirm it.”

“Really?” Harry looked somewhat stunned. “You’re ready?”

“Yes,” Alex nodded, her voice firm and sure. “I don’t want to play a cat and mouse game with them about this. Let’s just...do it. We’ll confirm that we’re expecting twins in the fall. Let’s tell Robin to prepare a statement. We can put it out tomorrow.”

“Well, alright then,” Harry couldn’t help the smile that spread wide across his face. “I’m in. What about you, Emma? Are you in?”

“Yes, because this secret is _really_ hard to keep you know,” she sassed, her eyes pointed as she looked to her parents.

“Ha!” Harry laughed and clapped his hands together. “Alright then. We’re all in agreement. Shall I call Robin?”

“Go for it,” Alex giggled. She relaxed back into her chair, a little surprised at how very little nervousness she felt about the big news they were going to drop on the world.

“Robin,” Harry spoke into the phone. “Yes, we’re going to confirm. Can you have the press office prepare a statement and send it over to me, my father, and my grandmother for approval? If they give the go ahead, we’ll announce tomorrow morning.”


	113. Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen

**_A/N: I’m sorry for the wait! Packing to move has taken over my life :)_ **

**_Two things:_ **

**_1) I’ll cover more of the Lesotho stuff in part two of this chapter. Everything I wanted to cover would have made one chapter all together super long._ **

**_2) Please don’t be afraid to let me know what you think! I love hearing from you guys!_ **

**_Enjoy!_ **

***********

“Harry?”

He looked up, a smile pulling at his lips as he found his wife standing in the doorway of his office. She was dressed for bed, clad in an old, worn t-shirt of his, yoga pants, and a pair of warm wool socks on her feet. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms above his head, already mentally mentally abandoning anything else that needed responses for the night in favor of his wife and her adorable pajamas.

“Is Emma asleep?”

“Mhmmm,” she smiled and nodded and then pushed from the doorway, moving into the room and towards him. She rounded the ornate desk and then moved to sit on the edge, her legs dangling as she laughed softly. “Her and Gus. Out cold.”

Harry chuckled and reached for one of her wool clad feet, pulling it into his lap. His thumbs pushed gently into the sole of the foot, making Alex sigh in happiness. “That dog loves her.”

“Who doesn’t love her?” Alex countered with a smirk.

“Fair point,” Harry matched her smirk with his before it faded out to a more serious look. “Do you think...is it weird that it’s hard to imagine sometimes, loving two more children like I love her?”

Alex tipped her head to the side in thought. “Harry, I don’t think anyone doubts the capacity you have to love children…”

“No no,” he shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’ll love as many children as you give me. But do you think...do people love all of their children the same way? Or is there a different type of love that special for each of their children?”

“Oh wow…” Alex sucked in a breath. She flexed her toes in Harry’s fingers as she thought about it. “I don’t really know. Maybe...maybe the basics are the same, but you love each child for who they are too?”

“Maybe…” Harry smiled, his eyes holding hers and they both let the thought settle over them.

“What brought that thought on?” Alex asked softly.

“I was thinking of the announcement and feeling protective and...then my mind just started to wonder.”

“Protective?”

“Ha…” Harry shook his head and picked up Alex’s other foot. She shifted slightly on the desk, turning inward so he could pull both feet into his lap. “Maybe I’m a little sad that they won’t be just ours anymore.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “Do you not want to announce tomorrow? We don’t have to.”

“No, no,” he assured her with a smile. “I’m fine with it. I promise.”

“Okay…” Alex said slowly, watching him thoughtfully. “What about...what if we just announced a pregnancy? Not that we’re expecting twins?”

His forehead scrunched up and his fingers stalled momentarily on her feet. “Keep the twins a secret?”

“Well, for now,” she shrugged. “Keep them to ourselves bit longer maybe? Through the first trimester at least?”

Harry’s smile grew wider as the idea settled over him. “Emma’s going to hate having to keep that secret for longer.”

Alex giggled and stretched out a leg so she could poke Harry in the ribs with her big toe. “She’ll live.”

“She will,” Harry agreed, laughing as he blocked her attempt to poke him and then pinched her big toe in retribution. “I think that I like the idea of keeping the fact that it’s twins a secret for a bit longer.”

“You think?”

“I know,” he narrowed his eyes playfully. “I’ll call Robin in a little while.”

“A little while?” Alex’s eyebrows lifted and she glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s nine o’clock.”

“He’ll live,” Harry shrugged. As Alex giggled at his use of the same phrase she’d used moments before, his hands dropped her feet and moved to her hips, easily shifting her to the center of the desk, so that she sat directly in front of him. “But right now, there are more...pressing matters on my desk. Things that require my...full concentration”

“Oh really?” Alex’s smile turned smug as he stood from his chair. He pushed her legs apart and stepped between them. “Like what?”

His eyes danced as he leaned in closer. “You know damn well what.”

Her fingers curled into his shirt and she tugged him even closer. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

************

Even though there had been pictures of Alex’s supposed bump, even though the media had made requests from Kensington Palace for a statement, there wasn’t any of them who really expected any response to those requests.  Public speculation to the pictures had been somewhat mild and a little humorous at times, with social media postings chalking it up to a #FoodBaby and nothing more.

But the moment the confirmation tweet was posted at around noon on that chilly March day, the cautious speculation gave way to an explosion of astonishment and excitement on social media and on the streets of London.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce and they that they are to be parents once again. Princess Emma will become a big sister in October 2016.”

There was of course, those who immediately jumped on the way the tweet was worded, insisting that there was a reason that it was never explicitly said that the Duke and Duchess were expecting ‘a’ child, as it had been worded in both of Will and Kate’s pregnancy announcements. Some correctly insisted that Alex had to be pregnant with multiples and some even speculated on a surrogacy, though Kensington Palace was quick to confirm to the media outlets that the Duchess was pregnant herself; it was not a surrogate pregnancy.

No matter the murmurings of speculation though, one thing was for certain. People were thrilled with the news that Harry and Alex were expecting. The news of a new royal baby dominated the news for several days; with statements of delight at the news being issued by both members of Harry’s family and by Mike and Donna Emerson.

Though the intention had not been to keep the fact that they were expecting twins a secret for very long past the end of Alex’s first trimester, when that date came and went, they found themselves in no rush to make the additional announcement.  They were enjoying the support and excitement of the public, but also very much enjoying have this small secret to themselves, with only Emma, their immediate family, and certain key staff aware that there were two little Sussexes on the way.

Until then, they were busy with currently planned engagements and with actively making changes their upcoming schedule to account for Alex’s pregnancy. After a ton of consideration and deliberation, it was decided that the proposed tour of the States to take place in the summer was to be postponed. It had been scheduled to take place during the sixth month of her pregnancy, when it was still generally considered safe for pregnant women to fly, even Alex had to admit that the right thing to do was to be cautious and forgo a week of incredibly busy and potentially stressful travel across the states.

Additionally, the plan for Harry, Alex, and Emma to travel to Brazil in August as Ambassadors for Great Britain for the Summer Olympic games was altered; just Harry and Emma would be making that trip. Though she was sad to be missing it, she knew that Harry and Emma would still have a blast together, and she knew that would make staying home just a bit easier.

But even with all of the canceled and altered travel plans, there were a few things that were allowed to remain unchanged on the list of upcoming events for the Sussex family. And among them, there was one that perhaps the most anticipated, the one that Harry had looked forward to for years and years: the opening of the Mahamato Children’s Center.

Harry was finally going to get to show his girls the tiny little kingdom in southern Africa that held such an important place in his heart.

He was going to get to take them to Lesotho.

After consultation with Alex’s doctors, it was decided that it was safe for her to go. As long as she took proper precautions, it should be safe for her to fly and to spend several days in the tiny African nation.

**********

Watching Harry’s face as they stepped off of the airplane and into the warm, dry air at Lesotho’s Moshoeshoe International Airport was a moment that Alex would remember for the rest of her life. They had been together for years and up until that moment, she would have sworn that she knew every nuance of every expression that could possibly cross his handsome face.

But she was wrong.

It was as if some sort of piece of him that she hadn’t known was missing slid into place as he breathed in the air, as his gaze took in the mountains just beyond the small airport. The broad line of his shoulders eased just fractionally and a sense of comfort settled over his features as a slight breeze ruffled through his ginger hair. She watched him take a deep breath and then turn to her, grinning as he caught her observing him so intently.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she laughed softly and shook her head. “I’m just...incredibly glad Emma and I finally get to share this with you.”

As if on cue, Emma joined them, jumping off of the last step of the airplane stairs, barely holding onto the backpack over her shoulders as her feet hit the ground.

“You were right, Daddy,” she called out, excitement filling her voice as she adjusted her backpack and then skipped over to them. “It’s soooooo much warmer than it is at home. How long until we’re at Sentebale? Is it a long drive?”

“Once everything gets loaded up,” he nodded at the myriad of activity going on around them; their assistants giving directions and making sure bags were loaded into the correct cars, “It’ll only be about a thirty minute drive, kiddo.”

“Yay!” Emma clapped her hands together in excitement and danced on her feet, bringing laughter from her parents.

“Yay!” Harry echoed with a wink down at his daughter, before turning to Alex with lifted brows. “And how are you feeling? With the flight and everything?”

“Perfectly fine,” Alex smiled brightly, running a hand over her ever growing belly. “Your children are safe and sound with me.”

“Of that I have no doubt,” Harry grinned.

“Alright,” Mia called out as she stepped up to them, a heavy bag slung over her small shoulder and the trip itinerary firmly gripped in her hands. “We’re ready to load up. That’s your car right there.” She nodded towards a black SUV towards the back of the caravan of waiting cars. “Mark will drive you and the rest of the POs will be in the trailing cars. Robin and I will be in the car in front of you.”

“Thank you,” Alex smiled gratefully at her friend and assistant.

“And here,” Mia quickly reached around and produced a bottle from her bag. “Put this on. All of you. This sun is going to scorch all of you.”

Alex accepted the bottle of sunscreen with a laugh. “Yes ma’am. We’ll put it on in the car. Are we ready to load up?”

“Go ahead,” Mia confirmed. “We should be pulling out in about five minutes.”

True to Mia’s word, five minutes later the caravan of dark cars pulled from the airport and out onto the main road, which would take them nearly all the way up to the site of the new learning center that they would be officially opening the next day.

The excitement in the car had reached a fever pitch by the time that they pulled up to the gates of the small children’s village and were quickly waved through.

“Look!” Emma leaned over Harry, pointing out of the tinted window as they pulled to a stop in front of what looked to be the main building. “There’s people waiting for us!”

If possible, Harry’s smile pulled even wider. “There sure is. Quite a welcome committee. Look, there’s Seeiso and his wife, Princess Mabereng.”

Alex smiled to herself as she spotted Harry’s friend and his very regal wife waiting in the group of people waiting. She had met Seeiso and Mabereng at her and Harry’s wedding, but there had been just so many people to greet in so little time, and she hadn’t been able to spend as much time getting to know them as she had wanted to. That was one of the biggest parts of this trip that she was looking forward to.

“Are you ready?” Harry turned his smile to his wife and daughter as Mark stepped from the driver’s seat and moved to open the door to the backseat for them.

“Absolutely,” Alex said with a laugh, knowing that no one was more ready than Harry.

Cathy Ferrier, the Chief Executive Officer, was the first of the group to step forward to greet them. Having spent plenty of time sitting in on Sentebale meetings in London with Harry, Alex was more than familiar with Cathy, and liked her immensely.

“Seeiso!” Harry called out, greeting the co-founder of Sentebale and his friend with a handshake and then a back clapping hug. He leaned in to greet Princess Mabereng and kiss her cheeks before turning back to his girls. “You remember my wife, Alexandra, and my daughter, Emma?”

“Of course!” Seeiso’s smile was warm as he stepped forward, bowing his head formally to Alex before leaning in to kiss her cheeks. “We’re so pleased you’re finally getting to visit us.”

“Me too,” Alex smiled brightly, meeting Seeiso’s kind brown eyes. “And for such a wonderful event.”

Seeiso agreed quickly and then, after bringing forward Princess Mabereng to greet Alex as well, he turned towards Emma, leaning down a bit so that he was on her level. “It’s lovely to have you here, Princess Emma.”

“You can just call me Emma,” she giggled as he reached out to shake her little hand in his big one.

“And you can call me Seeiso,” he replied in kind. “Your dad told me that you were looking forward to playing with the kids. They’re very excited to meet you.”

“Daddy said that we might be able to play football with them,” Emma said, her face lighting up with anticipation.

Seeiso chuckled and threw an amused glance at Harry. “I think that can be arranged.”

“One of these days I’ll convince you to play too,” Harry joked with Seeiso.

“Don’t encourage him, Harry,” Princess Mabereng joked as well. “He’ll be complaining for days about his knees.”

“Yes, yes,” Seeiso sighed, rolling his eyes slightly at Harry’s shout of laughter. “On that note, why don’t we go inside and meet everyone before the press gets here.”

***************

“Tired, love?”

Alex nodded and relaxed into the plush bed with a sigh, stretching her legs out over the covers and leaning back against the myriad of pillows stacked against the headboard. After their afternoon spent getting to know the children at the center and those who worked there, they had reluctantly left to be taken to the Royal Palace, where they would be staying during their several days in Lesotho.

“I’m tired too, Mummy,” Emma said, her own weariness evident in her voice as she climbed onto the bed and flopped down onto it. Harry chuckled as he watched his wife’s eyes slide closed at the same time as Emma’s own eyes started to droop. He really should make Emma go get into her pajamas and climb into her own bed before she fell asleep, but the image before him was too sweet, and he couldn’t help but sit back on the couch in the room and watch them.

“We had a long day,” Alex murmured, forcing herself to peel her eyes open. She looked down at Emma before her exhausted gaze moved across the room to Harry. “But it was so adorable watching you two playing soccer with the kids. The fact that you played on separate teams made it even better.”

“It’s called football, Mummy,” Emma mumbled, her eyes still closed. “And my team won.”

Harry couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. “She knows what’s important.”

Alex’s soft giggle of agreement faded out as her eyes began to slide closed once again. Harry was watching her, knowing she was just on the edge of dreamland, when suddenly her eyes snapped back open, her hands went to her stomach, and a startled, “Oh!” flew from her lips. It was enough to startle Emma back awake and to have Harry moving from his chair in the blink of an eye.

“What is it?” Harry asked, his eyes wide as he strode towards the bed. “Are you okay?”

“HA! I’m okay!” She laughed, blinking a few times as shook her head. “I’m okay...I just...I felt a baby move.”

Harry halted in his tracks as his heart leapt in his chest. “Alex…really?”

“Can I feel?” Emma joined in, suddenly alert as she sat up on the bed.

Alex giggled as she looked from her stunned husband to her curious daughter. “Yes,” she answered her husband first. “And Emma, I don’t think you’ll be able to feel from the outside yet.”

“Can I still try?” Emma asked, her eyebrows lifting with her hopeful words.

“Sure,” Alex smiled. She lifted her shirt just enough to show her belly and then reached for Emma’s hand, placing it on her belly near where she had felt the movement. She grinned down at her daughter and then glanced up, laughing when she saw Harry still standing there, staring at her. “You can come over here you know, Sussex.”

The bed dipped down as Harry sat and joined them, slight wonder on his face as his hands moved to join Emma’s on Alex’s belly. He knew he wouldn’t be able to feel anything, but knowing that his wife was feeling them moving in there made him want to be as close as possible.

“What...what does it feel like?” Harry asked softly, his fingers warm against her stomach.

“Oh! It moved again,” Alex gasped and then smiled wider. “It feels sort of like...gas bubbles.”

“Ewww,” Emma’s cute little nose scrunched up. “Like you have to fart?”

“Don’t say fart,” Alex replied, biting her lip to hide a giggle. “And kind of, that’s what some women think it is at first. When I was pregnant with you, I felt it for a few days before I realized it was you and not what I had been eating for lunch.”

“Do you feel just one? Or do you feel both of them?” Harry asked, almost mesmerized as he spread his fingers out over her stomach.

“I don’t really know,” Alex shrugged. “I’m sure at some point I’ll be able to tell, but not quite yet. But whatever I’m feeling, whether it’s both or just one, they’re really going now. Maybe they feel the pressure from your hands.”

“Oh wow,” Emma giggled, adding her other hand into the pile on Alex’s stomach. Between her hands and Harry’s, they nearly covered the entire bump. “That’s so cool.”

“It is cool,” Harry agreed with a chuckle. His eyes lifted and he met his wife’s gaze for a long moment, the happiness and significance of this moment passing heavily between them. “And it’s not uncomfortable?”

“Not at all,” Alex shook her head and smiled wide, loving his concern. “It’s more of a tickle than…” She trailed off when a knock sounded out on their door, causing Harry to frown at the interruption of their moment.

“I’ll get it,” Harry sighed, reluctantly drawing his hands away from Alex as he stood from the bed. He strode towards the door and opened it, finding Robin standing there, still dressed from their day.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, sir,” Robin apologized with a slight smile. “There’s just some information that I wanted to go over for tomorrow with you. I didn’t get a chance to grab you or the Duchess while we were getting sorted to our rooms.”

“Ah, of course,” Harry nodded, doing his best to hide his disappointment. He glanced back to Alex, who gave him a sympathetic smile. He shrugged and then turned back around. “Shall we step into the parlor room, Robin?”

“Of course,” Robin nodded, catching the look between the Duke and Duchess. “It shouldn’t take more than just a few minutes.”

“I’ll be right back,” Harry turned an apologetic smile towards Alex and Emma, wishing more than anything that he didn’t have to leave them right then, even if it was for just a few minutes.

“We’ll be here,” Alex called back, watching him and Robin step into the parlor room next door to their bedroom and shut the door softly behind them.

“When do you think I’ll be able to feel them from the outside, Mummy?” Emma asked softly, drawing Alex’s attention back down to her adorable daughter.

“Probably not for a few weeks yet, Em.”

“And when do we find out if they’re boys or girls?”

“Mhmmm…” Alex’s smile twisted up at the thought and she moved her hands to cover Emma’s where they rested on her tummy. “We may find out as early as my next doctor’s appointment, which is in two weeks.”

“Really?!” Emma grinned wide up at her mother.

“Maybe,” Alex laughed. “Why? What are you hoping for? Brothers or sisters?”

“Wellllll,” Emma drawled, her little forehead scrunched up in thought. “I don’t think it really matters. I’ll still be the oldest and that means I’ll be the boss.”

“Ha!” Alex’s shoulders shook with laughter and then she relaxed back into her pillows. “Just don’t forget who’s the boss of _you_.”

“I knooooooow,” Emma giggled. “What do you think they are, Mummy? Boys or girls?”

“I’m not sure,” Alex smiled softly. “Part of me thinks they’re little boys, being that they’ve been so troublesome…”

“Troublesome?” Emma asked, looking slightly confused.

“Because I’ve been so sick in the mornings,” Alex clarified.

“Ohhhhh yeah.”

“But,” Alex continued, her hand moving to her stomach and smoothing out over it. “There’s another part of me that has a feeling they’re girls too. I suppose I wouldn’t be surprised either way.”

“What does Daddy want them to be?” Emma asked, just as a big yawn overtook her. “Boys or girls?”

Alex gave a big yawn of her own before answering, “I don’t think he minds either way. Just as long as they’re as adorable as you.”

Emma giggled and laid back on the bed, her sleepiness from before suddenly present again. “He does think I’m pretty adorable.”

Alex sighed and put an arm around her daughter, snuggling her close as her own eyes grew heavy again. “Yes, he absolutely does.”

***********

Harry was greeted with two sleeping girls when he stepped back into the room, though only about fifteen minutes had passed since he’d left them. With a smile, he moved over to them and lifted Alex’s arm from around Emma, so that he could pick up his daughter and carry her down to her room. Despite his attempts to be careful and not wake Alex, her eyes fluttered open anyway, smiling up at him when she saw him lift Emma into his arms.

“I’m going to tuck her in,” Harry whispered.

“Mhmmm…” Alex nodded as she sleepily went to slip under the covers she’d been on top of. “Everything okay with Robin?”

“Sure,” Harry nodded. “Just going over particulars for tomorrow. He wanted to remind us for the umpteenth time to drink the bottled water and not the tap water.”

“Of course…” Alex replied, a whisper of a laugh leaving her lips.

“Alright,” Harry smiled.  “Let me just go tuck her in and I’ll be right back.”

“Mhmmm,” she sighed sleepily, snuggling into her pillow.

He was quick to tuck Emma in, kissing her goodnight before moving back to his and Alex’s room, finding his wife fast asleep again. He shut off the lights in the room, stripped down to his boxers and t-shirt, and then pulled back the covers and slid into bed. He immediately reached for Alex, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her back against him. His hand moved down to the swell of her belly, his fingers spreading out over it as he nuzzled into her neck, sighing with contentment.

He was just drifting off to sleep when he felt her stir in his arms, felt her hands moved down to cover his on her belly.

“Harry?”

“Yes, love?”

“I feel them moving again. I think the babies like it here.”

He smiled at that and kissed the back of her neck. “And you? Do you like it here?”

“I love it, Harry. Thank you for letting me be the one who gets to see it with you.”

“Oh Alex,” he murmured, swallowing at the emotions that rose with her words. “I couldn't have imagined having anyone else by my side but you.”


	114. Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen

**A/N: I’m sorry for the incredibly long wait! I really hope this chapter makes up for it.**

**Oh, and full disclosure...Harry’s speech in here is mostly his actual speech from the opening of the Mamohato Center in Lesotho. With just a few tiny changes from me :)**

*******************

The snap and whir of cameras began the moment that Harry, Alex, and Emma stepped from the car that morning. The small media pack that had traveled to Lesotho for the Sentebale Mamohato Center was clearly as eager to focus on them as they were ready to focus on the opening; on all of the activities and events that had been planned for the day.

An official tour of the center had been planned first for all of the guests that had been invited to celebrate the opening - which included both international and local supporters of Sentebale. The tour was to be followed up by the official opening ceremony, which Harry would be speaking at, and then the day would be closed out with dinner, live music, and dancing. It was a busy day; but one that Harry, Alex, and Emma were ready to immerse themselves in.

It wasn’t until Harry found himself wearing pink sunglasses and laughing with Seeiso as his posed for some of the kids -- and their Polaroid cameras -- in a photography workshop that he realized just how immersed he had become. Glancing around, he was surprised to see that at least half of the press pack that had been following him had disappeared -- along with his wife and daughter.

“I believe I saw them wander down towards the library,” Seeiso remarked with a laugh, catching the look on Harry’s face.

“Of course they did,” Harry chuckled. He turned to say goodbye to the kids and then turned to follow Seeiso out of the room, turning back with a laugh at the last second to remove the pink sunglasses he’d forgotten were perched on his face. With one last smile and wave at the kids he stepped out of the room and followed along the short distance to the library. And when they reached it, when they rounded the corner and he caught sight of the scene before him, his heart nearly skidded to halt in his chest.

His wife sat on the floor, her legs crossed under her and a circle of children at rapt attention seated in front of her. She held a book in one hand that she was reading from out loud; a children’s book that Harry recognized very well, one that made him smile wide. Her other arm was curled around a small boy that sat in her lap. He couldn’t be more than two or three years old and was clearly taken with Alex; his head laid comfortably on her shoulder and his body was more or less curled around the bump of her belly as he listened to her read.

“And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance, you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on. But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are...”

Harry stood, mesmerized, as she continued to read. Her voice was in turn both soft and comforting and firm and uplifting, changing along with the lines of the poem. And he couldn’t help but notice Emma, sitting to her mother’s left, alternating between watching Alex read and following along on the words of the page with her. He knew that _Oh! The Places You Will Go_ was one of Emma’s favorites; him and Alex had both read it to her and read it with her countless times over the years. But still, there she sat, just as enraptured with the words as every other kid in that room.

“Today is your day!” She read, her eyes bright as they flashed up briefly to smile wide and encouraging at the children sitting in front of her. “Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way!”

The kids burst into delighted applause as she finished. Harry couldn’t help but join in, clapping along and letting out a soft whistle between his lips. She looked up at the sound, surprised to see him standing at the back of the room watching. Her cheeks flushed slightly pink as their gazes met for a moment, but then her attention was pulled back to the kids who were all busy either chatting or giggling with her and the other kids around them.

“She’s wonderful with them, yes?”

Harry turned to the voice next to him, smiling at the tall man who stood next to him; Tumisang Leduma, the Country Director for Sentebale in Lesotho.

“Which one?” Harry chuckled, nodding back at not only his wife, but at Emma, who was chatting animatedly with a girl who looked to be around her own age.

“Both, it would seem. You are a lucky man, Sir,” Tumisang replied with a wide smile.

“That I am. Incredibly lucky, Tumisang,” he said, his eyes staying focused on his wife and daughter as his smile deepened. “Now tell me, I believe I was told there were going to be around 200 kids here today for the workshops?”

“That’s right,” Tumisang replied, slipping back to seriousness. “But we hope to accommodate many more than that in the camps over time.”

“And are they all HIV positive?”

“Yes,” Tumisang nodded solemnly. “More than half of them have lost one or both parents to the disease or complications from it.”

Harry took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard statistics like that of course; one of the reasons for creating Sentebale was because of the high rate of HIV among these children, many of them who were born to parents who were living with or had died from the same disease. But it never failed to hit him to hear it; to look around and realize the giant burden placed upon these young, brilliant souls. And it never failed to give him a burning desire to keep up the promise he’d made to help as much as it possibly could.

“Excuse me, sir,” Tumisang was saying, drawing Harry from his thoughts to focus back on the man standing next to him. “I’m going to check on the other activities. Please let me know if you need anything.”

“Of course. Thank you, Tumisang,” Harry smiled and nodded. His eyes turned back to his wife and, seeing that the crowd of children before her had dissipated somewhat and that he wouldn’t be intruding on her moment, he began to make his way over to where she still sat on the floor with the little boy in her arms.

“Who have you got here?” He murmured as he knelt in behind Alex, looking over his shoulder and smiling down at the little boy snuggled into her.

“Oh! You know…” Alex smiled and laughed softly, her hand reaching out to pat the top of the little guy’s head gently. “He just climbed into my lap when I started reading. I’m afraid I haven’t gotten his name yet…”

“He is called Tumelo,” a small voice provided to the side of where Harry and Alex sat. They both turned to find a small, gangly little girl standing there, looking protectively at the boy in Alex’s arms.

“Tumelo,” Alex repeated, her voice soft. “And is Tumelo your...brother?”

“Yes,” the little girl nodded, still a bit shy.

“And what’s your name?” Alex prodded gently.

“Mosa,” she answered, finding her voice a little bit more each time she spoke.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mosa. I’m Alex and this is Harry,” Alex nodded towards Harry, who offered Mosa a smile and a small wave. “And I saw you talking to Emma earlier after the story. It’s one of her favorites; did you like it?”

Mosa’s face brightened a bit more, her wide eyes almost too big for her face. “Yes. It reminds me of a story our mother and father used to tell us before…”

Alex felt her breath catch in her throat, knowing without having to be told that Mosa and Tumelo’s parents were no longer with them.

“I’ll bet they told you really great stories,” Alex said softly, tilting her head and leaning a bit closer to Mosa.

Mosa nodded, going a bit shy and her bottom lip pulling into her teeth. “Yes…”

“Mosa! Oh...sorry!” Emma’s excitement as she bounced over to the little girl she’d been talking to earlier halted as she realized she’d interrupted something that seemed serious. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but Mosa asked me before what some of my other favorite stories were and I found some of them on the shelves and...”

“Can you help me read them?” Mosa asked, her face already completely brightening at the idea.

“Yes!” Emma nodded excitedly before turning to her parents. “Is that okay?”

“Yes, of course,” Harry replied with a smile that was full of fatherly pride. “Your mum or I will come get you when it’s time to go outside.”

“And if you’d like, Mosa,” Alex added, “I can watch Tumelo for you.” The little boy was nearly asleep in her arms; a solid, warm weight that she was honestly not ready to give up.

“He likes you,” Mosa noded with a slow smile. “He hasn’t hugged anyone but me since Mummy died.” And with that, Mosa turned to Emma and the two of them skipped away towards the stack of books that Emma had pulled from the shelves.

“Ohhhh my word,” Alex whispered, casting her eyes downward and shaking her head slightly as she swallowed at the lump in her throat.

Harry watched as Alex discreetly brushed a tear from the corner of one eye. The faint click of a camera told him that the exchange hadn’t gone unnoticed, and he secretly smiled at the thought of seeing that very picture of Alex pop up later.

“Do I need to get you a tissue, darling?” Harry asked, his voice low and sweet.

She sniffed and kissed the top of Tumelo’s head gently. “An entire box is more like it.”

**********

“It seems that Emma has made a new best friend.”

Alex smiled at Mia’s observation, shielding her eyes from the sun as she watched her daughter and Mosa kicking around a soccer ball, along with Harry and some of the other children, on the sports pitch behind the center.

“They haven’t left each other’s sides since the reading room earlier,” Alex agreed. “It’s wonderful. I’m so proud of her for just...jumping right in. Just like her father does.”

“So says the woman who spontaneously read a story to a room full of kids and _then_ followed it up by cuddling up that adorable little boy for well over an hour,” Mia remarked.

“Ah well, you have me there,” Alex laughed lightly. She squinted as she spotted Seeiso walking towards to field with what looked like a teenage boy next to him, his face shielded from the sun and her view by a white cloth hat with a brim that went all the way around. She watched Harry spotted Seeiso and the boy and immediately turned in their direction, his happy laugh floating towards her as he jogged over to greet them.

“Oh my gosh,” Alex grinned with realization. “That must be Mutsu.”

“The little boy that Harry’s known for years?” Mia asked, watching as Harry enveloped the boy into a tight, familiar hug.

“Yes,” Alex nodded quickly. “I’m going to go say hello. Will you come let us know when the ceremony is about to start?”

“Absolutely,” Mia replied.

Alex thanked her assistant and then she was quickly making her way across the grass. She slowed her pace as she approached, her heart softening and her smile pulling wide as she watched the reunion between her husband and Mutsu. She loved moments like this; these highly personal moments that meant so much to Harry. Even if it was true that there was cameras around to capture those moments for the public consumption, it didn’t matter to him. His focus was fully on Mutsu, drinking in everything the young teen was saying.

“I always love receiving your letters,” Harry was saying to Mutsu as she stepped up to them. “It’s so great of you to write to me and...ah! There she is…” He spotted Alex and turned towards her. His arm moved out to her, his hand moving to rest on her lower back as he pulled her into the conversation. “Mutsu, I’d like you to meet my wife, Alexandra. Alex, this is my very dear friend, Mutsu Potsane.”

“This is your Princess?” Mutsu asked, his smile slightly shy but wide as he looked from Harry to Alex and then back again.

“One of them, yes,” Harry grinned. “My other one -- our daughter, Emma -- is playing football with some of the kids.” He motioned towards the football pitch, where Emma’s blonde ponytail of curls was noticeable among the darker heads around her.

“It’s so very nice to finally meet you,” Alex said, feeling completely natural as she stepped in to hug Mutsu, just as Harry had done. “I’ve heard so much about you from Harry.”

Mutsu was visibly pleased by Alex’s words, and Harry laughed lightly as he reached over to rub the top of the teen’s head affectionately and then pull him in his side for another hug.

“Thank you, Ma’am,” Mutsu said, Harry’s infectious mirth making him laugh softly himself. “I am honored.”

Alex smiled wide. “As am I, Mutsu.”

**********

The official opening ceremony, which took place under a large tent in front of the new Mamohato center, was to be opened with a speech from Harry. Though Alex knew that speeches secretly unnerved Harry a bit, and that today was no exception, she couldn’t help but look forward to it herself. She loved watching him speak --  loved watching the passion and drive he had for his cause overtake his nerves and drive his point home to those watching.

“Eleven years ago I made my first visit to Lesotho, with the help of Prince Seeiso. As we traveled the country I was amazed by its raw beauty; but I was also struck by the many children I met whose lives had been shattered by the loss of a parent and in some cases both. I couldn’t believe that so many children had been robbed of their childhoods by extreme poverty and the ravages of HIV and AIDS. Behind those smiles it was clear they desperately needed care, attention and above all, love.” Harry paused in his speech for a moment, looking up and meeting Alex’s eyes in that way she loved, making her smile brightly, unable to help herself.

“Although our situations couldn’t have been more different, I felt an overwhelming connection to many of the children I met. They were far younger than me, and of course, their situation was a great deal more challenging than my own. Nonetheless, we shared a similar feeling of loss, having a loved one, in my case a parent, snatched away so suddenly. I, like them, knew there would always be a gaping hole that could never be filled. For so many of the children in Lesotho, that situation was compounded by the harsh environment and extreme poverty they faced. At the age of just eight or nine taking on the responsibility of caring for brothers and sisters there was simply no time for being a child any more.”

Alex’s breath caught in her chest, the moment that she and Harry had with Mosa and Tumelo earlier that morning fresh on her brain and in her heart. Though it had been her first experience with that situation, Harry’s speech indicated that it certainly hadn’t been his. It made her heart want to break all over again, but she took a deep, steadying, breath, and blinked back the emotion, focusing her attention back on what her husband was saying.

“....The theory of our Mamohato camp is simple – if children have the chance to share with each other how HIV affects them and how they cope with it in a safe and accepting environment, they will lead healthier, more well-adjusted lives. Through these camps, children learn about their condition and can then share this knowledge with their peers once they return home. In addition, sessions in hygiene, nutrition and anti-retroviral therapy, as well as HIV-focused games, sports, arts, crafts and drama all help to inform while boosting self-confidence. These activities improve the physical and emotional well being of the children and young people, helping to break down stigma, increase self-esteem, self-worth, adherence to anti-retroviral therapy and ultimately, life-expectancy. By giving children the tools to cope, we are empowering the youth of Lesotho to play their part in the future of this beautiful country.”

He continued the speech, going over figures and statistics and future goals for Sentebale and the Mamohato Center. And just as he prepared to finish up, just as he got to the last paragraph of his speech, he took a deep breath and looked up, once against catching the sight of his girls on the front row. Alex had a hand over her belly as she looked back up at him and the casual, light shift of her fingers told him that she was feeling the babies move right then. And beside her, Emma was watching him with the same wide, blue eyes as her mother, totally intent on what he was saying. He couldn’t help but grin before he looked back down, forgetting for a moment where he was in his speech but then picking it up back up, finding his rhythm again.

“I would like to end by thanking His Majesty The King for gifting Sentebale the land on which the centre is built and for his and The Queen’s continued support for our work. Thanks to all our donors and supporters for sharing in this vision – your help will transform the level of support and training we can provide across the region. I would like to thank my wife, Alexandra, for choosing to support this cause with me and believing in it just as passionately as I do. Thank you for wanting to experience this land, these people, and Sentebale; and for wanting to give this experience to our children as well. And finally to our partners and team on the ground, thank you, please keep doing what you do, wherever you are, as your work really does change lives.”

**********

Alex was amazed at the transformation that had taken place on the outdoor event space behind the Mamohato center in the short time since she’d gone inside to change for the dinner that night. When she stepped back outside, clad in her maxi dress, sandals, and a soft cardigan to keep her warm against the chilly night air, it looked completely different. Round tables had been set up and covered with white linens in preparation for the dinner. Tiki torches and the built in firepit that sat in the middle of the stone paved area had been set up and lit, casting a glow on everything as the sun set behind them. And at the front of the space, audio equipment was being setup in preparation for longtime Sentebale supporter -- and Harry’s close friend -- Joss Stone to perform later.

“You look beautiful…”

Alex turned at her husband’s voice, her smile pulling wide as he stepped up to her. He’d changed as well and was now wearing a blue suit with a white button down. The top button was undone, revealing a bit of tanned chest and making Alex kind of wish she could push him back inside and rip that shirt right off.

“Well thank you,” she smiled, pushing her primal urges back for the moment. “And you...well, you know how I feel about that suit.”

“I do,” he chuckled as he stepped up to her and then bent to kiss her. “How are you holding up? It’s been a long day so far.”

“It has,” Alex sighed, though the smile remained on her lips. “I’m a bit tired, but more than that...I’m _starving_. I _am_ eating for _three_.”

“Ha!” Harry’s shout of laughter filled the air around them and he shook his head. “Of course. Well, I do happen to know where we can snag a few hor d'oeuvres before they put them out for everyone.”

Alex grinned and took the arm he offered her. “Now you’re talking, Sussex.”

**********

“May I join you?”

Alex looked up, finding Joss Stone standing by her table with a bright smile and her eyebrows lifted in question.

“Of course, please!” She said, smiling in return and motioning to the chair that Harry had been occupying before he’d gone off to chat with a group of longtime donors. Joss grinned and slid into the chair and Alex turned towards her with a warm smile. “You were really wonderful up there earlier, Joss. I enjoyed it so much.”

“Thank you! I’m so glad you did,” Joss said, her smile widening. “And it’s really great to see you both. I don’t think I’ve seen either of you since the wedding. And that was what? Almost a year ago?”

“It’ll be a year next month,” Alex answered, blinking in slight surprise at her own words. “Wow, I don’t think I realized until just now that we’ve almost been married a year.”

Joss laughed lightly. “Went by fast, did it?”

“Incredibly fast,” Alex laughed along with her.

“He looks just as happy as the day he married you,” Joss observed, both of them looking over to where Harry stood, laughing loudly at something someone he was speaking to was saying.

“You think so?” Alex couldn’t help but grin as she turned to look back at Joss, enjoying the comfort her sweet, bubbly nature.

“Oh, absolutely. And you!” Joss exclaimed, pointing towards Alex’s stomach. “You look incredibly happy. One might say... _glowing_.”

“Ha! If you mean pregnancy glow,” Alex laughed and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m afraid that’s just a light sheen of sweat.”

Joss giggled and shook her head. “Absolutely not. You look radiant. Are you excited? How far along are you?”

“So excited I can barely stand it,” Alex sighed, her hands moving to rest on her belly. “We’ve got about another five months to go.”

“Oh my gosh. Can I?” She held her hands out towards Alex’s stomach, lifting her eyebrows in question.

“Oh sure!” Alex nodded quickly, reaching out to take one of Joss’s hands. “I doubt you can feel anything from the outside yet. But here…”

“Pregnant bellies are just the coolest thing,” Joss said softly as she pressed a hand over Alex’s stomach, making Alex laugh. “Is Harry just...beside himself?”

“You have absolutely no idea,” Alex sighed, her eyes hazing over slightly at just how over the moon Harry had been ever since she’d told him she was pregnant. “He loves being a father to Emma. And the fact that he’s going to be a dad again...he’s just…”

“Thrilled?”

“To put it mildly, yes,” Alex giggled.

Joss giggled along with her and then, after moving her hand from Alex’s stomach, sat back in her chair, watching as Alex’s gaze found Harry in the crowd once again. Everything about Alex softened as she watched her husband in his element; talking and working the room.

“I’m really glad you found you, Alex.”

Alex’s gaze swung back to Joss, her eyes widening with slight surprise.

“I’m sorry, I know that feels like it came out of nowhere,” Joss laughed slightly. “I just meant...well, if you couldn’t tell by my music, I’m a bit of a romantic. And watching you two together, the way you look at each other, I’m just so happy he was able to find a woman to have that with. You’ve just given him everything he’s ever wanted; everything he needed really.”

“Oh wow...Joss,” Alex fumbled for words to express exactly how much Joss’s sweet sentiments meant to her. “That’s an incredibly lovely thing to say…”

“Well,” Joss grinned and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s the truth. He was looking for something special, someone special. And he found it with you and I just wanted you to know how amazing I think that is. Thank you for giving him that.”

“Well, you know,” Alex smiled and took a deep breath, her eyes moving back to find her husband, who was walking towards them with a wide smile on his face. “I’d say you’re welcome, Joss. But the truth is...it was absolutely the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”

************

Alex was plain exhausted by the time they arrived back at their rooms. The entire ride back, she’d been fantasizing about climbing into her pajamas and then falling straight into their bed and passing out cold until they had to get up the next morning for their trip back to London.

But once they’d arrived, after they’d checked on a sleeping Emma, after she’d changed into her pajamas, she found that there was this tiny thought that kept dancing around the edge of her brain. And as she sat at the end of the bed and watched her husband at the dresser, shedding his clothes and his day, she tried to push the thought back; she tried to shake it out, telling herself that she was being ridiculous. But she’d never really held back when it came to Harry, and eventually, the words just end up spilling right out of her lips.

“Harry?”

“Yes, darling?” His voice was as tired as hers as he dropped his watch on the dresser.

“Did something ever happen between you and Joss?”

Harry spun around, surprise evident in every corner of his handsome face. “What?”

“I don’t mean since we’ve been together,” Alex clarified with a small smile. “I meant, before us. Did you two ever...hook up?”

“Alexandra, this is a completely bizarre thing to be asking me right before we go to _bed_.”

“I’m not trying to put you in a tight spot, I swear!” She held up her hand in front of her, punctuating her statement. “She just...when she was sitting with me at the table, she said some really lovely things to me.”

Harry lifted his brows and his lips curled up on one side. “Lovely things that made you think I’d slept with her?”

Alex rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head. “She said how she was so happy we’d found each other, how you needed someone who could give you the things you needed, who could live this life with you. And it just made me wonder…” She shrugged and her fingers fiddled a bit nervously together in front of her. “If maybe she was so grateful that you found that with me, because at some point...she couldn’t be that for you.”

“Ahhh…” Harry took a deep breath and then moved to sit on the end of the bed with his wife. “I want you to know, Alexandra, that had I ever slept with Joss, I would have told you. I would have never invited someone to our wedding that I’d had sex with and not told you about it.”

Alex smiled and let out a breath. “Smart man.”

“But…” he said slowly, turning to look at her. “That’s not to say that nothing ever happened.”

“Oh…” Alex murmured, her eyes widening slightly. “Was it physical or emotional or...both?”

“It was physical for all of about five minutes,” Harry assured her, looking slightly sheepish as he did. “No one has seen each other naked or anything like that. We just…”

“Made out?”

“This is really, really bizarre to discuss with you, I’ll have you know,” Harry groaned into a laugh, running his hands through his hair. “But yeah, pretty much. Though we both came to our senses before anything else could...um, happen.”

Alex couldn’t help but snicker softly. “I’m not going to fly into a jealous rage, Harry. I get it.”

He laughed and put his arm around her, pulling her into his side and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I just don’t want you to think that I wished she could have been what I wanted. Or that she wished for that either.  She wanted those things for me because she’s a dear friend, not because she felt bad that she wasn’t those things.”

Alex smiled softly as she settled into his chest, into his warmth. “I don’t think that. And just so you know...I like her very much, Harry. I think she’s wonderful. I’m very glad she’s been a good friend to you.”

“Did anyone ever tell you that you are an incredibly understanding person?” he asked as he pressed another kiss to her head.

“Yes,” Alex sighed, making Harry’s chest rumble with laughter under her cheek.

“Besides,” Harry continued, his voice drifting softer, deeper. “I met you really shortly after that happened with Joss. And you know what?”

“Hmmm?” Alex murmured, snuggling deeper into his chest.

“She’s one hundred percent right. You’re everything I could have ever wanted and needed and God, Alex...so much more than I could have ever dreamed of.”

“Mhmmm...right back at ya, Sussex,” Alex replied and then tried but failed to stifle a giant yawn. “Speaking of dreaming…”

Harry laughed softly and hugged her tight. “Come on, love...let’s get into bed. We’ve got a busy travel day tomorrow and you’re _are_ sleeping for _three_.”

Alex happily climbed back onto the bed and slipped under the covers with Harry; curling right up into his side. And they were both asleep within moments; wrapped up in each other and the quiet African night outside of their windows.


	115. Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen

_A/N: Okay. A couple things._

_First, I seem to have found my writing ability again, which is great! Except I got super wordy with this chapter and it’s REALLY long. Like well over 20 pages. So after some great feedback from my lovely readers, I decided to split it and not dump so much on you at once. Second, I promised to reveal the gender of the twins in this chapter. And technically...I do. But in part two of this chapter. I’m so sorry, that’s just the way it worked out. But you WILL get it tomorrow. So that’s something to look forward to!_

_And always, I love hearing what you think of the chapter and look forward very much to hearing feedback from you guys! Enjoy! :)_

************

While Winter hadn’t quite let go of it’s hold of London by the time they returned from their trip to Lesotho, it seemed as if was trying to. The temperatures ticked slowly upward, though the sheer amount of rain they were receiving made it feel if Spring wasn’t quite ready to make it’s appearance. If the old saying that ‘April showers bring May flowers’ had any truth at all to it, then they were certainly looking forward to a blooming May.

They were as busy as always upon their return.  Meetings, engagements, and personal events filled up the calendar. And on top of those things, the Kensington Palace apartment renovation was nearly complete; requiring quite a few final approvals from Harry and Alex in the final weeks before they would be able to move in.

Emma’s tenth birthday was celebrated in the middle of April. The birthday girl wanted to have a sleepover that year and of course, her wish was granted. Alex recruited Charlotte and Kate to help, kicked Harry out of their temporary apartment at Clarence House for the night so that they could host ten of Emma’s friends (including Harry’s cousin, Lady Louise) in what turned out to be an epically fun night for all. And despite the fact that neither Harry or Alex could quite believe that their little girl was _ten years old_ already, they were so glad that she was able to celebrate it in a way that she had enjoyed so much.

The rest of the month would be filled with more work and more preparing for their move. Alex’s next doctor’s visit was scheduled during the last week of the month -- just after Harry was to due return from a three day trip official trip to Scotland, where he was carrying out engagements with his Charles and William. Alex and Emma stayed behind in London, giving them a chance to attend some engagements of their own, including one that Alex was incredibly excited about -- the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She hadn’t been since she’d going back to work after the ordeal with with Patrick the fall before, and she simply couldn’t wait. With Emma coming along (and also Gus, who was an RSPCA dog himself), it promised to be an eventful day.

And it turned out to be just that -- though not at all in the way she’d expected.

**********

“Coming! Don’t hang up!” Alex called out, rushing from inside her closet to grab the phone ringing on the dresser. Harry’s ringtone continued to sing out until she snatched up the phone, letting out a puff of breath as she pulled the phone to her ear.

“Harry...”

“Hello my darling,” Harry murmured, his smile tugging up at the corners at the sound of her voice. “You sound out of breath. Everything okay?”

“I just got out of the shower and was putting on my comfy clothes,” Alex sighed, holding the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she tied back her long blonde curls. “We just got back a bit ago from the RSPCA. We were a mess...mud _everywhere_.”

Harry chuckled. “I know. I saw.”

“Huh? Ohhhh. The pictures,” Alex giggled, still not quite used to the fact that pictures were published only moments after events happened.

“And video. Have you watched it yet?”

Alex thought she caught a slight hesitation in his voice with the question; like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer to that. Her nose scrunched up as she answered, “No...why?”

Harry sighed. “I’m sure Robin will be calling you soon; if Charlotte doesn’t get wind of it from home first. I know she monitors this stuff even if she’s still on maternity leave and…”

“Harry,” Alex interrupted with a nervous laugh. “You’re rambling. And you’re making me anxious. Why should I watch the video?”

“Sorry,” he winced. “I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal; at least not to me. They caught some audio of Emma speaking to one of the people you were working with today. They lady asked Emma if she was excited to be a big sister.”

Alex’s forehead scrunched in confusion. “Yeah?”

“And Emma said that she was excited of course, and that she couldn’t wait until you had the _babies_.”

“Ohhhhhhh…” Alex took a deep breath, understanding washing over her. “Are you sure? That she said _babies_?”

“Pull up the video for yourself,” Harry suggested. “I’ll email you the link real quick. Are you near a computer?”

“I have my iPad,” Alex said. “Hang on, let me pull it up.”

She opened up her email and clicked on the link Harry sent, waiting as it loaded. She couldn’t help but laugh and roll her eyes when it finally did.

“Really Harry? A tweet?”

“It’s from a royal reporter,” Harry laughed, shrugging his shoulders. “They picked it up right away.”

“ _Twins?!_ ” Alex read out from the tweet. “ _Princess Emma appears to say, ‘I can’t wait until Mummy has the BABIES,’ during engagement today with Duchess of Sussex at the RSPCA. Requests for a comment from Kensington Palace have yet to be returned._ ”

“Click on the video link at the end of the tweet,” Harry instructed. And sure enough, there was her daughter, looking adorable in her mud splattered clothes with a wiggling puppy in her arms, saying she couldn’t wait until Alex had the babies.

Emma had slipped. And the whole world could hear it as clear as day.

“Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag, so to speak,” Alex sighed.

“We were going to announce it eventually, love.”

“No, I know. But I feel bad that Emma slipped though. I mean, you’re right, it’s not a big deal. If there was going to be a slip though, I’d rather it have been you or I that took that on.”

“Sure,” Harry agreed softly. “You think she’ll be okay? I don’t want her to feel bad about it; though we’re going to have to tell her.”

“It won’t be anything a bowl of Blue Bell can’t fix,” Alex assured him, making him chuckle on the other end of the line. “Does your father know?”

“Of course. He laughed and just suggested we go ahead and put out a statement. You know how he adores her, even if she had come out and said, ‘My mum is having twins’ he would have still thought it was beyond adorable.”

“Sure,” Alex laughed.

“So, what do you think?” Harry asked, his voice growing a bit more serious. “Do you think we should go ahead and put out a statement then confirming it?”

Alex took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, wishing that he could physically be there with her. His presence was always so calming to her. And announcing that they were having twins had made her nervous from the start; just knowing the hysteria that would most likely erupt from it.

“Let’s do it, Harry,” she finally said, her voice firm and sure and making ache to be able to pull her in his arms right then.

“Alright then,” he said, and Alex could almost _hear_ the grin in his voice. “I’ll go ahead and call Robin. They’ll probably want to go ahead and put it out tonight. Is that okay?”

“Sure,” Alex replied softly. “I’ll go tell Emma right now. Want to stay on the phone while I do?”

“I would love to, but I’ve got to be running out of the door in like two minutes. We’ve got a dinner this evening.”

“I’ll have her call you before bed then,” Alex murmured before letting out a soft sigh. “I wish you could have been there today, Harry.”

“Ahhhh me too, love,” Harry murmured, his own smile deepening on the other end.

“How is Scotland?” She asked with a soft sigh.

“Scotland is fucking cold,” he joked, making Alex giggle on the other end. “Seriously, three days here, doing these engagements outdoors with my father and my brother...London is going to seem like the tropics when we get back. And I miss _both_ of you so much, Alex. I hate being away for even a day, much less three.”

“I miss you too,” she murmured, relaxing back into a chair and tucking her legs up under her. “I mean, we both miss you...but…” She sighed softly; in a way that made him ache to be with her in more than one way. “I _really_ miss you, Wales.”

“Mhmm…” Harry sighed along with her, his eyes closing at he leaned his head back on the headboard of the bed in his hotel room. “Well, I’ll be home in a couple days. You can show me just how much you missed me then.”

“You’re on,” Alex giggled.

“Deal,” he grinned. “Alright darling, I’ve got to call Robin and let our lives take over his evening. And then I’ve got to go to dinner.”

Alex laughed. “Poor guy. I’ll have Emma call you in a bit to say goodnight. I love you, Henry Charles.”

“And I love you, baby,” he murmured, his voice dropping low and deep. “Talk to you in a bit.”

Alex’s took a deep breath as the call disconnected and she pulled her phone away from her ear, fighting back a crazy surge of emotion and tears that she absolutely would blame on the pregnancy if anyone were there to witness it. She simply hated the nights that they were forced to be apart. She hated that he couldn’t be there with her while they announced this big news to the world; though in reality she knew it really wouldn’t make anything better or worse that he wasn’t.

“Alright, Alexandra, pull yourself together,” she laughed. She stood from the big, comfy chair in their room that she had been sitting in and rolled her eyes at herself. She shook off her momentary melancholy, slipped her phone into her back pocket, and then went off in search of her daughter.

**********

She found Emma in her bedroom, already clad in pajamas, but seated at her small desk, her legs tucked up underneath her in her chair and Gus sleeping dutifully on the floor next to her.

“Whatcha doin’, Em?”

Emma jumped a little, slightly startled, and then giggled as she looked over at her mother standing in her doorway. “Working on my maths assignment that’s due Monday.”

“Ahhh. I’m sorry you had to miss school today.” Alex felt a twinge of guilt for interrupting Emma doing her schoolwork, especially as it was work she was doing as a result of going to the engagement that day. But she took a deep breath and pushed it back, knowing she had to let Emma in on what was happening before she caught wind of it some other way; like the internet.

“It’s okay,” Emma shrugged. “I had fun. And the makeup work isn’t hard at all.”

“I’m glad you had fun,” Alex smiled and moved into the room, sitting down on the bed. Emma turned in her chair to face her mother.

“I really did!” Emma said excitedly. “And Gus did too.”

“Mhmmm,” Alex nodded, reaching down to scratch Gus behind his ears. “Hey Em, do you remember at the RSPCA today being asked if you were excited to be a big sister?”

“Yeah,” Emma nodded. “The main lady...Miss Martha? She asked me. I told her I couldn’t wait to be a big sister.”

“Well actually, baby...you said that you couldn’t wait until I had the _babies_ ,” Alex said with a gentle smile and a lift of her eyebrows.

Emma blinked as realization washed over her. “Oh. Did...did people notice?”

“Little bit,” Alex nodded.

“Oh noooo,” Emma whispered.

“It’s okay,” Alex reached out a hand and tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her daughter’s ear, trying to reassure her that she wasn’t in trouble. “I just wanted you to know that it was caught on video before you happened to see it online somewhere. And that we’re having to put out an announcement about me having twins a little early to answer all of the questions people have about it.”

“Because I messed up?” Emma asked, her cheeks flushing pink with what Alex was sure was embarrassment.

“Oh honey, you didn’t mess up. You--”

“Yes I did,” Emma interrupted, her voice higher than normal.

“You’re _not_ in trouble, Em,” Alex tried. “You don’t need to get upset.”

“But it’s my fault!” Emma cried, tears welling up in her big blue eyes. “I was supposed to keep it a secret and I didn't!”

Alex tilted her head to the side, confusion flashing across her face. “Emma, why are you so upset?”

“Because everyone will think I didn't do my job!” Emma yelled as she stood from her chair, her body obviously full of tension. “Everyone will think…everyone…will think I’m a bad royal and...” Her face crumbled as she tried to get the sentence out and then, unable articulate her thoughts over her rapidly building frustration, she burst into tears, slammed down her book, and ran from the room, leaving a stunned Alex in her wake.

***********

Alex had waited a few minutes before going to find Emma; wanting to give her daughter a moment before she delved into what had happened in Emma’s bedroom. She hadn’t expected her daughter to react like she had at all. Like Alex, Emma leaned towards being more level-headed; understanding that things happen and finding a way to either brush it off or deal with it positively.

When she did finally go after her daughter, it wasn’t hard to find her. She was in Harry’s office, flopped onto the soft leather couch in there, her head buried in her arms as she cried.

“Oh Em,” Alex sighed, hating to see Emma so upset. She moved to the couch, slid in next to her daughter, and pulled her into her arms. “My darling girl...” she soothed, her hand smoothing over Emma’s hair and she hugged her tighter. “Baby, why are you so upset?”

“I told you, Mum,” Emma mumbled into Alex’s shoulder. “I messed up.”

“Emma, people mess up,” Alex squeezed her arms around her daughter and looked down at her. “I really didn’t think you would feel so bad about letting it slip about the twins. I never wanted you to feel bad.”

“But...but...it’s my job,” Emma hiccuped. She pulled back and sat up, sniffing and wiping the back of her hand across her nose.

“It is not your job,” Alex said, her voice firm as she reached for a tissue from the low table in front of the couch and handed it to Emma. “You’re ten years old, baby. Your job is to be a kid. Nobody expects more than that.”

“Everybody expects that Mum!” Emma replied, her voice cracking and tears threatening to fall again. Alex felt a lump form of emotion form in her throat as she slowly began to realize what was going on in her daughter’s head.

“Honey, do you think that me or Harry expect you to be perfect all of the time?”

“Well…”

“We don’t,” Alex shook her head. She bent down so she was on eye-level with Emma, her hands moving to smooth the blonde curls back from her little girl’s tear stained face. “Of course we don’t. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Emma Rose, you are an amazingly well-behaved kiddo, you always have been. I’ve never worried about you being able to make a mistake and learn from it. But I am worried that you think everyone is concerned about you messing up...and I’m worried about who exactly you think everyone is.”

“ _Everyone_ ,” Emma said, stressing the word as she threw her arms wide. “You know, like... _everyone_.”

Alex sat back a little. “The public?”

Emma chewed her lip harder as she nodded. “Yeah.”

“Oh bug,” Alex’s breath caught on the nickname that her daughter had been called since she was little. “I’m so sorry that you think that. I’m so sorry that you’re worried about that. That is absolutely the last thing that I want. Emma, darling, you haven’t always been worried about this. What changed?”

“A lot changed, Mum,” Emma mumbled, swiping at her wet eyes. “Since you married Daddy a lot has changed. He got in that accident and then crazy Patrick tried…” A sob slipped from her lips and she shook her head, still unable to think about that whole time without being upset. “And now I’m going to be a big sister to two babies and I’ve always wanted to be a big sister but I…” She sniffed and took another tissue that her mother offered. “I don’t know, Mummy...I had to keep the secret when you found out about the baby and now I have to keep the secret that there’s two babies and there’s just always someone reminding me about the responsibility of being a big sister and...it’s starting to feel not fun anymore...” 

**To be continued...**


	116. Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen

_A/N: As promised, here is part two of the chapter! And a little earlier than I planned to put it out. Enjoy!_

_***************_

“A lot changed, Mum,” Emma mumbled, swiping at her wet eyes. “Since you married Daddy a lot has changed. He got in that accident and then crazy Patrick tried…” A sob slipped from her lips and she shook her head, still unable to think about that whole time without being upset. “And now I’m going to be a big sister to two babies and I’ve always wanted to be a big sister but I…” She sniffed and took another tissue that her mother offered. “I don’t know, Mummy...I had to keep the secret when you found out about the baby and now I have to keep the secret that there’s two babies and there’s just always someone reminding me about the responsibility of being a big sister and...it’s starting to feel not fun anymore...” 

Alex brushed at the tears that rolled from her eyes as the words spilled from Emma’s mouth, her own emotions bubbling up fast and furious at the realization that her daughter was feeling this way. How had she not noticed that Emma was feeling this way? She’d always been so attuned to her daughter’s feelings; never hesitating to stop everything else to assure that Emma was doing okay. **  
**

“Emma, I’m so, so sorry,” Alex whispered, her fingers moving to cup Emma’s face, so much like her own, with those big blue eyes staring back up at her.

“It’s not your fault, Mummy…”

“Yes it is,” Alex insisted, nodding her head slowly. “Me and Harry...we should have made sure you were dealing with everything. You’ve always been so easygoing that I think we both took it for granted that you were. Especially since the past year has been so incredibly beyond normal for you. Harry would think the same thing if he were here.”

“I don’t want him to think I can’t be a good princess, Mummy,” Emma’s voice wavered again, a new flare of worry sparking up inside of her.

“He would never, ever think that,” Alex said firmly.

“But what if Gran or Grandpa Charles or Granny Camilla thinks it?” Emma cried, the near calm from moments before evaporating into a fresh wave of tears. “Or Uncle Will or…”

Alex shook her head, hating everything about how much Emma was being affected by this. “No one…”

“But what if they do?!”

“Emma...I…” Alex stuttered the words out, trying to figure out the best way to assure her daughter that no one was worried about that. She pressed her lips together as thoughts ran through her head, as she tried to figure out a way to make Emma understand.

But the reality is that as much as Alex knew with her whole heart that not a single senior member of the Royal Family was concerned about Emma or the role she played in the family, as much as she could try to assure Emma of that until she was blue in the face, there were only a handful of people who could really give Emma the perspective she needed to put these fears to rest.

“I think…” Alex finally said, the words coming out as she exhaled a deep breath. “I think that right now, what you really need is to talk to your Daddy about this.”

“You want to call him?” Emma rubbed at her red, swollen eyes.

“No,” Alex shook her head. She leaned in and kissed Emma’s forehead and then pulled back and smiled down at her. “I want us to go see him.”

“What?” Emma’s eyes went wide. “But he’s…”

“In Scotland,” Alex nodded, her smile pulling high. “For two more days. Want to go?”

“To Scotland?!” An adorable look of surprise, slight confusion, and a flash of excitement crossed across Emma’s face. “When? Tomorrow?”

“No way. Tonight,” Alex answered.

“Mummy!” Emma exclaimed, her fingers flying up to her lips, pressing against them as if that would keep the building excitement in. “Really?!”

“Absolutely,” Alex grinned, already reaching for her phone to dial Harry. Though she already knew that he would be all for it. “Want to?”

***********

The terminal was nearly empty and mostly quiet when they finally exited the train in Edinburgh just past midnight, the last of the passengers to do so. There hadn’t been many people on the train and the ones that were simply hadn’t noticed her or Emma tucked up into their seats in the back corner. After all, who would have expected them to be there? And whether it be from fatigue or simply from hurry to get out of the station and off to homes and their families, not a single one of them noticed the tall man in the baseball cap standing off to the side as he waited for his family. They moved right past the waiting prince, walking fast as they hauled their bags from the station and out into the cold night, their final destinations in sight. But Alex spotted him right away. To her he would stand out anywhere; even with a baseball cap shielding his telltale red hair. Their eyes met and her heart swelled and even though she was exhausted, a wide grin spread over her face as he began to stride towards them.

“There he is, Em,” Alex murmured to Emma, squeezing her daughter’s hand and nodding in Harry’s direction.

Emma’s tired eyes brightened instantly and before she knew it, Harry was there and scooping up his daughter into his waiting arms, lifting her feet from the floor as he picked her up and hugged her tightly to him.

“Hi Daddy,” she whispered into his neck as she hugged him back.

“Hello, my darling girl,” Harry chuckled softly, squeezing her tight. He turned to kiss her cheek before shifting his gaze to Alex. Keeping Emma held tight to him with one arm, he opened his other to Alex. She stepped into him with a sigh and a smile, enjoying being able to nuzzle her daughter and her husband close for the moment.

The sound of a clearing throat pulled them from their moment and Harry couldn’t help but smirk as he looked up to see Mark, obviously wanting to move them from public eye before anyone caught on just who was having a family moment in the middle of the train station terminal.

“Alright,” Harry murmured, kissing the top of Alex’s head before they stepped apart. “Let’s get out of here before Mark starts giving me dirty looks.” He kept Emma held tight in his arms as they walked from the station, quickly sliding into the dark Range Rover that waited at the curb.

************

Unable to fight off the exhaustion that was a combination of a long day and the way the pregnancy drained her, Alex had curled up in bed nearly as soon as they’d arrived back at the hotel and fallen right to sleep. But, it had given Harry the chance to speak to Emma alone, to see what words he could offer to make her feel better about her perception of the role in the family. More than anything, he wanted to know how he could help assure that the feeling that Emma currently sat with wasn’t one she’d experience again in the future.

Emma sighed and leaned into Harry’s shoulder as she curled up next to him on the sofa of his hotel room. He knew she felt a bit better after the late night ice cream treat that he’d had ordered when they’d gotten there, but the day’s events were still obviously on her mind.

“Thanks for letting us come here, Dad,” she finally whispered. “I thought Mum was kind of crazy for calling and asking if we could come here...but I’m really glad she did.”

“Your mum was so worried, Em,” he murmured, squeezing her shoulder and turning to press a kiss to the side of her head.

“I yelled at her,” she admitted softly. “We never yell at each other, me and Mummy. And I yelled at her today.”

“And why do you think you yelled?” Harry asked quietly.

“Because...I felt like I was going to...explode,” Emma finally managed. “I messed up today and it caused a big problem and…”

“It didn’t cause a big problem,” Harry corrected her. “Things like this happen all the time. We dealt with it and it will be fine. We just wanted you to hear why we made the announcement from us and not from anyone else. That’s why your mum told you.”

“I know,” she sighed, her little fingers moving to swipe at the tears that rose up and spilled out of her tired eyes. “But you trusted me with the secret…”

“And it was a lot to ask of you,” Harry interrupted, pulling back to look down at her. “We’ve always asked a lot of you -- from day one. Not talking about your mum’s relationship with me, keeping the engagement a secret before we announced it, and then of course then the pregnancy and then that we’re having twins.”

“Yes, but I don’t mind that!” Emma insisted, stubbornness flashing in her eyes.

“And we know that,” Harry nodded calmly. “Just like we want you to know that it’s not the end of the world if you slip. I mean...Emma, your entire life has been changed in the past few years. You’ve had to deal with things that very few children in this world have had to deal with. You’ve had to deal with paparazzi and changing schools and uprooting everything you knew. You basically went from being a normal kid to the most famous kid in the world at the same time as dealing with some pretty terrible things in the past year with both me and your mum. No kid should ever have to feel the fear and uncertainty that you’ve felt in the past year and you did and handled it with more grace and acceptance than anyone could have ever expected. You’ve certainly handled it way better than most kids would have. And honestly, Emma, you’ve handled it all loads better than most adults even could have.”

Emma bit her lip and her cheeks flushed with Harry’s words; the compliments taking her by surprise. “Really?”

Harry pressed his hand to his chest. “Would I lie to you?”

“No,” Emma answered without question and shook her head slowly. “You wouldn’t. I just...didn’t know I was doing okay with all of it.”

Harry sighed and nodded his head slowly. “And that’s something your mum and I feel incredibly bad about; we should have let you know how much we appreciate how great you’ve been about...well, everything. We just...God, Emma...we should have made sure that you knew that. Especially with the way life is going to change even more in a few months.”

“I think maybe Mum thought I was worried about being a big sister,” Emma admitted in whisper. Her gaze slipped from Harry’s and down to her lap where her fingers twisted together.

Harry’s brows lifted. “Are you?”

“No,” she sighed and shook her head. “I’m just...I don’t really know how to explain it right, Dad. Everyone asks me about it and I can’t really talk about it because of all the secrets. Everyone wants to know all about it...how I feel about it and how excited I am but I can’t really tell them. And it makes it not really fun anymore to talk about and that’s really, really...”

“Frustrating?” Harry offered.

“Yeah,” Emma sniffed. “A lot frustrating.”

“I’m so sorry, Emma,” Harry murmured, reaching to brush a tear from her cheek. “I didn’t stop to think how different keeping secrets is for you than it is for me or your Mum.”

“You like to keep secrets?”

“Well, we like to have things that our just ours, that the public and the press don’t get to know about us,” Harry explained. “But I can understand things from your perspective. Everyone expects you to be really excited about something, but when you’re constantly on your guard, it’s hard to act excited...and that makes you not look forward to it as much.”

“And I really am looking forward to the babies!” Emma exclaimed, her eyes big and wide as she looked up at him again. “I really, really am. And I know there’s not really anything that we can do about people that ask questions…”

“Well, let me ask you this,” Harry said slowly, tossing around an idea in his head. “I can’t promise that there won’t ever be secrets you have to keep again, but what if we did our best to keep some of the baby stuff between me and your mum? So that you wouldn’t have to worry about spilling the beans anymore?”

“Like what kind of baby stuff?” Emma asked, tilting her head to the side with the question.

“Like...if they’re boys or girls.”

“You know already?!” Emma squeaked.

“No, no,” Harry laughed and shook his head. “But we’re supposed to find out in a few days. Your mum has a doctor’s appointment when we go back to London and he should be able to tell then.”

Emma scrunched up her nose in that adorable way she had whenever she couldn’t decide exactly what she thought about something. It reminded him so much of Alex and he couldn’t help the smile it brought to his face.

“But...how would you keep it from me?”

“Ha,” Harry laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. But I could figure it out. I’m very smart.”

Emma giggled and rolled her eyes, knowing Harry was teasing her. “If you say so, Dad.”

Harry laughed again, his head tossing back with it. He was glad to hear her teasing him back; it was a good sign that maybe she was feeling a bit better.

“Of course I say so,” he finally said. “But really, it’s up to you. I’m just offering the option. If you’re feeling too much pressure and feeling frustrated with it all, we can help with that. We’ll always help with that, sweet girl. And we will do a better job of checking in with you and not taking for granted that you’re dealing with everything okay.”

“Okay,” Emma sighed and nodded, her face a bit more serious. “I would like that, Dad.”

“Me too, Em,” he smiled softly and reached out to ruffle her blonde hair. “What about the sex of the babies? Do you want to know when we find out?”

“Uhhhhhh,” Emma made a dramatic groan and flopped back into the couch, making Harry chuckle. “I don’t know...can I decide when you and Mum find out?”

“Absolutely.”

“And if I say I don’t want to know, can I change my mind later?”

Harry grinned. “Of course you can.”

“Okay,” she grinned back up at him. “I’ll think about it then.”

“Okay,” he nodded. “And one more thing, Em?”

Her eyebrows lifted expectantly. “Yeah Dad?”

“I love you. Very, very much. More than I could ever begin to tell you.”

Emma couldn’t help the wide smile that spread across her face and she leaned in to hug him. “I love you too, Daddy.”

**********

Harry wouldn’t ever be able to accurately express how much it meant to him that Alex and Emma had come up to Scotland. Though he would never feel good about Emma being upset or sad, he did feel pride in being able to give her some of the assurance that soothed her fears and calmed her feelings a bit. And the fact that Alex had recognized that and had trusted that he could provide Emma something that night that she couldn’t get anywhere else...well, if it were possible, it made him love his wife even more.

The girls stayed with Harry through the weekend and even ventured out to do some sightseeing while Harry followed through with the planned engagements with Charles and William. Though Alex and Emma were of course recognized out and about, they were mostly left alone by those who saw them. There were cell phone pictures on social media and accounts of their visits to the few places they went, but people respected their right to enjoy Edinburgh without being mobbed, even as the news exploded that the Duke of Duchess of Sussex were expecting twins.

And explode it did. Though there had been royal twins born into both Denmark and Monaco in recent years, this would be the first ever set of twins to be born to the British Royal Family. That fact fueled people’s already high sentiments about the expected royal baby.

It also fueled speculation. Though opinions on the sex of Harry and Alex’s unborn child were a favorite topic since the pregnancy was announced, the revelation of twins rose that speculation to a fever pitch. Were they identical? Fraternal? Boys? Girls? One of each? Everyone had an hope, an opinion, or even a bet; the odds on favorite at betting houses across the UK immediately became identical twin girls.

Though the public would be left the their speculation for the next four months, that wasn’t to be the case for the parents-to-be. Just after their arrival back from Scotland, just as speculation was reaching dizzying heights, Harry and Alex snuck into her doctor’s office that Monday afternoon in Central London -- and by the time they left with matching wide grins on their faces, they were the owners of the most closely guarded secret in the UK.

***********

“I can’t believe it,” Harry said, a wild grin on his face as they stepped through the door of their apartment at Clarence House and shut the door behind him.

“That’s like the fifteenth time you’ve said that,” Alex giggled as he immediately pulled her into his arms.

“Because I still can’t believe it,” Harry laughed. He leaned in to kiss her, sweet and slow and soft.

“Well, it was really one or the other,” Alex sighed, leaning into him and tilting her lips up to his for another kiss. “But...I can’t believe it either Harry. Thinking about what they could be and knowing it are just two entirely different things.”

“Mhmmm…” He nodded. His lips curled up as his hands ran over her back, pressing her closer, pressing her ever growing belly tighter between them. “Have I also mentioned fifteen times today that I love you?”

“More like twenty,” she sighed, tilting her head back as his lips moved to her jaw. “Are you trying to get lucky, Sussex?”

He chuckled into her neck and then gently nipped at her ear. “I’m already the luckiest fucking guy on the planet.”

Alex let out a soft, sigh of a laugh and then her hands moved to his face, pulling his eyes up to hers. “Before we get to that...there’s something else I really, really want to do.”

He lifted his eyebrows. “More than see me naked?”

“Don’t try to distract me, Harry,” she narrowed her eyes playfully and then pulled back a bit and reached for his hand. “Come on, follow me. You’ll love this, I promise.”

“Will I love it as much as seeing my wife naked?” He joked, though he easily followed her as she pulled him down the hallway towards their living room. When they stepped through the doorway his brows furrowed in slight confusion at the several boxes sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. “What’s this?”

“I had Mia pull these from the boxes I put in storage when Emma and I moved in with you,” she answered with a grin that held a certain softness to it. “It’s Emma’s baby stuff. It’s not everything she had, but I saved the stuff she wore the most and stuff that my parents gave her and Molly gave her...all those types of things.”

Harry’s own smile widened as his gaze turned to meet hers. “Wow. I didn’t realize that kept all of this.”

“Mhhmm…” she nodded. Her big blue eyes were soft as she looked out over the boxes.

“And…” Harry stepped closer to the boxes, his smile growing a bit more teasing. “Now that we know...you want to go through them? Pick some stuff out that we can use again?”

“Well, some of it...” She grinned as she reached into a box and pulled out a tiny onesie. “I mean, something like this certainly wouldn’t work.” 

“Mommy’s Little Princess,” Harry laughed. He reached out to take it from her, holding the soft pink material in his fingers as he looked down on it. “Amazing. I’ll bet Emma looked so adorable in that.”

“Indescribably cute,” Alex smiled, her face soft with memories. “But there’s other stuff in here...stuff that would work I think. Like this,” she reached in and pulled out another onesie. This one was white and had the words “Hey Y’all” emblazoned across it over a silhouette of the State of Texas.

“Ha!” Harry’s shout of laughter filled the room as he took the onesie from her. He shook his head as he looked down at her and then back up again. “I can’t believe I’m saying this...but I love it.”

“Yeah?” Alex laughed. “

“I’m just sad we don’t have two of them,” Harry teased, the onesie still in his hand as he moved over to her.

“I can find another one,” she smirked up at him. “One for each of our little boys.”

“Boys…” Harry sighed, his smile so warm and sweet that it made Alex’s chest ache with love. “We’re having boys, Alex. Two little boys.”

“Boys...” she repeated in a whisper as he pulled her into his arms once again. “I can’t believe it.”

His chest rumbled with laughter against hers and then he bent to capture her mouth with his. She moaned lightly when his tongue slipped between her lips and he groaned low in his throat when her arms twisted around his neck and she tipped up on her toes, wanting to get closer; wanting more.

“Come on, Alex...the apartment’s empty for a few more hours. Let’s celebrate...right here,” he coaxed, already pulling her with him towards the couch.

“Alright Sussex, you win…” She sighed happily. “The boxes are just going to have to wait.”


	117. Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen

 

It was nearly finished. After nearly a year, the renovations on Apartments 8 & 9 at Kensington Palace were just days away from being complete. The final coats of paint were being put on, the light fixtures that Alex had carefully selected were being installed, and final checks were being done by the contractor to ensure that everything was up to code. If it all went to plan, the Sussex family would be able to move into their new home in the middle of May, right around Harry and Alex’s first wedding anniversary.

But with two weeks to go until their target move in date, there were things to be done in preparation. Appointments were made to have their new furniture delivered, their personal items from their temporary apartment at Clarence House had to be packed up, movers had to be arranged to move their things from Clarence House and their boxes in storage to the new apartment. Alex would forever be grateful that she had Mia to keep track of it all for her; to keep her updated on everything that needed to be done, not only with the house but with their busy work schedule and Emma’s many school events and activities.

By the time the first Saturday in May rolled around though, Alex was more than ready to take a deep breath and a little bit of a break from it all. She was ready to enjoy the sunshine and the warm weather, some country air, and relaxation; and as it so happened, the most perfect opportunity to do those things was actually marked on their official calendar for that day.

Harry’s first polo match of the season.

*****************

Harry could barely keep still on the entire ride from London up to the Beaufort Polo Club. His knee bounced as he drove, he chattered on to both Alex and Emma and even to their dog Gus, much to Alex’s amusement.

“You love it, don’t you?” Alex murmured, her eyes dancing under her sunglasses as the Range Rover sped along the country roads. They were getting close, and Harry’s smile inched wider with every mile that passed. “Playing polo?”

Harry grinned, his hands firm and sure on the wheel as he navigated around a bend in the road. “You know that I do.”

“Well, if I didn’t before, I certainly do now,” Alex laughed. “You’re the biggest bundle of anxious energy I’ve ever seen. You remind me of a puppy about to be let out of it’s kennel.”

Harry chuckled and threw her a sideways look. “Don’t act like you’re not excited too, love. I know you love polo season.”

“Fair point,” Alex grinned, visions of Harry working up a sweat on his polo horse flashing across her brain. “But I get to watch you play. I think I get the better end of the deal.”

“Ha!” Harry chuckled and winked at her before slowing down to take the turn into the polo club. “I’ll take it.”

Harry pulled the car into a parking spot, the their tail car pulled in behind them, and they wasted no time in beginning to unload.  Gus was leashed up securely and placed in care of Emma, Alex grabbed the bag containing a few snacks and  light sweaters for her and Emma in case it got cold, while Harry opened the back of the SUV and began to get his gear into order.

“Mum,” Emma called out, holding Gus’s leash tight while she pushed a windblown lock of curls from her face. “There’s Uncle Will and Aunt Kate. Can I take Gus over to play with Lupo?”

Alex looked up and indeed, her brother and sister-in-law were already there. William was under a white tent, cleaning and shining his boots while Kate sat near him on a blanket, baby Charlotte laid next to her, waving her chubby little arms and legs in the air. Nearly three year old Henry was just outside of the tent, giggling and playing with Lupo in the grass under his parent’s watchful eyes.

“We’ll all head over,” Alex said, turning to look at Harry to confirm.

“Absolutely,” Harry added, pulling his gear from the SUV and then closing the hatch door with a grin. “Let’s see if I can talk Will into shining my boots for me.”

With a laugh, the three of them headed towards the tent. Gus dragged Emma along behind him, his excitement bumped up as he spotted Lupo -- his often playmate. Kate spotted them first and her signature smile lit up her face as she waved them over. Will turned and looked, a smirk already in place that told Alex that he was ready for some time with his brother -- and no doubt to engage in some of their infamous banter.

“Uncle Harry!” Henry called out, his attention dropping from Lupo as he barrelled towards his uncle as fast as his little legs would carry him. Harry barely dropped his gear in time to scoop up the little boy into his arms.

“Oy! You little rascal,” Harry chuckled and the pressed kisses to his nephew’s chubby cheeks. “You’re getting heavy. What are you eating kiddo? Rocks?”

Alex grinned at Henry’s answering giggles and then stepped inside the tent, kissing Will’s cheeks in greeting before turning to Kate, who stood from her blanket so that Alex wouldn’t have to try and navigate bending that far down to greet her.

“How are you feeling? You look wonderful,” Kate commented, pulling back to smile at Alex.

“Well, thank you,” Alex said, laughing lightly. “I constantly feel like I could take a nap...but no big deal. At least I don’t always feel on the verge of being sick anymore.”

Kate grimaced knowingly. “I’ll bet that’s a relief.. I would never wish that feeling onto anyone. Well, maybe some of the writers at the Daily Mail.”

Alex snorted her laughter and shared a look of agreement with Kate. “Don’t forget The Sun too.”

“Aunt Alex!” Henry’s sing-song greeting interrupted the giggles of the two women as he galloped over, fresh from wiggling out of his Uncle Harry’s arms. He more or less crashed into Alex’s legs and, choosing to go with it, threw his chubby little arms around them and hugged her tight.

“Easy, Henry,” Kate laughed.

“No worries, he’s fine,” Alex waved a hand in the air and then dropped it to ruffle Henry’s blonde hair. “Hello, Henry...are you excited to watch your Daddy and Uncle Harry play polo today?”

“I want to play!” Henry responded, stepping back and clapping his hands together. “I can play, Daddy?” Henry zoomed off to William, already focused on the next thing on his mind.

“Maybe after the game we can let you swing a mallet around...when there’s no one around you can smack with it,” William compromised with a laugh. “I don’t need _another_ scar on my forehead. Want to help me shine my boots instead right now?”

Henry’s face scrunched up as he considered it, and then with a shrug he plopped himself on the ground and grabbed the rag William handed him, doing his best to emulate what his father was doing in only the adorable way kids can.

“Matt and Big Charlotte are here,” Harry said, moving to Alex’s side and then nodding behind them. “They brought Cooper it looks like.”

“Big Charlotte,” Kate snickered. “Is that how we’re doing it? Big Charlotte and Little Charlotte?”

Harry shrugged. “I figure Charlotte -- _Big Charlotte --_ will hate it. So I’m running with it.”

“Nice,” Alex giggled and then turned to greet her brother and his family.

“Boot,” Matt grinned and, balancing his nearly year old son in his arms, bent to hug Alex and kiss her cheek. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” Alex grinned in return. “And _you too_ ,” she turned her smile to Cooper, reaching out to tickle his belly. Cooper, usually a smiling and laughing baby, fussed slightly and turned to bury his head in his father’s neck.

“We’re getting a new tooth,” Matt said as he reached up and smoothed a hand over Cooper’s wild blonde hair. “So we’re a little grouchy.”

“Awww,” Alex stuck her bottom lip out slightly. “Poor little guy.”

Matt gave her a “what can you do?” sort of look and then turned to Harry, shaking his hand with a wide grin and sharing a few words before Emma came running up, wanting a piece of her Uncle Matt before the rest of the adults got to him.

“My word, Alex,” Charlotte said, kissing her sister-in-law’s cheeks before moving her hands right to Alex’s belly. “You’re getting big.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed and shook her head. “Gee, thank you, darling. You know Kate told me I looked wonderful.”

“Yeah well,” Charlotte smirked. “She’s nicer than me.”

“It’s true,” Kate called out, bringing a laugh from all three ladies.

“You do though,” Charlotte smiled. “Look wonderful that is.” Her mouth twisted up and she peered at Alex. “Also, did I just hear Harry call me ‘Big Charlotte’? Because if so, we need to have some words.”

***********

By the time the polo match had gotten underway, Emma had pulled her Uncle Matt over to hang with her off to the side of the tent, both of them keeping Gus and Lupo occupied. Kate had managed to wrangle Henry into her lap and had somehow convinced him to stay there and pay attention to the game while she chatted with Alex and Charlotte, who was very happily seated on the blanket with a sleeping “Little” Charlotte tucked up into her arms while Cooper cuddled with his Aunt Alex.

“So the big move is next weekend?” Kate asked, turning to Alex with a wide smile.

“It is!” Alex nodded happily. “We’ll be neighbors once again.”

“We’re very excited about that,” Kate grinned. “Is everything in place for the move?”

“Mostly,” Alex sighed. “We haven’t hired a housekeeper yet though. So I think that’ll be Charlotte’s first project when she comes back to work on Monday…” She turned a sly grin to Charlotte, who laughed and rolled her eyes.

“No problem. Though I’m a little surprised you guys have waited so long. I thought you’d have someone hired. It’ll take a few weeks to find someone and get them in place.”

Alex shrugged. “Harry wanted to start a couple months back. But I kept putting it off.”

“Why?” Kate asked as she reached into a bag to her left, pulling out some small animal crackers for Henry.

“Because I don’t know…” Alex sighed, rolling her eyes slightly. “It’s weird.”

“No it’s not,” Charlotte huffed with a shake of her head.

“I’ve never had a housekeeper,” Alex interrupted with a pointed look. “Growing up we never had anyone clean our house and of course I never had anyone come in when I was living a small two bedroom apartment with just Emma. Even when we moved in with Harry, the cottage is small enough that it was even close to necessary to have a housekeeper.”

“I did everything myself until we moved into the big apartment in Kensington like you,” Kate offered casually. “But Alex...it’s not like they’re your _servant_. They’re there to help. And believe me, you’ll need it. Just like you’ll need a nanny when the babies come along.”

“I know…” Alex sighed and nodded her head softly.

“I don't know what I'd do without Felicity,” Charlotte said.

“You have a housekeeper?” Alex turned to Charlotte with wide eyes. “I had no idea.”

Charlotte snorted. “Well I don't go around waving it in people’s faces, but of course I do. She comes three days a week. Who in the hell did you think cleans my house?”

Kate giggled as Alex smirked. “Um...well, I guess I thought Matt did.”

“Ha!” Charlotte’s burst of laughter startled the baby in her arms for a moment, but she settled back down quickly. “Granted, I’m sure that’s who would do it if we didn’t have a housekeeper.” Charlotte giggled slightly and then leaned in closer, her face growing serious. “Listen, pretty much everyone in the world probably thinks you already have a housekeeper…”

“Well, Clarence House has someone come in and…”

“Exactly,” Charlotte nodded. “So _unclench..._ and hire a housekeeper for your new place.”

Alex giggled just as the sound of thundering hooves drew close to them, pulling their attention from the conversation to the reason they were there, the polo match. They looked back to the action just in time to see Harry swing his mallet in a wide arc and whack the ball down field. And Alex couldn’t help but giggle at the faint grunt of triumph she heard leave his lips before he followed the other players down towards the goal.

************

Harry and William’s team won, and the brothers were all smiles and pumped up egos from their victory. Alex and Harry took the celebrations home with them, laughing and giggling as they sprawled out in bed later that night talking about the plans for the move later in the week.

“What about the nursery?” Harry asked, lifting his eyebrows as he moved a hand to Alex’s belly.

“What about it?”

“Emma doesn’t want to know the sex of the babies. We decided not to tell anyone else so that she won’t find out by accident. But...we’re decorating the nursery after we move in, right? If she sees it, I think the fact that she’s having brothers might be pretty apparent to her.”

“Ohhhh,” Alex nodded and turned a smile to her husband, who was lying next to her, his head propped up in the hand that wasn’t on her stomach. “Well, I think I can get it down while you and Emma are in Brazil for the Olympics...if someone helps me.”

Harry peered at her. “You want to tell someone?”

Alex grimaced. “I already did…”

“Alexandra!” Harry laughed and shook his head. “Come on! If I gave to keep this a secret, so do you!”

“I know! I’m sorry!”

Harry sighed, but his smile remained. He couldn’t be mad at her. “Who did you tell then? Mia? Charlotte? Your mom?”

“Matt,” Alex smiled sheepishly. “I had the idea of him helping with the nursery while you were gone so I had to spill the beans. I can’t ask my Dad because there’s absolutely no way he could know that information and not tell my mom. And if my mom knew...well, you know...”

Harry chuckled and nodded his head. “She’d be buying out all the little boy clothes from every baby store from here to Berkshire.”

“Exactly,” Alex laughed. “Matt can keep it in check. And he won’t spill to Charlotte.”

“Alright, you can have that one,” Harry shrugged. “But only because decorating while Emma and I are gone is an inspired idea.”

“I’ll be glad to get it done,” Alex sighed, her own hand running over her belly. “We have so much to do before they’re here.”

“Mhmmm…” Harry nodded slowly, his mind working over it all at the same time as her did. “Including...names…”

Alex’s smile spread slowly across her face. “Do you want to talk about names?”

“Well as Emma would say,” Harry chuckled. “Duhhhhh.”

Alex laughed, her head tipping back into the pillow behind her. “I love her so much it hurts sometimes.”

Harry grinned and spread his fingers out further over her belly. “Tell me...how did you come up with Emma’s name?”

Alex tilted her head to the side and peered at him, a small smile playing about her lips. “I’ve told you that before.”

“Never,” Harry laughed and shook his head.

“I can’t believe I haven’t told you that,” Alex replied, surprised. “Maybe I just figured you knew.”

“How would I know?”

“My maiden name,” Alex said softly. “Emerson. _Em_ -ma.”

“Oh my God,” Harry laughed. “I can’t believe I never got that. Now that you say it, of course it makes sense.”

“Mhmmm,” Alex nodded, her eyes hazing over slightly as she thought back over that time in her life.

“And how did you come up with her middle name, Rose?”

“My dad…” Alex sighed, smoothing her hands over her belly. Her eyes shifted down to it for a moment before she looked back up at Harry with a smile. “I originally was going to give her my middle name, Mae. But she had these pink, pink cheeks when she was first born. Very rosy. Dad kept touching them softly and calling her his ‘little English Rose.’ So she became Emma Rose.”

Harry’s smile pulled wide. “I love it. Very British. My Great Aunt Margaret’s middle name was Rose.”

“I did know that,” Alex teased with a wink. “Anyway, that’s how I came up with her name.”

“Did you have a boy name picked out too? Before you found out you were having a girl?”

Her eyes shifted away from Harry’s and she bit her lip, trying in vain to hold back a smile. “Um...not really.”

“You are a terrible liar,” Harry laughed, pointing a finger at her.

“No, I am not!” She protested, even as the smile she was trying to hold back began to spread across her face.

“You are! Why don’t you want to tell me?”

“Because!” Alex squeaked as Harry suddenly twisted on the bed, turning around and making a grab for her feet, his fingers going straight for the sensitive soles. “Stop that! Don’t you dare tickle me, Henry!”

“Tell me then!”

“No way!” She giggled and kicked her feet, trying to dislodge his fingers. “I will _never_ hear the end of it.”

“Have it your way then,” Harry shrugged, his mouth curving up into a smirk as he tickled her faster, making her squirm and squeak louder.

“Fine! Fine! You win,” she huffed, nearly out of breath from laughing and trying to fend him off. She playfully narrowed her eyes at him. “You know I hate being tickled.”

“Tell me and you won’t get tickled anymore,” he shot back, his smug grin so cute she wanted to smack him.

“The middle name was going to be Emerson. And the first name was going to be…” She rolled her eyes and sighed, mentally surrendering to what she knew was coming. “William.”

Harry stared at her for a long moment and she could feel the giggles bubbling up inside of her. “I cannot _believe_ you, Alexandra.”

“I didn’t know you then!” she protested, deftly pulling her feet out of the way when he reached for them again. “And it had nothing to do with your brother. I just liked the name. It’s a strong name.”

“So is Henry,” he pointed at her, shaking his head in mock chastisement.

“Which is why, I’m sure, that William named _his_ son that,” Alex replied, her own smile turning smug this time. “So step off, _Henry_.”

“Ha!” Harry’s tipped back into the bed with his laughter. “That...is an incredibly good point.”

“Oh, I know it is.”

He grinned and moved back up, settling himself in beside her, his hand moving right back to her belly. He couldn’t help himself.

“Would it be too weird to use William for one of the boys?” he asked thoughtfully. “As one of the middle names, not the first.”

“No, I would love to use William,” she agreed easily, loving that he wanted to do that.

“Well alright then,” he grinned, his eyes holding on to hers for a long beat. “It’s a deal. One name down, five more to go.”


	118. Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen

**_A/N: Oh my gosh. It’s been awhile! I’ve missed this story and these characters and it was wonderful to channel them again. I really hope you enjoy this! Please let me know what you think!_ **

************

He has insisted on driving them himself, of course. She had smiled at his insistence, though she had known it was exactly what he would do -- to try to find some way to make it more normal than it actually was. Nevermind the fact that unlike most people, they weren’t driving a moving van or even following one that they would help to unload and then spend the next few days or weeks unpacking. All of that was done. Their belongings were already there -- unpacked and organized into their proper places in Apartments 8 and 9 at Kensington Palace and waiting for the Sussex family to arrive. But it didn’t matter to Harry that it wasn’t exactly normal; he still wanted it to feel like they were going home. As a family. As normal as they possibly could.

Emma was the first to burst forth from the car, Gus bounding out close on her heels. Harry chuckled at their combined excitement as he stepped from the car, moving around to help Alex step out and onto the pristine gravel drive.

“You ready?” He asked, smiling down through his sunglasses at her as he kept ahold of her hand and shut the car door behind her.

“You know that I am,” she smiled back. “And you?” She squeezed his fingers, her eyes knowing with her words. “Are you ready? To go home?”

He took a deep breath and turned his head, his gaze falling on the old, stately dark red bricks rising in front of them, on the large, ornate black door that served as the main entrance to this section of the palace. This section of the palace that he had called this home once before. This section of the palace that held so many memories from his early life. This section of the palace that he knew was destined to hold so many more.

“You know that I am,” he finally replied with a soft smile, tugging on her hand and pulling her towards the door. He slid a set of keys from his pocket and jingled them in the air with an exaggerated wink.

“Come on, Dad!” Emma groaned, full of impatience. “I want to see my new room!”

“Of course,” Harry chuckled. He gave in, sliding the key into the lock, turning it with a click, and then pushing the heavy door open.

Emma rushed inside, not pausing to take in a single bit of her surroundings before hitting the stairs. Alex and Harry exchanged humored glances as she took them two at a time before disappearing on to the second floor.

“She’s been looking forward to her new room for a year,” Alex said with a smirk and shrug. A faint squeal of delight sounded out from above them, as if to confirm her observation.

“We won’t see her until supper,” Harry laughed, shaking his head in amusement. “At least Gus knows better than to abandon us right away.” He nodded at their dog, who chose that particular moment to break from his sniffing and tail wagging to turn and look right at them, lifting his leg towards the corner next to him...and promptly christened his brand new home.

“Gus!” they both cried in unison, startling their dog -- but not enough to stop him from marking his fresh new territory.

“I’ll get something to clean it up,” Harry sighed.

“No, I’ll get it,” Alex stopped him before beginning to move down the hall toward the back door of their new kitchen. “Will you take him out into the garden and show him where he’s actually supposed to do that?”

“Sure,” Harry chuckled softly as he reached over and wrapped his fingers around the collar of their puppy -- who now only looked mildly sheepish. “Come on Gus, you very bad dog.”

Alex found the cleaning supplies quickly. Their new housekeeper, Lucille, had been working incredibly hard to rid the apartment of dust and dirt from the renovation and had luckily stored everything in easily located place. Alex made a mental note to thank her when she came the next morning as she moved back down the hallway towards Gus’s mess. She knelt to the marble floor and began to spray and wipe up the mess. She was just thinking how thankful she wasn’t too pregnant to get down get up and down without struggling too much when suddenly a knock sounded out at the front door. She turned to look at it in slight confusion, but didn’t have time to stand up before the door pushed open and the Prince of Wales himself stepped into the foyer.

“Alexandra, dear...are you alright?” Charles looked a bit startled and concerned at the sight that greeted him -- his pregnant daughter-in-law kneeling on the floor with a dirty rag in one hand and a bottle of cleaning spray in the other.

Alex’s cheeks turned pink and she gave a laughing sort of sigh as struggled to stand, her embarrassment only rising when Charles stepped over to help her up. “I’m perfectly fine. Gus just got excited and...um...relieved himself on the floor is all.”

Charles laughed, the warm, rich sound easing her embarrassment just a bit. “As long as it wasn’t Harry who did it, there’s no reason to be embarrassed I think. Now, shall I dispose of that for you?”

“Absolutely not,” Alex laughed, shaking her head and not daring to hand over the dirty rag to Charles. “That would just send my mortification into the stratosphere.”

“Dad!” Harry’s arrival back into the room saved Alex from any further assistance from Charles and she gave an internal sigh of relief. “We didn’t forget we were expecting you today, did we?” Harry continued as he moved to kiss his father’s cheeks in greeting.

“No, no,” Charles waved his hand in the air and shook his head slightly. “But the meeting we had today was cancelled. Camilla decided to spend the afternoon with Laura and the children, so I thought you might not mind terribly if I called on you by myself to see the new apartment.” His eyes moved quickly over the foyer and Harry wasn’t the only one who caught the quick pass of something in his gaze; perhaps the flicker of a long ago memory of this very same space.

“Of course we don’t mind,” Alex insisted, flashing her father-in-law a bright smile. “Maybe Harry can show you around while I finish cleaning up and then make some tea?”

“Oh, that would be lovely,” Charles agreed. “I’m assuming you have Earl Grey?”

“Of course I do,” Alex nodded, a slight smirk curving her lips. “I was informed that I couldn’t be a member of the Royal Family unless I kept it stocked at all times.”

Charles laughed, his shoulders shaking with it in a way that reminded Alex so much of Harry that it made smile even wider. “Absolutely true, my dear. Absolutely true.”

*************

While Alex prepared tea in the kitchen, Harry began to show Charles the apartment. They moved through the rooms slowly, allowing each of them to take in the details as they went. Though Harry had seen everything, it was the first time he really got to stop and appreciate them fully. And he was very much enjoying watching his father do the same.

They walked leisurely through the formal dining room and formal sitting rooms, both done in warm, neutral tones and a mix of stylish and timeless decor and furniture. Harry smiled as Charles stopped to look at the portraits on the walls -- a mix of current family portraits and beautiful paintings of past ancestors that had been selected carefully from the private collection of the Royal Family with the blessing of the the Queen.

Charles had smiled knowingly as they stepped into Harry’s office, appreciating and admiring the darker woods of the desk and bookshelves and the supple leather of the deep, comfortable chairs that sat in front of it. And Harry himself couldn’t help but stop and smile down at the three photos sitting in a place of pride on his desk. There was a candid snap of Alex on their wedding day; bright and so happy that it made his heart thump in his chest. There was one of Emma grinning up at the camera with her arms wrapped around Gus’s neck. And finally, there was the one of his mother; it was one of the famous Mario Testino portraits that were taken so close to the end of her life. Though it was a picture that he shared with the entire world, it had always been one of his favorites. She had looked happy and comfortable in her skin finally -- and he loved to see and think of her that way.

Charles chuckled when Harry showed him to the next room over, it’s bright colors and more modern design in direct contrast to Harry’s office -- but still flowing together in a way that made sense.

The wide mahogany staircase to the second floor was lined with various photos of the entire family and they took the steps slowly, taking time to look at them all. Then Harry quickly led his father through the rooms lining the long upstairs hallway; the pair of guest rooms, the still bare room that was going to be the nursery for the twins, Emma’s room (where they found her sprawled out on the large pink and white rug on her floor, a pile of books around her and one in her hand as some sort of pop music played from her iPod), and then Harry and Alex’s room.

The final stop on the tour before they went back down to the kitchen for tea was the library. It was bright, sunlight streaming through the windows, but also cozy and warm with it’s bookshelf lined walls and deep, plush couches situated facing each other in the middle of the room in front of the fireplace.

“We intentionally left a fair amount of space open on the shelves,” Harry explained, knowing that his father was used to the libraries at Highgrove and Clarence House, whose shelves had been full and creaking under the weight of heavy books for as long as Harry could remember. “We wanted to add more as we go along, not just put books up there just to have them.”

Charles smiled warmly and nodded in understanding. “You want to make it yours. And you have. You’ve put an incredible home together here, Henry.”

“Well, to be fair,” Harry chuckled. “Alex mostly did it. You know me, there would be one couch, a bed, and _maybe_ a refrigerator if it had been left up to me.”

“And a huge flat screen television with some sort of video game thing hooked up to it,” Charles teased, making Harry roll his eyes and laugh at his father’s words. He looked at his son for a long moment before his gaze traveled around the room once more, taking it in for a long moment as he tried to figure out exactly how to articulate what he wanted to say next.

“She loved it here, you know…” He finally managed, turning his eyes back to Harry, who looked slightly startled at the words.

“Mummy, you mean?” Harry asked. When Charles nodded Harry took a deep breath, letting a soft smile pull at his lips. “I know she did.”

***************

Harry wasn’t really surprised to wake up in the middle of the night to find his wife not in bed with him. Since moving into their new apartment nearly two months before, she had increasingly been up at all time of the night, especially since she had moved into the third trimester of her pregnancy a few weeks before. He sighed and let his eyes slide closed again, but within moments they blinked back open into the dark room and to the empty spot beside him. He chuckled to himself and shook his head; after all this time, he still had it bad for his wife: if she wasn’t in bed with him, he didn’t want to be in bed himself. He just wanted to be where she was.

He pushed back the covers, stepped from the bed, and reached for his robe. He tied the robe, ran a hand through his messy red hair, and then quietly stepped from their room to go find his wife. He padded down the long hall of their new apartment, stopping to peek into Emma’s room, grinning at the sight of his daughter, fast asleep with her arms thrown haphazardly above her head; totally and completely content. He continued quietly down the hall, passing the closed door of the nursery as he made he way to the stairs. He made his way quickly down the wide, ornate staircase, stopping first in Alex’s office and then poking his head into the library, but she wasn’t in either place. He continued on down the darkened hallway to the door that led into their large, open kitchen. He paused in the doorway as he spotted Alex, his eyes widening slightly. She seated on the dark wood floor in front of an open cabinet, with what he was sure was their entire collection of pots and pans spread out around her.

“Alex?”

She started slightly, her gaze wide as it swung towards his voice. “Jesus,” she breathed, pressing a hand to her chest. “Don’t scare a pregnant woman like that. It’s a miracle I didn’t just pee my pants.”

Harry snickered and then moved a few steps closer to her. “Sorry, love...you weren’t in bed so…”

“It’s okay,” Alex waved a hand in the air, letting out a breath before turning back to the task in front of her. “I was just...focused.”

“On the exciting world of pots and pans?”

Alex smirked and rolled her eyes. “Don’t think I don’t hear the sarcasm in your tone.”

Harry chuckled and then crossed the rest of the distance between them. He stepped over a saucepan and then lowered himself to the floor next to her. His smirky smile turned sweet as he leaned in closer to her, reaching up to tuck an errant piece of blonde hair back behind her ear. “Are you doing alright, love?”

She leaned into his hand, her eyes growing soft. “I'm fine, Harry.”

His thumb stroked soft over her cheek. “You know...I’m not sure I really believe that.”

“Come on, Harry…”

“No, you come on, Alex...you’re in the kitchen rearranging pots and pans at three in the morning. You’ve rearranged the files in my office at least three times this week. Who knows how many times you’ve done the ones in your office and…”

“There’s no need to rearrange my files,” she interrupted primly. “But yours needed some serious…”

“Alexandra,” Harry interrupted with a brief laugh and a shake of the head. “My files were fine. Just like the pots and pans and every linen closet in this apartment was fine.” His smile slipped a bit and his voice lowered slightly. “Darling, you're barely sleeping.”

“Well, you try sleeping with two babies pressing themselves into all of your major internal organs,” she snapped as she looked away from him. She snatched a sauce pan from the floor and shoved it inside the cabinet before snapping the door shut, the sound reverberating in the quiet of the very early morning.

“Oh baby...I’m sorry,” Harry murmured. His hand reached out and smoothed over her shoulder to her back. His fingers were warm and soothing through the cotton of her t-shirt and her shoulders slumped a bit, the fight leaving her as fast as it had appeared.

“You know that you don’t have to apologize, Harry,” she shook her head and sniffed, her emotions bubbling to the surface before she could stop them -- which wasn’t unusual these days. “I’m just generally...uncomfortable. They take up a LOT of space. And even if I can find a comfortable position, as soon as I settle in, they start up a WWE wrestling match in there.”

“You know, you can always wake me up when you’re up,” he offered. The sincerity that shone from his eyes as he spoke the words only made her tears fall faster. “I’ll get up with you...rub your back, make you tea and chocolate biscuits…”

“Chocolate _cookies_ ,” Alex interrupted with a slight smirk.

“Regardless,” Harry chuckled. “I’ll make them for you at two in the morning if it will make you feel better. Hell, I’d even help you organize a linen closet or two if that helped.”

“And what about when you’re not here?” The words came out in a near whisper, ask if she were nervous to speak them as much as she were nervous for him to hear them.

“When I’m not here?”

Alex took a deep breath and then let it out in a rush. “You’re going to the Olympics for a week and a half. Both you and Emma. And then when you come back you’re home for less than a week before you’re off to the Walk of Britain for two weeks. I’m barely going to see you for a month...a month where I’m really, really pregnant and...and I…” She broke off and pressed her fingers to her eyes as her emotions got the best of her. Her fast, shallow breaths hitched in her chest with the effort of trying to keep it together. But when Harry reached for her, when his arms moved around her and he pulled her into his chest, tucking her head underneath his chin as his hands rubbed her back soothingly, she began to cry in earnest, having held it in for entirely too long.

“Oh my love,” Harry murmured, turning to kiss the top of her head. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea that you were so anxious about the time I’d be away.”

“It’s not your fault,” Alex hiccuped. She used his shirt to wipe her eyes, making him smile slightly at the sweet, intimate action. “I didn’t tell you. I don’t even really think I wanted to admit it to myself. You know, we’re supposed to Keep Calm and Carry On and all that.”

“Oh Alex, _really_?” Harry chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled back to look at her. “Not about this you don’t. At least not privately. Do you not want me to go?”

“Oh Harry, _really_?” she mimicked him, making him laugh. “Of course I want you to go. I want you and Emma to go to Brazil -- it’s such a great opportunity for her to travel there and see new things. And I’m so proud of you for wanting to do the Walk and I want more than anything for you to be able to do it. I’m just...going to really fucking miss you is all.”

“Well, I’m going to really fucking miss you too,” he smiled down at her and reached up to swipe away a stray tear. “I hate when you’re sad, baby. And I hate that I didn’t know you are so stressed out about all of this.”

“I know…” she sighed and bit her bottom lip slightly. “There’s just nothing you can really do about it.”

“Other than to spend as much time with you as I can before we leave next week.”

Alex’s lips curved up at the corners and she tilted her chin up, brushing her lips lightly against his. “Like this?”

“Mhmmm…if you’re offereing...” Harry’s arms tightened around her, his mouth searching for more of hers.

“I’m offering,” she giggled and then pulled back to look at him, her big blue eyes turning slightly sheepish. “But…”

He peered back at her. “You want to finish the pots and pans first, don’t you?”

She grinned. “I really, really do.”

He let out a playfully large sigh, kissed her once more, and then loosened his hold on her so they could turn to the task at hand. “Alright Sussex, let’s do this.”

************

Alex was glad that the day that Harry and Emma left for the Summer Olympics in Brazil dawned bright and sunny and warm. She might not have been able to keep it together on a cloudy, rainy day; not when she was dreading more than anything the moment where they left. Sure, she would have things to keep her busy while they were gone -- she had a handful of engagements line up and of course, she and Matt would be devoted two whole days to decorating the nursery. But having projects to accomplish didn’t mean she was at all looking forward to sending the two people she loved more than anything halfway across the world for the next ten days.

“Alright, Emma, you’ve got everything you need, right?” Alex asked, glancing over at Emma’s suitcases that were being loaded into the SUV that would take her and Harry to the airport for their flight out. “A jacket just in case it gets cool at night? A few pairs of tennis shoes?”

“ _Trainers_ ,” both Harry and Emma corrected in unison. They both laughed together as Alex rolled her eyes. Both her daughter and her husband took every opportunity to correct her on the very American terms that wouldn’t leave her vocabulary, despite living in the UK for nearly a decade.

“Fine. Do you have a few pairs of _trainers_?”

“Yes Mum,” Emma’s said, amusement written

all over her cute little face. “You packed my suitcase, remember?”

“I know, I know,” Alex sighed. She reached out and ran a soft hand over her daughter’s blond hair; so much like her own. “I just want to make sure you have everything you need.”

“She’s got everything,” Harry said, smiling at his very nervous looking wife. “And if she didn’t...I’m fairly certain I could scrounge up some cash to buy it for her.”

“I’ll bet you could,” Alex laughed.

“Can we go now?” Emma asked, the excitement for the trip clearly written all over her face.

“We have to wait for Aunt Charlotte to get here. We can’t leave without her,” Harry replied. The trip was an official one and as his private secretary, Charlotte had a big role to play in coordinating and running their days in Rio. He knew that like Alex, she wasn’t looking forward to leaving Matt and Cooper behind in Britain, but she had a job to do and she was going to make sure it got done.

As if on cue, another SUV pulled around the corner and slowed to a stop in front of their door. Charlotte stepped out immediately, looking comfortable in jeans and a casual blouse, but wearing the same slightly nervous looking facial expression that Alex was. The reason for that exited the Range Rover from the other side and then turned to pull the adorable little blonde haired boy from the car seat before hoisting him into his arms.

“I know how you feel,” Alex said, giving Charlotte a small smile as she watch Matt and Cooper walk around the car. “Being away from them is hard. Thinking about being away from them might even be worse.”

“Whoever would have thought that I'd be so damn mushy about something like this?” Charlotte muttered, shaking her head at herself.

“I did,” Matt grinned and lifted his fingers to tickle his son’s belly. “Didn't I, Coop?”

“Shut up, you don't count,” Charlotte rolled her eyes, though when they returned back to their husband, they were full of love and a bit of sadness. Matt laughed good naturedly and then leaned in, shifting his son in his arms so that he could hand Cooper to Charlotte to say good-bye. Alex watched the little family and their sweet little moment for a long beat, and then she turned back to her own.

“Alright you two,” she took a deep breath, blinking back the tears that welled in her eyes. She stepped towards Emma and smoothed wispy strands of blond away from her daughter’s face. “I want you to have so much fun and be good, okay?”

“I will, I promise,” Emma grinned up at her mother, bringing Alex’s nearly identical grin to the surface to brighten her face. “I’ll miss you, Mummy.”

“I’ll miss you too, baby. I love you,” Alex murmured. She bent down to kiss Emma’s forehead, and then hugged her close, laughing softly when Emma rubbed her stomach and told the babies good-bye too. And then she was turning to Harry, letting him pull her into his arms, relishing the feeling of his arms around her and the smell of him as she nuzzled her nose into his chest.

“It’ll go by so quickly, you won’t even notice,” Harry whispered into her hair.

“No, it won’t,” Alex whispered back, but when she looked back up at him she was smiling.

“It will. You’ll get to hang out with your brother and have unlimited Cooper time. You’ll be in heaven, love. Now, I want you to have fun,” Harry commanded playfully. “And be good, okay?”

Alex snickered and then nodded before tilting her lips up to his for a kiss. He took the opportunity and kissed her soft and slow, knowing it had to last him nearly two weeks.

“Come _on_ ,” Emma groaned in the background. “Can we go, please? The Olympics are going to be over before all of this kissing stops!”

Amused laughter followed her words and Harry kissed his wife once more, bent down to kiss her swollen belly that carried his children, and then took a deep breath and stepped back. Matt was doing the same with Charlotte, sharing a sweet goodbye before lifting Cooper back in his arms and stepping back -- moving closer to where his sister stood.

“Yes! Emma, we can go now,” Harry said, clapping his hands together. “Matt, take care of my family while I’m gone.”

“And you take care of mine,” Matt grinned, shaking hands with his brother-in-law.

“Deal,” Harry nodded and then, because they simply couldn’t delay it any longer, Harry, Emma, and Charlotte began to load up into the cars, ready to take on their week abroad.

“Don’t judge me if I cry,” Alex warned Matt in a shaky voice.

“I think I would judge you if you didn’t cry,” Matt chuckled. Cooper bounced in his father’s arms, his chubby little arm waving crazily in the air as he spotted his mother waving to him through the window as the cars began to pull away. Matt stepped to her side and his arm dropped around her shoulders. “Come on, Boot. Let’s go inside. I’ll even let you change Cooper’s diaper if it would make you feel better.”

And Alex couldn’t help but laugh, even as the cars pulled around the corner and Harry and Emma disappeared from view; off to their adventure in Brazil.


	119. Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen

**_A/N: This chapter went an entirely different way than I ever intended. I intended to write from Harry and Emma’s point of view in Rio, but I found myself veering off in a different direction that I couldn’t ignore. I hope that’s okay with you guys. Please, let me know what you think!_ **

_************_

“You know, when you asked me to ‘help’ you decorate the nursery, I assumed you would be an active participant as well.”

Alex grinned up at Matt from where she sat on the floor of the in progress nursery, watching as he carefully ran a rolled brush covered in light blue paint up and down the wall. “You really should have known better.”

He rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the wall in front of him. “I really should have. Especially since you did the same thing with Emma’s nursery.”

Alex giggled as crossed her legs under herself and her hands smoothed over her belly as she leaned back again the one wall that remained unpainted. “Well...maybe you shouldn’t be such a sucker, Matthew.”  Matt’s deep chuckle followed her words and she saw his head shake back and forth slightly. “Because I _know_ that Charlotte made you do the same thing for Cooper’s nursery.”

“Ha! Of course she did,” Matt replied as he leaned down and rolled more paint onto the brush. “She told me what she wanted and I made it happen. As usual.”

“As usual,” Alex snorted. “And you love it.”

“I mean, what’s not to love?” Matt grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Besides, it’s not like Harry doesn’t do the same for you. Whatever you want, he’s gonna make it happen. He’s just as big of a sucker for his wife as I am for mine.”

“Well, that’s true,” Alex sighed and her her smile stretched her cheeks wider. “He really is.”

“I’m actually surprised he went for the idea of doing the nursery when he wasn’t here.”

“He’s not really much of a do-it-your-selfer,” Alex replied with a shrug. “He loves the idea of the nursery and he’ll love the finished product, but actually putting it together...not entirely his thing. Though he would have done it without complaint if I asked. But...since _you_ are a do-it-your-selfer and I knew we’d have this time when our significant others are gone, it worked out well. Besides, I kind of love that we did this for Emma’s nursery and now we’re doing this for the boys. Even if you kind of _had_ to help me the first time.”

Matt carefully rolled the brush down the last bit of the wall he was working on and then turned, sliding the brush into the paint pan before standing and stretching his arms above him as he regarded his sister thoughtfully.

“Had too?” he finally asked, a touch of surprise evident in his voice.

“Because...well, because John was gone,” Alex replied, her voice growing a bit softer.

“Yeah...the mood is a bit different this time around, isn’t it?” Matt said as he joined his sister on the floor, leaning back on the unpainted wall and stretching his legs out beside hers. “Not just the nursery...but the entire pregnancy.”

“Completely different. That entire time is really blurry to me, honestly.”

“Really?” Matt turned to her, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Mhmmm,” she nodded, her mind drifting back nearly ten years into the past. “It was so hard. Trying to move on without John while facing the idea of having a _single parent_. Not that I didn’t love my baby with every piece of my soul before I ever laid eyes on her, because I did. But I was so young, Matt...twenty years old. So many days I just got up and went through the motions...just trying not to become a sobbing mess at how unfair it all was. I wasn’t very successful most of the time.”

“God, I hated so much that you were all alone over here when you found out. Mom said the way you sounded when you called to tell them was the most heartbreaking thing she’d ever heard.”

“I don’t even remember that conversation,” Alex said, leaning her head back against the wall as she took a deep breath. “I remember calling but I couldn’t tell you what was said or how I even told them. That’s about when the blur started for me.”

“Not when you found out?”

“No,” Alex murmured, shaking her head as that particular memory washed over her, in more detail than it had in a long time. “I’ll _never_ forget that. It was the absolute worst moment of my life.”

******************

**10 Years Earlier**

She was so tired. Though it wasn’t like that particular feeling was new to her -- not since she’d found out she was pregnant a few weeks before -- it still took her by surprise every single time that wave of exhaustion hit her. It was all she could do to keep her eyes open until she could find the first mildly comfortable surface and collapse into it.

“Jesus, I don’t know how I would have survived if I would have had afternoon classes,” she muttered to herself as she climbed the steps in the apartment building to her floor. She shook her head and then proceeded to fight off a massive yawn as she unlocked her door and nearly stumbled inside. She dropped her bag on the floor by the door, pulled her phone from the front pocket, kicked off her shoes, and then shuffled straight towards the bedroom. She flopped onto the deep, plush mattress, and blissfully into it, savoring the feeling. After a moment, she turned on her back, pulled up her down comforter around her, and stretched her body out under it, groaning just slightly at how good it felt to do that; to be off her feet and relaxing on her bed.

“You are kicking Mommy’s ass already, little bit.” She pressed her hands up under her shirt as she murmured the words, moving over her still flat stomach. Of course she couldn’t feel anything yet, and knew she wouldn’t be able to for quite awhile. But she still liked to press her hands over the place where the baby was growing inside of her; to connect with her and John’s unborn child in this way. It was like having a piece of him there with her, instead of thousands and thousands of miles away.

With a sigh and a soft smile at the thought of her husband, she reached for her phone on the bed beside her. She hit the button for her voicemail and turned to her side, curling up into a ball as she pulled the phone to her ear. Her eyes moved to the framed picture on her nightstand, her absolutely favorite from their wedding day just a few months ago. John’s mother, Molly, had snapped the pic as they’d sat in a small restaurant that evening along with a few friends to celebrate their surprise nuptials. Alex was still wearing her simple white dress and John was still in that brown suit of his that she wasn’t so fond of. But it was his only suit and buying another one hadn’t really been a priority at that point in time. The photo showed them sitting in a booth, with Alex relaxed into his side and John’s arm loosely draped over her shoulder. Their heads were tilted together, highlighting their nearly identical shades of blonde hair -- with his being only just slightly darker than hers. It was taken during an impromptu speech from one of John’s friends, and it always made Alex giggle bit at the way their expressions mirrored exactly how they both felt at that moment;  so happy but almost slightly surprised, as if they both couldn’t believe they’d actually done it -- jumped into a young marriage feet first.

“ _You have one saved message_ ,” her voicemail said in her ear, pulling her back from the memories that picture always brought forth. “ _Received today at 10:37 AM_.”

“Alex….it’s me…” His voice crackled through the line and Alex couldn’t help the giddy smile that spread across her face. She was still a newlywed;  a newlywed whose husband was thousands of miles away and still would be for another few months. “I know you’re probably in class and I’m sorry I couldn’t call at a better time, but it’s the first chance I’ve had. And...I miss you, It’s been too long since I’ve heard your voice and your laugh and...I really can’t wait to hear you tell me all about what you’ve been up to and how things are going. Anyway, I’ll try you again tonight after we get back from our mission. Please be there? Pretty please? With a cherry on top?” He chuckled through the line and Alex couldn’t help but giggle along as the message came to an end. “I love you, darling. Talk to you soon.”

Alex sighed, listening to the message one more time before closing her phone and setting it back on the nightstand. She laid back on the bed and curled up under her blanket, his voice still fresh in her mind.

She hated that she had missed the call that she had been waiting on for days and days, wanting desperately to tell him the news. But she wasn't going to miss the next one. Hopefully, it would be that very phone call that woke her from the nap that was sneaking up fast on her.

Her eyes slid closed, a smile tilting her full lips as she thought of it, imagined how the conversation would go -- how _happy_ he would be. And she drifted of to sleep with those words on her mind, the words she couldn't wait to say to him.

“ _You're going to be a **father**_.”

************

It was the harsh sound of the security buzzer that finally woke her, not the sound of her ringing fun like she'd expected. It took her a few long moments to come to, the buzzer sounding out loudly through her apartment several times before she was able to pull her eyes open, to realize the sound wasn't part of the deep dream she was having.

“What in the…” She groaned, groggily blinking her eyes open into the quiet, dark room. She shook her head, trying once more to clear her fuzzy mind before she glanced at her alarm clock. Her eyes fought for focus and she started when she realized that the time did in fact read out 9:08pm. She’d slept the entire afternoon and evening away.

The offensive buzzer sounded out twice more in quick succession and she huffed as she sat up, more than a little irritated at the persistence of whoever was at the door.

“Jesus. Alright, alright,” she grumbled, pushing her hair out of her face and righting her shirt and pants as she stepped from the bed and then shuffled quickly down the hallway to the foyer.

She was just about to punch the intercom button on the panel by the door when a knock sounded out, making her jump and stare at the door in confusion.

“Who is it?” She called through, her voice still hoarse from sleep.

“Captain Mills and Captain Stratford, ma’am. British Army.”

In truth, she knew before she looked through the peephole and saw the uniforms, confirming that they were in fact with the Army. Before she even opened the door, before she saw the grim looks on their faces, she _knew_. In the deepest, darkest part of her soul.

But it didn't stop her from feeling the physical punch from the news, from the low, murmured words that literally knocked her to the floor and turned her entire life upside down in a second.

“Ma’am, we regret to inform you that there was an accident…”

*************

**CURRENT TIME**

“I don't know how you did it,” Matt's voice was soft as he turned to look at his sister. “I really don't know how you did it. I don't...I don't think I could have done what you did.”

“Yes, you could have,” Alex replied, nudging Matt with her shoulder. “We’re molded from the same cloth, you and I.”

“Nah,” Matt shook his head. “You're far stronger than I am. You always have been. Stronger and miles more stubborn.”

“That's ridiculous!” Alex protested with a laugh. “Maybe more stubborn, but stronger? No.”

“Absolutely,” Matt countered. “Just look at When Cooper was born and Charlotte had to go into emergency surgery, I nearly lost my mind at the possibility of having to do it all without her.”

“If you recall, I was a fucking disaster when he died...when you and Mom and Dad first came out here.”

“Watch your mouth in front of those babies,” Matt said, grinning and shooting a sideways glance at Alex.

“Bite me,” Alex grinned back.

“You sound like my wife,” Matt laughed. “She's rubbing off on you.”

“Not a bad thing. She's one of my favorite people.”

“Mine too,” he sighed, tipping his head back against the wall. Silence fell between them for a long moment and Alex felt Matt take a deep breath beside her. “She wants to have another baby.”

Alex's eyes flashed wide and she sat up straight, turning to face her brother. “Really?! Cooper’s only a year old.”

“Not right this minute,” Matt clarified. “But sometime next year, she wants to start trying to get pregnant again.”

“And...you don't want that?” Alex asked carefully, her eyes curious as she watched some kind of internal struggle flash across his face.

“Of course I do,” he chuckled, but his eyes cast down to the floor and he shifted nervously where he sat. “I'd love to have more children.”

“But…”

“I won't have her risk her life to have another baby.”

Alex lifted her eyebrows slowly. “I cannot imagine that Charlotte would want to get pregnant again if it were a risk to her life to do so.”

“Well…” Matt took a deep breath. “Her doctor said that they would do a c-section this time and it would cut the risk down a lot.”

“How much?”

“He says not much more than a normal c-section,” he admitted. “But a risk is a risk. It's just not…”

“If you say it's not worth it, I'm going to smack you,” Alex interrupted, narrowing her eyes at him. “You know that's not true.”

Matt shook his head and avoided meeting her eyes. “It scares the shit out of me, Alex. That’s why you are so much stronger than I am. I _didn’t_ lose her when Cooper was born. I have my wife and the mother of my child but I can’t bring myself to be okay with taking that risk again. And look at you...you lost John and went through this fucking _nightmare_ and you didn’t hesitate to do it all again with Harry.”

Alex regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she gathered her thoughts.

“There was over _six years_ between losing John and meeting Harry,” she said softly, drawing his gaze over to hers. “I had a long time to come to terms with it; a long time where I didn’t take any risks. And for what it’s worth...I _did_ hesitate. When he got deployed early on in our relationship, I ended it because I didn’t want to take the risk.”

Matt’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “I had no idea.”

“It lasted about a week,” Alex said. “And I was beyond miserable. When he finally came to me, I decided…” She shrugged and blinked at the unexpected tears that rose in her eyes. “I just decided that I had to choose between risks or regret.”

“Ahhh...and you chose to take the risk.”

“Yeah,” Alex sighed. “Because I was desperately in love with him. And also, when he showed up at my door that night he was wearing this pair of jeans that made me just...ugghhh…”

“Jesus Alex,” Matt laughed as he grabbed a rag that was on the floor next to him and tossed it at his sister. She caught it with a grin and tossed it back in his direction.

“Look, in the end this is between you and Charlotte,” Alex said, falling back to serious for a moment. “All I’m saying is to think about it a little more before you say no to her. She loves her life with you and Cooper more than she thought she could ever love anything; she just wants more of that life. And she’s such a great Mom.”

“Damn, she really is,” Matt sighed and then his smile pulled wide. “I think it surprised her at first, how much she enjoys being a Mom.”

“Did it surprise you?”

“Nah,” Matt grinned and shook his head. “Not at all. She was madly in love with our son from the moment the little plus sign came up on the stick.”

“I know the feeling,” Alex said softly, cupping her arms around her swollen belly.

“I know you do,” he replied with a warm smile before taking a deep breath and then clapping his hands together. “Okay, little sister. We’ve got to get back to work. Coop will be up from his nap soon and as you know, my time will then be occupied by chasing him around and making sure he doesn’t get his grubby little hands on some priceless royal vase and proceed to slobber all over it.”

“Ugh, Alright,” Alex giggled as she held out her hand. “Help me up then.”

Matt stood and then took her hand, helping to pull her to her feet. He let her stretch out her back and then reached for a paint brush. He was just about to hand it to her when her phone rang out from her pocket.

“Saved by the bell!” She announced, smirking as Matt groaned and rolled his eyes. “It’s Harry,” she said as she pulled the phone from her pocket and saw the screen. “They must be about to start their day. Sorry, Matthew!”

“No you’re not!” he called out after her as she sailed from the room, pausing only to smirk back at him, making him laugh despite himself.

“Well, hello Captain Wales,” she said softly as she pulled her phone to her ear.

“Good morning, darling.” She could almost _hear_ his smirky, charming smile in his deep, warm voice. “Or more like afternoon for you…”

“It is afternoon,” Alex sighed, moving into their bedroom and shutting the door so she could have a little bit of private time with her husband, even if it was just over the phone. “Matt and I were working on the nursery.”

“You mean Matt was working on the nursery?” he chuckled.

She gasped in false outrage, but couldn’t help the giggle that escaped afterward. “Pretty much, yeah. It’s coming along though.”

“I can’t wait to see it,” Harry murmured, making Alex smile wide as she laid back on their bed, stretching her legs out in front of her.

“Me either,” she replied. “Now tell me, what is on the schedule for you and Emma today?”

“Well...we’re doing the interview with the Today show in about an hour. We’re about to eat breakfast and then the car will pick us up to take us down there.”

“Oh man, I can’t _wait_ to watch,” Alex said with a sigh. “Is Emma nervous?”

“Not really,” he laughed. “I think I’m more nervous than she is.”

“Just be your usual charming self, you’ll be fine,” Alex drawled, making him laugh. “And after the interview?”

“We’re going to go watch some of the swimming events today. Emma can’t wait -- we’re going to be sitting with the Danes again.”

“Oh yes,” Alex laughed softly. “I saw the pictures of you two yesterday watching football with Frederick and Christian and Isabella. The press is loving that little hang out.”

“I saw,” Harry chuckled. “Or really, Charlotte saw and showed me. Apparently there is a rather flattering hashtag accompanying some of the posts…”

“Hashtag Hot Royal Daddies,” Alex snorted. “I love it. The Daily Mail was speculating that Frederick was giving you advice on how to survive parenting twins.”

“HA!” Harry laughed loudly. “Maybe that’s the one time they’ve gotten it right.”

“Was he really?” Alex giggled.

“More like what to expect,” Harry replied. “But

also how amazing it is. He said all of his children have different personalities to be sure, but it’s fun to watch two different little personalities develop at the same time.”

“I can’t wait, Harry,” she murmured, everything about her softening with his words. “I absolutely cannot wait.”

“Just a couple more months, love,” he said softly. “I miss you so much, Alexandra Mae. I can’t deny that I’m loving my time with Emma, but I do miss you.”

“I miss you too,” she sighed. “And I miss our daughter. So much.”

“She misses you too,” Harry replied. “In fact, she just walked in and judging by the way she's trying to grab the phone from me, I think she really wants to talk to you.”

Alex giggled, picturing the scene in her head. “I'd love to talk to her too.”

“Alright, I'll get back on after you guys talk,” Harry laughed.

“Hi Mum!” Emma’s sweet voice came through the line, lifting Alex’s heart even more.

“Hey bugger,” Alex grinned. “You sound like you're having an amazing time.”

“Oh my gosh, Mum! We really are! Did Daddy tell you that we got to hang out with Christian and Isabella yesterday? And that we get to again this afternoon? They're soooooo fun.”

Alex smiled at her daughter's excitement. “He did tell me. It's awesome that you're getting to make friends with them. Tell me, what sports events have you liked best so far.”

“Mhmmmmmm…” Emma thought for a moment. “I think the swimming. And I can't wait to watch Aunt Zara in a couple days. But…” Her voice tipped a bit shy as she trailed off. “I'm soooooooo excited about gymnastics tomorrow. I hope I get to meet some of the gymnasts.”

“I’m sure you will,” Alex replied. “I’ll bet they’ll be just as excited to meet you.”

“Me?! Why?”

“Well…” Alex searched for the right words and then finally just laughed and said, “Because you’re Princess Emma.”

“Well, that’s fairly silly,” Emma protested primly, but it was half-hearted and Alex knew it.

“It can be,” Alex agreed with a laugh. “But as long as you don’t ever stop thinking it’s fairly silly, it’s okay.”

They chatted for a few more minutes, covering the rest of the flurry of activity that Harry and Emma had in front of them before Emma had to go, wanting to let her Aunt Charlotte put her hair in a french braid like she’d promised before they had to leave to the interview. After telling her mother that she loved her and missed her and couldn’t wait to see her, Emma handed the phone back to Harry, who pulled the phone back to his ear with a grin.

“She’s a bundle of energy, isn’t she?”

“She really is,” Alex agreed. “Much like you.”

“Mhmm,” Harry murmured his agreement before taking a deep breath. “Alright my love, I’ve got to go. Charlotte is making rude hand gestures at me that I think mean that I need to get ready to leave here shortly.”

“Alright,” Alex said with a giggle and a sigh. “Be safe, okay? I’ve seen that there’s been a couple of athletes who’ve gotten robbed out in Rio.”

“We pretty much stay in the official areas,” Harry said, his voice as reassuring as could possibly be. “We are going out to dinner tonight with Zara and Mike, but the PPOs checked it out and have no concerns.”

“Just take care of yourself and my baby,” Alex sighed. “There’s three of us waiting here for you to come back.”

“We’re taking every caution, love. I promise,” Harry replied, his deep voice calming her sudden onset of nerves. “All right, I’ve got to go, darling. I love you.

“Oh Henry, I love you too.”

“Talk you soon, baby…”

*************

She’d only been asleep for a couple of hours when her eyes blinked open heavily into the dark room. She turned her blurry gaze onto the clock on her nightstand, groaning when she saw that it was just past one in the morning. Her first thought was that it was the need to use the restroom that pulled her from the contentment of her slumber; it usually was. But just as she was sitting up and pulling the covers off of her a loud, heavy banging noise disturbed the quiet air around her, sending her heart jumping into her throat.

“What the hell…” she gasped, her senses suddenly on high alert as the pounding that seemed to be coming from her front door picked up speed and intensity.

It was the most peculiar feeling; knowing that she _had_ to answer that door, but having everything in her soul screaming at her that whatever was on the other side wasn’t anything she wanted to face. She lived in Kensington Palace -- unless it was someone who lived within the palace gates themselves, people simply couldn’t just drop by. And in the thirty seconds it took her to get to her feet, throw on a robe, and rush downstairs, that knowledge throbbed through her entire being; she knew that it wasn’t someone she _wanted_ to see at one in the morning banging on her door.

She halted at the front door, her hands already shaking as she pressed a button on the security panel. The screen on the panel flashed to life, the feed from the security camera poised over the front door showing her exactly who stood on the step.

The blood drained from her face and she clutched the doorframe as dizziness washed over her.  The sight of the two uniformed men standing there, their shoulders tense as they waited for her to answer was too familiar; the absolute worst instance of deja vu she’d ever had in her life.

In truth, she knew before she opened the door what they would say. She knew who they were there about; she felt it in every bone in her body. But it didn't stop her from feeling the physical punch from the news, from the low, murmured words that literally knocked her to the floor.

“Ma’am, we regret to inform you that there was an accident in Brazil…”

And her entire world cracked apart beneath her.


	120. Chapter One Hundred and Twenty

**_A/N: Sorry for the Wait :) Enjoy!_ **

**_************_ **

Play. Watch. Cry. Repeat. **  
**

Hiding along in Harry’s dark, cold study, she watched the interview her husband daughter had given that morning for American television over and over again. It was the worst kind of purgatory, wondering if this was the last thing she would have of them; wondering if this was the last time she saw their faces or heard their voices. She played it over and over and over again; soaking in every moment of the two most important people in her life.

She could hear people in the house; was aware of the footsteps that shuffled past the door every so often as they looked on her. Kate had been the first one there. She had been staying at her and Will’s apartment at KP that night and had rushed over, leaving Henry and baby Charlotte with Nanny Maria in order to be with Alex and wait for news on Harry -- a sibling to her just as much as James and Pippa were. She was the first one to try and keep Alex from completely disintegrating after the two Scotland Yard agents had arrived in the middle of the night and delivered the blow to Alex’s world.

There had been an accident in Rio di Janeiro. An entire section of the stands at the aquatic venue had collapsed; the very section where her husband and daughter were supposed to be sitting.

The cause was yet unknown. The scene was still pure chaos.

And Harry and Emma were missing somewhere in the middle of all of it.

Her brother had arrived just after Kate -- he looked as panicked and scared as Alex felt and for or a few terrifying moments, Alex had been just as afraid for him as for herself. But then the secure land line had rung with a frantic -- but alive and well -- Charlotte, who hadn’t been with Harry and Emma when everything came down. She was trying to find out anything she could, and Alex could hear the phone ring every so often as her sister in law checked in.

And then her parents had arrived. Alex could feel herself start to crack as they took her in their arms, when she saw their tear filled eyes, full with the deepest kind of dread and worry. And she simply couldn’t take it. With a sob and mumbled apologies she had fled, retreating into Harry’s office and finding the only thing she could think of to focus on, to keep her from succumbing the tension and anxiety that radiated through her entire house.

“Alex?” Kate’s voice was timid as she knocked on the door and then pushed it open, moving to stand in the doorway. “William just arrived at King’s Cross. He should be here in a few minutes. And Charles is on the helicopter back from Wales…”

“Okay,” Alex whispered, not taking her eyes from the computer screen as she watched Emma giggling at something and Harry watching her adoringly.

Kate watched her, swallowing at her own emotions as she heard the faint voices play from the computer speakers.

“Alex? do you want to come out and...”

“I feel like I’ve had to ponder never seeing him again far too many times,” Alex interrupted, her large, tear filled eyes finally rising to Kate’s. “And God...Emma…” A sob escaped her lips and she pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes; whether to try and stem the flow of tears or to try and stop herself from picturing a life without either of them; she wasn’t quite sure.

“Alex…”

“What if this is the last thing I have of them?” Alex pointed to the computer screen as her voice rose, though it wavered heavily. “What if that’s it? This routine interview for American TV that they did this morning? What if that’s the last time I see their faces or hear their voices or … What if I’m just cursed and meant to lose the people in my life this way? I mean, this shit just keeps on happening…”

Kate took a deep, steadying breath. She knew there was nothing she could say right then that would reassure her sister-in-law -- her friend. There were no words of comfort that would come anywhere close to bringing some calm to Alex’s emotions. The only thing that would do that would be to get some news; and unfortunately, she was waiting on that just as the rest of them were. So, she did the next best thing she could do, the next best thing she knew how to do. She moved closer, letting Alex see the tears that were falling from her own eyes. She moved behind the desk, knelt down, and wrapped the blonde into a tight, warm hug. When she pulled back she stood up, sniffed, wiped at her own wet eyes and then said, “Come on, your mum made some tea.”

Alex blinked and then let out a startled breath of a laugh. “Do you subscribe to the British notion that tea cures everything too?”

“Of course,” Kate nodded. “And apparently your mum does too now. Do you want to come in there? Or do you want me to have her bring it in here for you?”

Alex took a deep breath and, just as she was preparing to agree to join the family, the secure landline rang sharply and she gasped as her heart jumped into her throat. Kate’s wide eyes met hers and then before she could talk herself out of it, Alex reached for the receiver, her hands shaking as she brought it to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Alex? It’s Charlotte,” the shaky voice came through the line. “He’s alive. I’ve...we located him. He’s alive and he’s okay.”

“Oh my god,” Alex gasped, her hand flying to her mouth and her eyes closed tight. “Does he have Emma?”

Her question was met by a beat of silence that was just a touch too long, that told Alex the answer before Charlotte ever spoke.

“He wasn’t with her when the stands collapsed, Alex...I’m so sorry. She went up with her PPO while he took a quick call and...she’s still missing.”

***************

“Emma! EMMA!”

The noise was unbelievable. The screaming, the crying, the shouted orders coming from the first responders starting to flood the chaotic scene. Were it any other situation, Harry might have been the first one volunteering to help the first responders, he might have tried to jump in and save some of the people still trapped in the mess of concrete and metal and steel around them. But he couldn’t focus on that, he couldn’t stop and offer his help. Not until they found her. Not until he found Emma.

“Any word from her PPO?” Harry turned towards his own officer, panting with exertion as he asked the question.

“No, I still can’t get through to her,” Martin shouted his reply in order to be heard over the noise. “Her radio isn’t working or is jammed or…”

“Keep trying,” Harry barked the order, not wanting to hear the rest of that sentence. “I don’t care how long it takes.”

“Sir, I think we should get you somewhere safer.” He looked nervous as a woman, crying and covered in blood, nearly careened directly into his charge. “You and Ms. Blakely can coordinate the search for the Princess and you can update the Duchess...”

“You are out of your mind, Martin,” Harry’s eyes were wide and full of fear, anxiety, and a bit of determination as they flashed briefly towards his PPO. “Charlotte is letting Alex know that I’m okay, but I’m sure as fuck not leaving here without my daughter. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.” Even though Martin knew that he should have already pulled his charge from the scene, that he was breaking nearly every protocol there was by letting Harry stay on the scene, he knew that there was nothing he could do to make the Duke leave. Not when he didn’t know if the young Princess was still alive or…

Harry flinched and visibly paled as they heard a child cry out from somewhere in the vicinity around them. Before Martin had time to react himself, Harry had turned around and was pushing through the swarms of people as fast as he could, desperate to find the source of the cries.

His heart slammed into his chest over and over again as he got closer and closer. His eyes were frantic as they searched through the throng of chaos.

“Emma! Emma!” He screamed out, halting on his feet and then suddenly turning in a different direction, faintly hearing his PPO curse as he fought to keep up with him. He nearly stumbled as he finally found the source of the cries of anguish.

“Oh Jesus,” he gasped, closing his eyes against the sight of the child laid out on a makeshift stretcher, their dark hair matted with blood as a first responder worked to bandage up a rapidly bleeding leg wound. He breathed in hard and forced himself to turn away, struggling with not being able to help and with feeling both panic and relief at the fact that it wasn’t his daughter.

“It’s not her,” he shook his head as he turned towards his PPO. “It’s not…” He trailed off as he realized that Martin was holding out a mobile phone to Harry, a stunned look on his normally composed face.

“It’s Ms. Blakely,” he said. “She said your daughter…”

Harry snatched the phone and pulled it to his ear before Martin could finish. He clinched his eyes shut, pressed his hand over his other ear to block out what little noise he could, and tried as best he could to fight way his knees threatened to buckle against his will.

“Charlotte...please…”

“She’s here, Harry!” Charlotte cried into the phone, stopping Harry short. “She’s here and she’s not hurt but she’s scared and…”

“Oh God,” Harry couldn’t help the sob that escaped with Charlotte’s words, and the intense relief that flooded through his entire body. “How did...nevermind. Just...tell her I’m coming right now. Tell her I’m on my way to her.”

************

It took nearly a week for Harry, Emma, and Charlotte to get home from Brazil. The government had shut down all flights while they figured out what caused the collapse of the stands at the venue, making it impossible to fly out for several days.

It was late at night when their plane finally flew safely into London; even later when the car carrying Emma and Harry pulled through the gates at Kensington Palace and rolled to a gentle stop in front of their apartment. But Alex was awake and waiting; she wouldn’t have been able to sleep if she tried. She came flying out of the front door, moving as fast as her pregnant frame could carry her. Emma stepped from the car and broke into a run as soon as she saw her Alex, nearly launching herself into her mother’s arms. Harry was right behind her, his arms wrapping his family into a crushing hug as they finally reunited.

Alex could help the sobs that shook her shoulders she hugged her daughter as tightly as she could, kissing the top of her blond head, even as Harry pressed his lips to the side of hers. “Oh Harry...Em...are you okay?”

“We’re okay, Mummy,” Emma whispered as she sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “I missed you so much.”

Oh baby, I missed you too,” Alex sniffed. Harry’s arms relaxed a bit and Alex pulled back just enough to look down on her daughter, who wasn’t really that much shorter than her anymore. “I missed you both so much. I’m so glad you’re home.”

“You have no idea, Alexandra. Just...no idea, love,” Harry said gruffly, kissing the side of Alex’s head once more and rubbing a warm hand down her back. “Come on, my darling girls. Let’s go inside.”

*************

Harry ran his hand through his hair as he slowly climbed towards the top of the stairs. He was exhausted down to the deepest part of his bones, but the anxiety and uncertainty of the past week had finally settled a bit once they’d gotten back to Kensington, once him and Emma had gotten to reunite with Alex.

He took a deep breath when he reached the top of the stairs and then shuffled down the hallway, the dim lights making it feel warm and cozy and home. He stopped when he came to the doorway to Emma’s room and leaned against the doorway, his entire heart lifting at the sight that greeted him.

They were both fast asleep. Emma was tucked up under her covers, her head tucked into Alex’s shoulder. Alex was slightly propped up against the headboard, a fluffy pillow behind her head and her legs stretched out in front of her. Harry figured she had probably fallen into a decent sleep for the first time in days and days, the relief of having them home letting her finally get some rest. And as much he wanted to curl up in their own bed with her, he would let her have this time with Emma before he would ask for any of his own.

He stepped quietly into the room and grabbed the fuzzy blanket from the end of Emma’s bed. He gently spread it out over Alex, kissed the top of her head, and then stepped from the room. Leaving them be for the moment, knowing that his own time to reunite with his wife could wait for the time being.

It was close to dawn when he woke to the feel of the bed dipping slightly. His eyes blinked open into the dark room and he saw her sitting there. She had changed out of her clothes and into one of his big t-shirts to sleep in. Without words, he lifted the covers and she crawled in next to him, immediately laying on her side so she could snuggle back into him.

“You have no idea how good it feels to have you here,” he finally whispered, his lips kissing her shoulder as he moved a hand to her stomach. She felt him smile against her skin as he felt a sharp kick against his hand.  

“Good as in...good? Or as in...gooood?” she murmured, wiggling her hips back against him.

“Both,” he murmured, wrapping his arm tighter around her. “Though I think...maybe I’m too exhausted to properly do anything about it right now.”

“Thank God. Me too,” she sighed, making him chuckle behind her.

Several long minutes passed and then Harry heard her take a deep breath. “How has she been?” she finally asked, her voice quiet and unsure.

“Better than I have been, I think,” Harry said after a moment’s pause. “Or better than I would think any nine year old would be. But I think she didn’t really see the worst of it first hand. She was in the loo when...when the stand collapsed…” he continued, his voice growing slightly hoarse and shaky. “And her PPO whisked her away really quickly. But all the radio communications had gone down and and I thought they’d gone to sit already when I went to take that call and...”

“I know,” Alex whispered, her hand moving to his on her stomach. She’d heard the account of what happened more than once. She knew the lucky circumstances that had assured that she didn’t lose either of them when the stands had collapsed from a combination of poor engineering and construction. “I just...I wanted to make sure she’s really okay.”

Harry yawned and then settled in deeper against his warm, sweet wife. “I think she’s getting better now that we’re home. I know I am.”

“God, Harry,” Alex sighed, closing her eyes and savoring the moment with him. “Me too.”

************

“You were much more okay than I thought you’d be with Emma leaving the house this afternoon.”

“Well…” Alex sighed and leaned back into the headboard of their bed, enjoying the feel of the late afternoon sun as it streamed through their windows. “I wasn’t really. But I know going out riding with Zara is good for her. It’ll help clear her mind. And she’ll be back tonight so...I decided I should probably suck it up.”

“Fair enough.” Harry chuckled and moved to the bed, stretching out next to her and leaning down to press a kiss against her belly. “It seems the boys have grown a bit since I last saw them.”

“You mean I’ve grown a bit since you last saw me,” Alex snickered, narrowing her eyes playfully down at her husband.

“Hey, you know I like it,” Harry grinned. He pressed another kiss to her stomach and then rose up. He leaned over her, his lips dropping her hers as his hand pushed at the hem of her shirt, moving it up over her belly. “I really, really like it.”

“Not feeling so exhausted anymore?” Alex giggled and then moaned as his hands moved higher, exploring her growing curves.

“Well…” Harry sucked in a breath and then kissed her again, groaning as her mouth opened willingly under his. “I figure I should take advantage of every moment in bed with you before I have to leave again in a couple of days.”

It took a minute for Alex to realize what he’d just said, for it to work its way through the passion that was quickly growing between them. But when she did, when the meaning of his words clicked in her brain, her eyes flew open and her hands moved to grip at his arms, stalling him on his journey up her body.

He pulled back, his eyes curious as he looked down at her. “What?”

“Leaving?” she asked quietly, her eyes narrowing at him. “You can’t possibly mean…”

“The Walk of Britain starts in a few days, Alex. I have to…”

Alex sucked in a breath and shook her head, as if she weren’t quite sure she’d really heard what she just did. “You’re still going?!”

Harry paused, looking at her carefully. “Of course I am, Alex. Did you really think I was going to back out of the Walk?”

“Yes!” she yelled the word, unable to help the emotion that burst forth from her. She pushed from the bed, angrily yanking her shirt back down over her belly.

“What is going on, Alex?” He shook his head, bewildered. “You were okay with Emma leaving earlier…”

“For a few hours! Not for two fucking weeks, Harry! You...you just got home from Rio where…” she broke off, choking back the sob that caught in her throat.

“And I’m fine, love,” he countered, softening his tone a bit. “I’m fine and Emma’s fine and…”

“And what about me?!” she shouted, startling him and making him take a step back in surprise. “What about the fact that you’re just...leaving me here again? Right after…”

“Alexandra, this about those soldiers! They’ve worked and trained so hard for this. I can’t just let them down by backing out. Especially when I’m not injured or ill. This is about them, it isn’t about you.”

Alex’s lips tightened and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, well. Maybe this once, just this one time, it should be.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means that our entire life revolves around making sure we do everything the way everyone else expects us to,” Alex cried, throwing her hands up in the air. “Just once I’d love it if…”

“Don’t you dare tell me that I don’t put you and Emma above all of that shit,” Harry bit out.

“You aren’t right now,” she countered, not backing down.

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t put your selfishness on me, Alex.”

“Are you kidding me, Wales?” she asked, pressing her hand to her chest as tears rose in her eyes. “It’s selfish that I want my husband at home with me right now? Harry, in the last year I’ve dealt with the thought of losing you three times. And my God, the fact that Emma was there this last time too…” She paused, taking a hitching breath as she wiped at her wet eyes. “And I’m so close to the end of my pregnancy and I just…”

“I am in no danger on this Walk, Alex,” he tried. “And I’m only a few hours away at most and…”

“You’re going to go, no matter what I say, aren’t you?”

He took a deep breath and stood tall as he looked down on his very upset, very pregnant wife. He hated that she was mad, that she felt like he was choosing this commitment he made over her and their children. And he hated that in the end, he couldn’t give her what she wanted.

“Yes. I’m going.”

“Yeah, I thought so,” Alex whispered, shaking her head in sadness and anger. Part of her knew she was being unreasonable. Part of her knew that this commitment of his was to big to be pushed to the side. But that part was being overruled by her heightened emotions and pregnancy hormones and she simply couldn’t be okay with him going away for two more weeks right then. Tears pooled in her eyes and she moved,  brushing past him towards the door of their bedroom. “See you in two weeks, Harry.”

And before he could go after her, before he could call out her name and make her turn around and listen to reason, she slammed the door, the sound of it echoing painfully in the room around him.


	121. Chapter One Hundred and Twenty One

**_A/N: Another chapter so soon! It’s a bit of a long one with lots going on. I hope you enjoy!_ **

************

“Is this really how we’re going to do this, Alex? You’re really going to let me leave while you’re still not speaking to me?”

“I’m speaking to you,” she said, though her voice was flat and she kept her back to him. Her eyes were focused out of the window in front of her, on the grey skies filled with clouds that threatened rain at any moment.

“Well, the last two days haven’t been much better than complete bloody silence and you know it,” Harry snapped. He moved quickly around the kitchen island and in next to her.  “Alexandra...please don’t do this.”

“Don’t do what, Harry? Don’t be mad at you about wanting to leave again today for another two weeks after what happened in Rio?” She finally turned her eyes up to his; they were dark and filled with hurt and upset and every bit of the stubborn nature she possessed. “Too late, Sussex. I am mad and it’s not going sigh and give in and tell you everything is okay.”

“I don’t want to leave you. You know that.”

“Yes, you’ve explained that several times.”

“Damn it, Alex!” He sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I don’t know what else to do!”

“Well, neither do I,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

“God, I hate this so much,” he shook his head and took a deep breath.

“I do too,” she whispered. A tiny bit of emotion had creeped into her voice as she spoke the words and he caught it. Grabbing onto it, he took another step towards her, one hand sliding along her shoulder as he leaned in closer.

“Please darling, can’t you just...let it go for the moment? We can fight about it when I get back but…”

“But right now you want me to smile and pretend that I’m not beyond angry and sad with you.”

Harry sighed, his eyes closing for a long moment. His hand remained at her shoulder, his thumb softly sweeping over the skin just above the collar of her blouse. When he opened his eyes back to her they were sad and soft and resigned. He wasn’t going to fight with her about it; not right then. And she wasn’t going to accept that from him. He was left with only one option, which was absolutely not wanted he had wanted this moment to be.

He took a deep breath and then leaned in, pressing his lips to her forehead and wrapping his arms around her. “I love you so much, Alex. But I can’t give in to you here. You know that I can’t.”

Alex’s swallowed back the threat of tears and leaned into him for a long moment, taking as much of him as she could without breaking. And then she pulled back, her eyes once again avoiding his. “Make sure to tell Emma goodbye before you go.”

Harry sighed, his heart breaking a little bit as he let go of her. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving here without doing so. Take care of her and those babies while I’m gone.”

Alex’s hands automatically went to her stomach, to the babies inside of her that they still wouldn’t meet for another eight weeks at most. “They’re safe with me.”

“I know, love.” He leaned in and pressed another kiss to her forehead and then stepped away, though his eyes remained on her, wishing more than anything that she’d just give in, kiss him goodbye, and wish him good luck on the feat he was about to undertake. But he knew it wasn’t going to happen and nothing he could say or do would make it so.

“I love you, Alex.”

She was unable to help the way her eyes turned towards his, meeting his gaze as he backed away from her. And just as he made his way to the doorway, the words fell out of her lips in a low, hoarse whisper, unable to let him leave without at least letting him hear the words that she would always mean with all of her heart, no matter how mad she was at him.

“I love you too, Harry.”

**************

**THE WALK OF BRITAIN - DAY FOUR**

“Look at how they take the piss out of him,” Charlotte snickered as she clicked through the pictures that had been taken that day. The press had been allowed to tag along for this specific day of the Walk of Britain and the videos, pictures, and articles were beginning to stream in. They offered not only a glimpse into Harry’s drive and determination to jump right into the down and dirty with the rest of the soldiers taking part, but also into the way he interacted with them. It was obvious that he wanted to feel like just one of the guys and that his teammates viewed him as such. He was Captain Wales out there, not Prince Harry, the fifth in line to the British throne.

“He’s always loved the soldier’s life,” Alex murmured, glancing over the pictures with Charlotte and trying not let herself melt at the sight of him laughing and joking as he walked along with the others on the trek. “He’s said before that it’s his favorite version of himself.”

Charlotte snorted. “Yes, I know. I remember thinking how ridiculous he sounded waxing philosophical. The truth is that we all know that as soon as you and Emma walked into the picture, Harry’s favorite version of himself was the one that somehow managed to get you to take him on. Now come on, Alex...I know you’re mad at him but just look at him. You can’t tell me that you’re not even a little proud of what he’s doing here.”

Alex’s eyes stayed steady on the screen, focused on a picture of Harry bending down to greet a little girl who’d come out to meet the soldiers on the walk as they passed through her town. Her shoulders relaxed a little bit as her mind wandered for a moment, all the possible things that Harry could be saying to the adorable little girl rushing through her mind. But before she could let herself soften too much, that innate stubbornness flared up and she sat up straighter, her chin jutting out in defiance as she turned her gaze back to Charlotte and shrugged her shoulders.

Charlotte snorted with laughter and rolled her eyes as she turned back to the computer on the counter in front of her. “Fine. Keep being bull headed about it. But you and I both know that it’s something to be proud of.”

**************

**THE WALK OF BRITAIN - DAY SEVEN**

He had seen the spot the day before. It was just back up the path a few hundred yards from where they’d stopped to make camp that night. From the moment they’d walked past it, he’d been determined to go back, to see it in the early dawn light. He just had a feeling that the view it offered was something he’d want to see, something he’d want to commit to memory.

He woke early, while it was still dark outside, and had dressed quietly. He slid out of his tent quickly and, armed with a flashlight and a thermos of crude coffee, made his way back up the trail. It only took a few minutes to find the spot and a few minutes more to get himself situated on the dark, damp earth. He sighed as he opened up his thermos and took a few sips of the bitter drink.

His mind moved back over the last week, over the events of the Walk so far. It was hard work for sure; though he’d never been one to back down from that. He could deal with aching muscles and fatigue and blisters on his feet. Especially when he was in the company that he’d been keeping for the past seven days. The soldiers were brave and hilarious and most of all, they treated him like he were just one of their mates. He loved the normality of it; it was something he didn’t feel much in his life. Even when he was with his family, there was always the knowledge that there was no other family quite like his in the world, that no other family could identify with even some of the more mundane things that went on behind closed doors.

There had only been a couple of places he could find that sense of normality. One was when he was being a soldier, the other had arrived in his life the day he’d met his wife.

He’d thought a lot about her during the past week, about the way they’d left things. He knew he’d done the right thing. But that certainty didn’t stop him from wishing that he could have worked harder to make her understand or could have somehow found a way to make things right before he’d left.

A rustling noise from behind him startled him and he jumped slightly before turning the flashlight in the direction the noise had come from.

“Oh shit, sorry man,” Stewart Hill, one of his teammates, said as the flashlight fell upon him. He squinted against the light and lifted the items he carried in his hands in explanation. Harry knew that Stewart was an avid painter and found the benefits of it incredibly therapeutic. “I wanted to come get this spot on canvas before we left. Or at least try to. I didn’t think anyone else would be here.”

“No no, it’s fine,” Harry chuckled and shook his head. “I didn’t think anyone would be up here either. I’ll let you be though…”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Stewart shrugged, moving forward and setting down his small bag of supplies. “I don’t mind the company. As long as you share that coffee you’ve got there.”

Harry laughed and handed the thermos over. Stewart took a drink, grimace, and then took another one, making Harry laugh once more.

“That’s Army coffee alright,” Stewart joked. He handed the thermos back and then reached into his bag, pulling out a small canvas and a brush. The dark of night had given way just a bit, providing just enough light for Harry to see what his teammate was doing.

“Have you painted other spots while we’ve been out here?”

“I’ve sketched a few things,” Stewart shrugged. “I saw this place yesterday though and thought it looked interesting so I decided to pull out the paints for a few minutes.”

“Did you paint before you got injured?” Harry asked.

“No, I started a couple of years ago,” Stewart answered. “The type of brain injury I have makes it hard for me to turn my thoughts into something productive and I deal with a lot of fatigue. Painting never exhausts me though. I can channel my thoughts without feeling like I want to take a nap every couple of hours.”

“That’s amazing, man,” Harry said, a bit of awe evident in his voice.

“You know, I heard somewhere that you used to paint in your school days,” Stewart said with a grin, though his eyes never left the scene before him, the mist covered, green, rolling hills of the English countryside.

“More like advanced finger painting,” Harry replied with a laugh. “But yeah...I used to try my hand at it a bit. My father paints quite a bit. I always admired his talent.”

“Want to have a go?” Stewart offered, nodding toward a second small canvas in his bad.

Though Harry initially opened his mouth to decline, something about the idea grabbed ahold of him, made him want to try it out. He could sit there in the quiet and get lost in his own thoughts, or he could channel his thoughts into something productive. Even if he was fairly certain it would end up looking like something his three year old nephew had painted.

“You know…” he said, leaning over to reach for the extra canvas Stewart offered him. “I think I will.”

***************

**THE WALK OF BRITAIN - DAY FOURTEEN**

Harry would be lying if he said he wasn’t tired as they finally stepped foot on The Mall and began the last half mile of their journey. He was exhausted, down to the core of his bones. But with each step they took closer to the end of the Walk of Britain it seemed to fade a little bit; the fact that he was tired and sore and ready to fall face first into whatever soft surface presented itself first was pushed further and further to the back of his mind.

Instead he was filled with pride, mostly for the soldiers that were with him, that had overcome so much more than he ever could have to participate and successfully finish The Walk. He was buoyed by their excitement, by the way the chatter and laughter among the group of them rose as the familiar gates of Buckhouse grew closer and closer to them. Fueled by the sight of the small group of people standing in the courtyard of the palace, the pace among the group picked up, their steps growing faster, their smiles growing wider as they began to recognize the voices shouting words of encouragement to them.

“Hey Wales, look.” A smack at his shoulder accompanied the words from Stewart, making Harry chuckle before turned his gaze to follow the direction his fellow soldier was pointing. His breath sucked in and his heart jumped in his chest and even though he’d known there was no way she wouldn’t be there, it still hit him hard all the same that she was.

And she was smiling; he could see that clearly as they moved closer. She had that big, bright smile on her face, the one he’d wanted so badly to see the day he’d left two weeks before. The exact same smile that graced Emma’s face as she stood next to Alex in the crowd of family members waiting for the members of The Walk. They were happy and waving and nearly bouncing on their feet as they waited for him and it took everything Harry had not to break into a run towards them. But he stayed on pace with the rest of the team members, maintaining the stride they’d all come to find together as they trekked those last few yards down The Mall.

But when they stepped through the gates, when the cheers from those waiting -- and from the public watching along the few barricades that had been erected -- went up around them, not a single member of the Walking With the Wounded team, including Harry, could resist rushing to the celebratory arms of their waiting supporters.

“Dad!” Emma was the first one to reach him, able to move much faster than her very pregnant mother. She threw herself into Harry’s arms and he laughed as he picked her up into a tight hug. “You made it! Congratulations!”

“We did! And thank you, my darling girl,” he grinned, squeezing her closer for a moment before he set her back on her feet. His gaze met Alex’s and then he lifted his eyebrows, his eyes wide and slightly unsure. But she never paused on her way to him, her smile never faltered, and before he could even take a full breath, she was in his arms. His own smile lit up as she wrapped her arms around his neck, tipped up on her toes, and pressed her lips right to his.

“I am so proud of you,” she said as she pulled back, her hands moving to the sides of his newly bearded face. “So damn proud.”

“Alex…” he grinned down at her, wanting nothing more in that moment to take her into his arms. He wanted to hold her close and put his hands on the belly that had grown larger still since he’d been gone. And damn, he wanted to kiss her absolutely fucking senseless.

“I am. And you should know that. Now, come on, Captain Wales,” she said, patting his face lightly and winking up at him. “Introduce me to your daughter to your teammates.”

He nodded and then stood taller, his shoulders squaring with the pride he felt in that moment. “I would absolutely love to.”

***********

“Does it itch?”

“Itch?” Harry’s eyes flashed confusion as he climbed on their bed, his gaze focused solely on his wife, propped up against the headboard by pillows and looking incredibly beautiful.

“Your beard,” she giggled. Her fingers reached out to scratch lightly over the ginger scruff and he chuckled.

“Nah,” he shook his head and reached for her hand, bringing her fingers to her lips and pressing a kiss to the tips of them. “The first couple of days it did...but not anymore.”

“I like it,” she said, her smile widening at him as he moved even closer to her. “I know I’ve said this to you like, a bazillion times since this afternoon...but...I missed you, Harry.”

“You have no idea,” Harry shook his head as he rose up on his knees and then bent over her, his lips finding hers in a soft, long, slow kiss that warmed her entire body. “How much I missed you…and Emma...and the boys.”

“Well, I’m not hundred percent sure, but I’d like to think the boys missed you too,” Alex smiled against his lips, her eyes growing soft as he pulled back to look at her and then shifted his gaze down to her swollen belly.

“When I saw you today…” His voice dropped as his hands moved to push the cotton t-shirt up over her belly. “I couldn’t believe you were there.”

“Come on...I wouldn’t have missed it,” Alex murmured as he pulled back a bit, his eyes warm and soft as they met hers.

“I wasn’t sure…”

“I was wrong, Harry,” she said, her voice firm and her gaze direct. “We both know it. And once I realized just how much of a jerk I’d been. I wasn’t going to miss the chance to show you how proud I really am of the fact that you did go out there.”

“Thank you…” Harry whispered, his gaze filled with emotion as it held hers. He smiled down at her, briefly thinking of all the different things he could say, all of the ways this conversation could go. In the end, he decided that maybe there wasn’t a need to hash the entire thing out over again. He was home, they were together, and his wife was incredibly happy to have him home. Maybe that was all he needed.

Well...maybe not all he needed.

“You know…” He grinned as he scooted lower and pressed a kiss on her distended belly. “I had a hard time keeping my hands off of you this afternoon. I couldn’t believe how much...how much you had…”

“Gotten bigger,” Alex laughed and shook her head. “You can say it, Harry. I promise I won’t smack you. You couldn’t believe how much bigger my belly had gotten in two weeks.”

He grinned and shrugged. “I really couldn’t. It took everything I had not to just...put my hands all over you right there at the finish line at Buckingham Palace.”

His hands moved to her stomach then and she couldn’t help but sigh as his fingers spread out over her skin. “Well, you know you can put your hands all over me right here in Kensington Palace.”

“Oh love, I intend to do just that…” he said huskily, his fingers moving out of the way as he bent to press another kiss to her belly. “I intend on touching every single inch of you and…” He pressed another kiss right under her belly button and her breath caught “...reacquainting myself with your body and...whoa!” He laughed as he felt a firm kick under one of his hands.

Alex giggled. “Maybe they did miss you after all.”

“Maybe,” Harry grinned. “Which one was that?”

Alex moved her hands to where Harry’s was and smiled softly. “That’s Charlie right there,” she said, moving Harry’s hand a bit so it was positioned more fully over where Charlie had been when she’d been to her latest appointment just a couple of days before. “And Spencer is…” She slid Harry’s other hand to the other side of her her belly. “Right there.”

“That’s so amazing,” he breathed, shaking his head slowly as he smiled. “That they can tell us which one’s which in there.”

“Maybe they just make it up each time and they don’t really know which one’s which.”

Harry’s brows furrowed together. “Nooooo...you think?”

“No,” Alex snorted, making Harry laugh and roll his eyes. “Of course they know.”

“Mummy makes terrible jokes,” he said, addressing her round stomach.

Alex grinned. “You love my jokes. And you love me.”

“I do,” Harry nodded. His eyes held hers as he leaned forward and kissed her belly again. “I love you so much I can barely stand it.”

Alex reached for him, her hand smoothing along his jaw, loving the new texture of his beard. “I’m sure you can’t...being that it’s been over three weeks since you’ve loved me.”

Harry’s smirked. “You want me to love you now?”

Alex returned his smirk. “I’m surprised I even have to ask.”

“Brat,” he murmured,” he chuckled and shook his head, his lips brushing back and forth over her stomach, raising goosebumps over her skin. His lips began to travel higher, moving up over the swell of her belly.

He rose up on his knees above her and his hands pushed at her t-shirt. He moved it up over her breasts and then gently pulled it over her head, completely and utterly enamored as he watched her long blond hair fall back down in a cloud around her naked shoulders.

“God,” he breathed, his eyes growing dark. “You’re beautiful.”

"Harry..."

"You are," he continued. "You take my breath away...you always have, Alex."

Her lips parted to respond to his words, but she was silenced by his mouth as it covered hers,’ warm and wet and delicious as he pulled her tongue to dance with his.

His hands moved to her jaw and slid back into her hair as he tilted her head back so he could kiss her deeper. She moaned into his mouth and her hands moved to him, running up his arms to his shoulders, pulling him down closer to her. When she felt the soft cotton of his t-shirt brush her stomach she immediately reached for the hem and pulled at it, wanting it off of him right that moment; wanting his naked skin against hers.

His lips pulled from hers only so he could pull the t-shirt over his head and toss it to the side and then he was back to her. She reached for him, trying to pull his lips back to hers, but he smiled softly and shook his head and instead, dipped his lips down into the curve of her neck.

***M***

"Ohhh..." She sighed into a moan and her head tipped back at the familiar sensation of his lips combined with the new sensation of his beard rough against her sensitive skin. And as his lips traveled further down, she let out a soft moan at the thought of what his beard would feel like against other sensitive areas of her body.

“God, you smell amazing,” Harry groaned as he nuzzled into her neck, bringing a gasp as he beard rubbed against her sensitive nerve endings. “And you taste…” his tongue swiped out and traced down her collarbone and she gasped, her hands reaching out and wrapping around his arms to keep herself steady, “...so good, baby.”

“You’re going to drive me crazy, Harry…”

He chuckled softly and then shifted lower.  “I meant what I said, Alexandra,” he murmured, his mouth traveling lower and lower. “I’m going to reacquaint myself with every single inch of you.”

“Oh God…” she groaned, arching her chest out against his mouth.

He adjusted again, sitting up slightly so he could touch her. Her breasts had gotten bigger too, and the firm, heavy weight of them as he cupped them in his hands made his cock grow even harder in his boxers. He tentatively stroked his thumbs over her nipples in case they were too sensitive, but she responded with a low, throaty sound, encouraging him forward.

“You’re so sexy, Alex…” he breathed as he lowered his mouth once again and captured a nipple between his lips. She arched and cried out and he groaned around her, loving when she was vocal with him. His lips worked over her breasts, pulling her nipples into hard little points with his lips and tongue until she was worked into a near frenzy. And then he was moving lower again, kissing over her stomach, grinning as he felt one of the boys move as he pressed his lips to her over and over again.

“Can I take these off?” he whispered as he reached the band of her cotton panties.

“I’m going to rip them off myself if you don’t,” she called down to him, lifting an eyebrow as if she were daring him to try and tease her further and see what happened. Harry laughed and then pulled the panties from her, sliding them slowly down her legs and then tossing them to the floor.

“Jesus,” he groaned, taking in her naked body for the first time in what seemed like forever. Her belly was swollen with his children, her lips swollen from his kisses, and her center swollen with desire.

“Come here, love,” he said softly as he moved to stand from the bed and helped her move to the edge. He placed several pillows behind her back, propping her up in a slightly seated position. And then, he stepped between her spread legs and his fingers slid in against her as he leaned in to kiss her mouth. “Alex?”

“Hmmmm?” Her hands clutched as his shoulders and her hips turned against his searching fingers.

“Can I kiss you here?” His thumb circled around her swollen nub and she moaned out into the room before nodding her head slowly.

“Yes,” she finally said, the word no more than a soft breath as it left her lips.

He grinned and then, after pressing one more warm, full kiss to her mouth, he knelt down on the floor between her legs. He wrapped his hands around her thighs, holding her legs close to him, and then, with a smile full of lust and anticipation, he leaned in.

“Fuck…” Alex moaned as his tongue tipped out against her wet, swollen center. She could feel him stroking her slowly and easily from the top of her sex to the bottom, swirling his tongue around her clit before sliding down to gently thrust his tongue into her. “Jesus, Harry...your mouth…”

He chuckled and pulled her legs tighter to him as he pulled that swollen nub of nerves between his lips. He shook his head back and forth slowly and Alex’s hips jerked and her fingers dug into the sheets under her as she felt his beard rub back and forth against the tender skin of her inner thighs. As ridiculous as it was, the coarse hair against her sensitive skin made her want to come apart nearly as much as his mouth working over her sex did.

And suddenly it was too much and not enough at the same time. She was ready to fall apart already, she could feel the sweet tension building inside of her. But she didn’t want to come apart like this, not when she couldn’t watch his face as he brought her to that amazing finish.

“Harry…” she called down to him in a hoarse voice. Her fingers moved to slide into that red hair of his and she tugged, wanting to pull him up to her. “Please, Harry…it’s been too long and I’m pregnant and have these crazy hormones and if you don’t take me, Sussex...I’m going to just…”

He groaned and moved from his knees, pushing his boxers from his hips and then dropping kisses on her belly, her nipples, and finally her lips, taking her mouth in a deep, tongue twisting kiss. He meant her to taste herself on him, to convey how good she tasted to him and she understood, finding it incredibly erotic and making her even more desperate for him.

“Please Harry…” she begged, not caring one little bit if she sounded desperate. She was; incredibly desperate to have him inside of her.

“Shhh baby...I’ve got you,” he murmured, pulling his lips from hers and finding her hot, needy gazy with his. “How do you want to…”

“Like this,” she rushed out, too worked up to even consider adjusting again. “I want you like this.”

He immediately stepped closer, clearly just as ready as she was. He pulled her arms up around his shoulders and then his hands moved to her hips as he tilted her slightly back so she leaned against the pillows behind her but was supported by him. And then, his eyes found hers and he pressed the tip of himself against her folds.

“Yes,” Alex sighed, her head tipping back as she felt him push the tip of himself inside of her easily. “More. All of it. Please.”

“Jesus Christ, Alex,” he groaned, her words threatening to take him down already. He loved when she was bossy and demanding in bed and because he could never really deny her anything she wanted from his body anyway, he did exactly as she asked and pressed forward as far as he could into her wet, tight heat.

“Oh God…” she moaned. Her head tilted forward and a smug smile pulled at her lips and she took a deep, steadying breath. “You have no idea how much I missed this, Harry.”

“I think I do,” he replied, leaning in to kiss her full, pink lips. “You feel so good…” He broke off with a soft laugh and shook his head. “Too good.”

Alex’s smile grew smug as she caught his struggle; wanting to move forward but needing to slow it down at the same time. She tightened her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His stomach brushed her swollen belly, he groaned, and she swear she felt him pulse inside of her.

“Harry...I need you to move, baby…” she murmured, her eyes dark and determined as she rocked her hips slightly.

“Alex…” he whispered, his lips smiling as he shook his head slowly. “You’re going to make me lose it.” He watched at her eyes sparked and he nearly regretted his words, instantly recognizing that she took them as a challenge.

“Maybe I want you to lose it,” she murmured. Her hips continued to rock slightly and the way she felt around his throbbing cock sent determination pumping through his veins.

“Maybe…” His hands slid from her hips down to her thighs, wrapping around them and pulling her legs wider, giving him more room. “But maybe…” He pulled back, sliding almost all the way from her before pressing back in, watching as her lips parted and her breath sucked in. “Maybe I want you to lose it first.”

“Fuck…” Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he continued his movements; that slow, torturous pull back and then that hot, sweet, stiff press back in.

“Yes,” Harry nodded, not even bothering to hide the smug, pleased look on his face at her reaction to him. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you look right now? Flushed pink and wanting me and carrying my children.”

“Harry…” She whimpered and her hips shifted, searching for the end; wanting it more than anything.

“Look at me,” he murmured, leaning in and nudging her nose with his. Her eyes slid open to his, dark and heavy and a smile pulled at at the corners of her lips. “Tell me…”

“More,” she breathed, her nails digging into the skin of his shoulders as he pressed in hard and deep again. “I want more…”

“Fuck, I love it when you’re greedy,” Harry grinned. His grip on her thighs tightened and he tilted her back just a little bit further - but it was enough for him to press deeper inside of her.

“Oh GOD!” she cried out into the room. Her eyes fluttered closed as she absorbed the new, tingling feeling that shot through her as he found and hit that place inside of her that made her crazy with need. She gasped and her eyes flew open again to find his. “Harry!”

“What baby?” He pressed in again and again, never letting up the delicious, amazing rhythm. “Alex...love…”

“I’m going to come…” she rushed out and then sucked in a deep breath, her eyes widening and her legs tensing under his hands. “Please don’t stop, Harry...please...make me come for you…”

“Jesus…” he groaned, nearly losing himself with her words. But he gritted his teeth and pressed on...in and out, in and out...his muscles tense with the strain of holding back. “Come on, Alex…” He leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers. “It’s been too long, baby. I need you to come for me...I need to feel it...I need…”

“Don’t stop...don’t stop…” Alex cut him off, panting the words. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, her back arched, and then, with a throaty cry her eyes snapped shut and she went, her body clenching fiercely around his.

A deep, wild sort of groan tore from Harry’s lips. He dropped his head into the curve of her neck, and the hot, tight pulses of her sex around him pulled his own orgasm from his body. He moaned her name as he released himself into her; it was long and mind-numbing and so incredibly needed that he felt powerful and weak and dizzy all at the same time.

***EM***

“Fuck…” he breathed as it finally faded out, grinning into her neck at the giggle that fell from her lips.

“I’ll say,” Alex replied, her fingers sliding through the damp hair at the nape of his neck.

“I didn’t think I was going to make it there at the end.” He took a deep breath and then pulled back to look at her. “God, you turn me on, Alexandra.”

She smiled proudly, unable to help the way those words made her feel. “Even with my giant belly?”

He snorted and then shifted, pulling out of her with a groan. “You know that I love your belly. And damn, I really love you.”

She grinned as he helped her shift back to lay on the bed and pulled the covers up around her. “Damn, I really love you too Harry.”

***********

**FOUR WEEKS LATER**

“I think I’ve taken over your entire t-shirt collection,” Alex called out to her husband as she pulled on one of his big, soft shirts.  “Nothing else fits me right now.” She was standing in front of her sink in their big bathroom, preparing for bed; not that the two babies moving around actively inside of her were going to allow her to get much rest at all.

“You can take over whatever you like, my love,” Harry called back over the sound of the water hitting the tiles. “You’re carrying two children, both of which happen to be mine.”

She could practically hear the smug, cocky smile appear on his face and she shook her head and chuckled softly as she pulled her hair back in a ponytail so that she could wash her face. “I really should being taking advantage of that more, you know,” she teased as she wet her face and began to scrub the day from it. “I think I could be getting away with quite a lot.”

The shower turned off and she could hear his soft, deep laughter as his towel disappeared over the top of the glass door. She smiled as she finished washing her face and was patting her skin dry with a soft towel when Harry opened the glass door and stepped from the shower, his towel wrapped firmly around his waist. She watched him in the mirror, and even though she was almost nine months pregnant with two babies and she was tired and uncomfortable, she still couldn’t help the way she looked at her husband, the way her eyes fell over his broad shoulders and well defined chest.

He caught her gaze in the mirror and immediately moved up behind her, holding her eyes in the mirror as his arms moved around her, his hands coming to rest on her distended belly. “Hi…” he grinned as he dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

“Hi…” Alex sighed as she leaned back into him, gratefully letting him take some of her weight.

“You doing okay, baby?” His voice was soft and caring as he spread his fingers out over her stomach. He grinned and his eyes danced when one of the boys kicked at his hand.

“Ugh…” she groaned. She was close to thirty six weeks; three weeks past the date her doctors had told her was the goal. She had carried them longer than expected, but her doctors had agreed that it was just about time and she was scheduled for a c-section in a few days. She couldn’t wait.  “I don’t think I’ve ever been so uncomfortable in my entire life.”

“Anything I can do?”

“No,” she said with a soft shake of her head as she looked at him in the mirror. “It’s just because I’m so huge. Just a few more days though...”

Harry rubbed soft circles on her belly and dropped a kiss to her shoulder. “You’re not huge. You’re pregnant and the way you look is…” His eyes caressed her in that way he had, that way that made her melt, even as pregnant as she was. “You’re so beautiful.”

She snorted. “I’m not. I’m huge and swollen and…”

“Alexandra,” he said firmly, bringing her eyes sliding to his. “You are and have always been the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. If you think your belly or your swollen feet change that…” he shook his head, his lips tugging up at the sides. “You are so incredibly wrong.”

Her eyes softened as she held his gaze, steady and honest. “I love you, Harry,” she finally whispered. She let her eyes slide closed and she tilted her head back to lean on his shoulder, sighing into him.

“I love you too,” he whispered back as he watched her in the mirror. He moved his hands slowly over her belly and he could almost feel the boys quiet down inside of her. He knew she felt it too and he watched as she relaxed gratefully at the momentary quietness in her body.

And then, just as he was opening his mouth to offer a foot rub before she tried to rest as much as she could for the night, they both felt something wet splash against their feet.

Alex’s eyes snapped open and immediately flew downward, a gasp leaving her lips. She saw the wetness on the floor, soaking into the rug beneath her feet, the wetness that had come from her, and blinked once before her eyes swung up to Harry.

He was stock still, his eyes wide, his hands frozen on her stomach. “Alex…”

“Harry…” she breathed right before a wide smile broke across her face.

He gulped, trying to find the words, blinking several times. “Was that…”

“My water just broke.”

Harry’s heart slammed into his chest. “You’re sure?”

Alex smirked, looking down and to the side again at the wet rug beneath their feet, still rooted to the spot. “Yeah, I’m sure.” Her eyes lifted back to his and suddenly the emotion of the moment hit her like a ton of bricks. Her eyes welled up with tears and her hands moved up over his on her stomach, her fingers intertwining with his. “Henry…it’s time to have some babies.”


	122. Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Two

**A/N: I’m so sorry for the long wait! Here it is! BABIES! Enjoy :)**

***************

She could see the exact moment it hit him, the exact moment he understood that their children were officially on their way. His entire face lit up and his lips pulled into a huge grin. She couldn’t help but grin back through the tears that were clouding her vision, that had begun to slip down her cheeks.

“Oh my God…” He took a deep breath, moved his hands from her belly to her shoulders, and then turned her, startling her when he began to push her from the room.

“Harry!” she cried out, stunned. “What are you doing?”

“We have to go!”

Alex couldn’t help the slight laugh that slipped through her lips as she halted in her tracks, not allowing him to get her any farther from the room. “I know. But…” she looked down at herself, grimacing at the mess. “I need to rinse off first.”

“What? No. We have to go,” Harry said, looking nervous and excited and bit like he wanted to throw up all at one time.

“Okay, listen…” Alex said, her voice bright as she pressed her hands together and took a small step closer to him, trying to ease some of his nerves. “I’ve done this once before, remember? So will you trust me here?”

“But…”

“Before we leave we have things to do right?” She interrupted, her lips twitching at the corners.“There are steps that need to happen...”

Harry couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at his lips. “Okay, I get it,” he eased a bit. “Should I wake Emma up and tell her?”

“No, she’ll never sleep tonight if she knows,” Alex shook her head. Her smile pulled even wider as she thought about it -- the excitement that would come over her daughter when she found out that she had become a big sister. “Just call Will and Kate and have them come stay with her tonight, like we talked about. Then call my parents and your dad…”

“Right,” Harry smiled softly. “And call the doctor…”

“Yes, I’m sure he’d appreciate the heads up.” Alex nodded with a grin. “So you get dressed, go do those things, and by the time you’re done I’ll be rinsed off and re-dressed and we can go. Ten or fifteen minutes, tops. Then we go to St. Mary’s and we can work on getting our babies out, okay?”

Harry’s eyes immediately softened at her words and he moved to her, his hands moving to cup her face. He leaned down close and Alex bit her lip when she saw the tears shining in his deep blue eyes. “Our babies, Alexandra. Our children. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Harry,” she whispered. And then his lips were on hers; soft and sweet and full of emotion. Their babies, what Harry had been waiting for his entire life, what she was giving to him in such an amazing way, were on the way.

************

As Alex had promised, they were out of the door in under fifteen minutes. Alex had stepped into the shower and rinsed herself off as Harry had made the necessary calls, unable to keep still as he delivered the good news to the important people in their lives. As expected, everyone was over the moon and didn’t mind a single bit that the call had come so late at night. William whooped into the phone -- and right into Harry’s ear -- and said that he was on his way with Kate to stay with Emma for the night. Charles had congratulated his son in his soft, deep voice and asked him to keep him updated, no matter what time of the night. Donna had answered the phone at the Emerson’s, knowing before Harry even spoke what the reason for the late night call was for.

“We’re on our way,” she’d said, the sound of her rustling Mike into action in the background making Harry laugh -- and sending the tears welling into his eyes once more.

“Don’t rush. You can come in the morning,” Harry insisted. “Will and Kate are going to watch Emma tonight.”

“You, my darling boy,” Donna said, the Emerson stubbornness inflecting her tone. “Are out of your mind if you really think I can wait here and not in London. I’ve had my bag packed for a month.”

“Fair enough,” Harry had chuckled. “I promise we’ll call once...once our babies are born.” He could hear Donna sniff through the phone.

“You had better, Harry.”

He laughed, agreed, and then said goodbye, needing to move on to the next call on the list. Alex’s doctor answered on the second ring and, in a stroke of luck, was already at St. Mary’s, having just finished up another delivery. He would prepare the team for the Duke and Duchess’s arrival and they should be take her in very quickly.

He ended the call just as Alex stepped from the bathroom, clean and re-dressed in the soft, dark blue maternity dress with a pair of black maternity leggings pulled on underneath. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and the very happiness he felt was reflected back at him in her bright blue eyes.

“Alright. Calls made,” Harry announced, clapping his hands together and then moved to grab  their packed bags from by the bedroom door and hoist them over his shoulder. “Let’s go, love.”

Alex could do nothing but laugh lightly as Harry steered her from the room, down the hall, and then maneuvered her quickly but carefully down the stairs.

“The cars are out front. We should be able to make it to the hospital in less than ten minutes and…” He trailed off as the front door opened and Will stepped in. His brother was clad in jeans, a light blue sweater,  his hair was slightly messy, and his face broke into a wide smile when he laid eyes on his brother and sister-in-law as they came to the bottom of the steps, his eyes crinkling up behind his glasses.

“I rushed over as fast as I could,” Will said, his voice slightly breathless.

“Perfect timing,” Alex smiled as Harry moved to grab her coat and then slid it on for her.

“Yes, perfect timing and all that,” Harry rushed out as he put on his own coat and then slung their bags back over his shoulder. “We’ve got to go.”

“He’s in a rush,” Alex explained with a giggle and a shrug when Will pulled a face at his brother.

“And I cannot figure out why you’re not,” Harry shook his head and resisted the urge to groan. “Can we please go? Please?”

“You had better get out the door before his blood pressure skyrockets,” Will joked. “Keep us updated. And...good luck.”

“Thank you, William,” Alex smiled sweetly and leaned up to kiss her brother-in-law on the cheek.

“Yes, thank you William,” Harry mimicked with a groan as he steered Alex towards the door, leaving his brother chuckling in amusement behind him. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to go have some babies.”

************

Though the late evening assured that the traffic was minimal and that the journey was smooth, Harry’s knee bounced nervously and he tugged his fingers through his hair more times than Alex couldn’t count during the less than ten minute drive to the hospital. By the time they arrived that red hair of his was sticking up in all directions and Alex was having a hard time resisting the urge to giggle. She wasn’t sure he would make it to the actual birth of their children without succumbing to his nerves.

But thankfully, once they stepped from the car and were ushered quickly into the obscure back entrance into the hospital, things began to move much more quickly than either of them expected. Alex was admitted and taken straight up to their private room, was changed into a hospital gown, had her vitals checked, and was hooked up to an IV in less time than it had taken them to get out of the house.  Rather than make Harry more nervous, the quick progress, the simple act of getting down to business, seemed to calm him. His hands were steady as they held Alex’s, his smile wide as he sat with her, watching as the nurses in the room preparing her for the quick journey they would soon take down to the surgical suite.

“Good evening, Mummy and Daddy,” Dr. Setchell’s greeting as he stepped into the room right as the nurses finished up. “How are we feeling?”

“I thought I was going to have to slip Harry a Xanax, but he’s managed to get a handle on it,” Alex teased, making Harry chuckle and roll his eyes.

“Good to know,” Dr. Setchell laughed. “And you, Alexandra? How are you doing?”

“Honestly, a bit ready to burst,” she replied, a slightly nervous laugh slipping out.

“I’ll bet,” Dr. Setchell said with a wide smile and kind eyes. “And as it so happens, we’re ready to take you down to the surgical suite and let you meet your two little boys.”

“Oh wow,” Alex took a deep breath. “That was fast.”

Her eyes turned to Harry and the tears rose so fast she didn’t even have time to blink before one escaped out of the corner of her eyes. He reached out and swiped it away with his thumb and in that moment, she couldn’t believe just how lucky she was. To have this man as her husband, as the father to her children.  Her breath caught in her chest and she pressed her hand over her heart, unable to find any words at all for just how she felt right then.

“Oh love,” Harry murmured as she leaned into his hand and closed her eyes.  “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she whispered, nodding her head slowly and savoring the feel of his skin on hers. “I’m so much more than okay.”

“Yeah?” He smiled back at her, her own feelings reflected right there in his eyes. “I hope so, because I don’t think you can back out now.”

She laughed softly and sniffed as Harry brushed away the few remaining tears that had fallen. Then, following the instructions of one of the nurses, he rose from his chair beside her, quickly pulled on the surgical gown he was required to wear in the surgical room over his clothes. He put the thin paper slippers they provided over his shoes and then he was back with her, pulling her hand into his and kissing the back of it as a nurse flipped the bars up on Alex’s bed and began to wheel her from the room.

The surgical room was awaiting them at the end of the hall, the starkness created by the smell of disinfectant and the abundance of metal surfaces was no match for the abundance of love and warmth that radiated from Harry and Alex as they were settled into place, as the medical team around them began to their own places.

“Alright, Alexandra,” Dr. Setchell said, standing to the side of the bed, his gloves and mask firmly in place. “We’re going to do numb you first. Harry, if you’ll help her sit up so that Dr. Traynor here can administer the spinal block.”

Harry’s breath pulled heavy in his chest as followed instructions and helped Alex into a sitting position. He held tight to her hand while a nurse helped hold her steady on the other side.

“You’ll feel just a small pinch and then everything will go numb really quickly,” Dr. Traynor warned as he leaned in behind her. He swabbed a small area on Alex’s lower back and then quickly inserted the needle. Alex sucked in a quick breath as she felt the pinch and before she could let the breath out, everything below her waist all but disappeared.

“Oh, I forgot how weird this was,” she said, letting out a soft laugh as she was quickly laid back down on the table and once again, the action began to build around her.

“Okay, Alexandra. Are you feeling anything below the waist? Anything at all?” Dr. Setchell asked.

“No, completely numb,” Alex replied, her voice a lot less shaky than she felt at the moment.

“Great. We’re going to put up a barrier here so you can’t see the procedure. And then, we’ll be starting.”

Finding the nerves building higher inside of her as they came closer and closer to finally meeting their children, she turned and met Harry’s eyes, finding the comfort and calm that she needed in that moment in them. “I’m so glad you’re here, Harry.”

“Oh my darling, where else would I be?” he murmured, reaching up to smooth back the few wisps of hair that had escaped from the thin paper cap they’d placed over her hair. “Just a few more minutes, love,” he whispered, making assurances to her and even a bit to himself. “And we’ll get to meet our boys. You’re doing so amazing. You’re so calm and…” he couldn’t help as the tears came, choking him up, filling his eyes even as he smiled through them at her. “I love you so much, Alexandra Sussex.”

“Be careful, Harry…” she teased, even as her own lips trembled at the emotions and the anxiousness running through her. “You’re not going to have any compliments left by the time they get the babies out.”

“You’re crazy,” he murmured with a smile. “I’ll never run out of them.”

“Alright,” the doctor interrupted gently, moving to stand by Alex’s head so he could speak to them both. They both turned to him, wide eyed and waiting. “We’re ready to begin. Sir, ma’am, are you ready to meet your babies?”

Harry squeezed Alex’s hand tight in his and they shared a brief, emotional glance. “Yes,” they both answered in unison, bringing a wide smile from Dr. Setchell.

“Excellent,” he nodded and gave them one more reassuring smile before he moved away, behind the barrier that was erected over Alex’s belly, blocking the procedure from her line of sight. The anesthesiologist stood above her head and slightly to the side, ready in case she felt any discomfort or weirdness.

“Okay Alexandra, we’re starting,” Dr. Setchell called out and Alex took a deep breath, her eyes flashing to Harry.

“Do you want to watch?” She asked her husband quietly, her eyes shining with excitement and love and tears as she looked up at him, his gaze firmly held on hers.

“I…I don’t think I can,” he chuckled with a slight shake of his head. He really didn’t know if he could handle seeing them cutting into her, even if it was to bring his children into the world. “I’ll stay with you, love.”

“Okay,” Alex smiled softly and as he pulled her hand up to his lips and pressed a warm kiss to it. A small tear slipped from the corner of one of her eye and he was instantly there, swiping it away with his thumb, moving even closer to her, more than ready to be there for her and share this with her.

“Are you sure you’re ready to be a father of three?” she whispered. Her hand shook a bit in Harry’s and he smiled, wrapping his fingers more tightly around hers.

“You know the answer to that,” he replied with a smirk of a smile. “I’m kind of actually hoping there is one or two more in there they didn’t know about.”

Alex bit her lip against the laughter, although her eyes remained bright with his humor. “Don’t make me laugh,” she breathed, although a wide smile was on her lips. “You’ll mess them up.”

All of the sudden there was a rise in activity on the other side of the barrier and Alex felt a slight tug inside of her. She recognized the sensation, she had felt it with Emma, and she knew. Her eyes went wide and she squeezed Harry’s fingers with hers and then the tugging feeling was gone.

“It’s a boy!” Dr. Setchell announced out into the room, bringing both of them to immediate tears and as if on cue the loudest, sweetest wail that Harry had ever heard burst forth into the room.

“Charlie,” Harry choked out, leaning into kiss his wife, his lips pressing against hers, wishing he could express everything he felt in that moment, although he knew he never could. “That’s Charlie.”

“Oh my God,” Alex breathed as Harry pulled back and looked at her with eyes full of amazement and then instinctively turned towards the source of the wailing. And suddenly a nurse was holding a squirming, slimy, incredibly beautiful baby up in front of them. Harry’s eyes flew wide at the first look at his brand new son,  but before he could even decide what to do or where to go, Alex she felt another tug. She squeezed his hand tightly and then it was gone and she couldn’t help it, she started to cry.

“And we have another boy!” Dr. Setchell announced and after a brief moment, a second wail joined the first -- just as loud, and just as sweet as his brother’s had been.

“And that’s Spencer,” Harry said, his voice hoarse with emotion as his heart grew at least a hundred times larger.

“Okay Daddy,” a nurse called out and Alex grinned through her tears.

“She’s talking to you,” she laughed as Harry brushed the tears from her cheeks.

Harry looked up towards the voice and he was so torn. He wanted to go to them. He wanted to see his children; their children. But he didn’t want to leave Alex there where she couldn’t meet them at the same time as he did.

“Go,” she said, catching struggle and bringing his eyes swinging around to hers.

“But…”

“Go, Harry,” she laughed and nodded her head. She couldn’t make him wait any longer and she really didn’t want to. “Go see our boys…make sure they don’t drop them.”

He laughed, leaned in to press his lips to hers once more, and then with a deep breath he stood. On legs that were steadier than he thought they would be, he made his way across the room to where the nurses were cleaning up the boys and swaddling them into blankets. The nurse that called his name turned to him, a wide smile on her face as she held his son in her arms.

“Here you go, Daddy,” she said softly, lifting the bundle in her arms to him. He held his arms out and she passed the tiny, wailing baby to him carefully, making sure the head was supported.

And then Harry was holding his son in his arms, tucking him up against his chest, his eyes wide and wet as he looked him over. “This is Charlie?” he asked in a hoarse voice.

“Yes,” another nurse nodded as she stepped close to him, holding the other baby in her arms. “And this is Spencer.”

Harry’s eyes flew to the bundle in the other nurses arms and he stepped a bit closer, a wide smile coming over his face and his heart beating fast as his eyes loved over Spencer. He kept Charlie held close with one arm as they placed Spencer in his other arm and his entire world changed in an instant as he connected physically with his children.

“Wow…” he breathed. “This is…wow. Look at you two.” He took a deep breath and glanced back to his wife, her face one big, bright smile as she watched him and he had to get back to her; he needed to be with her and the boys. “Come on, boys. Let’s go meet your mummy.”

“Hi there, little guys,” Alex murmured, tears falling freely now as Harry, assisted by a nurse, laid first Charlie and then Spencer onto her chest. Her arms moved around her sons as Harry’s arm wrapped around all of them. “Look, Harry…” she whispered, her eyes never leaving the little bundles that were quieting down in her arms. “I believe we’ve got two little gingers on our hands.”

“Poor little guys,” Harry joked, his fingers reaching out to stroke the soft red fuzz covering Charlie’s head as Alex leaned down to kiss Spencer’s head. “They’re perfect, Alex. Absolutely perfect. I just...thank you, love.” He turned his lips to the side of her head, pressing them there and savoring this moment, this moment that was a million times better than anything he could have ever imagined it to be. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” Alex sighed happily, bringing a chuckle from her husband.

“Okay, Mummy and Daddy,” Dr. Setchell’s voice was warm and gentle as he interrupted the moment. “We’re going to do a few quick check on the babies while we put your sutures in. And then we’ll take you back and let you get settled in and spend time getting to know your babies, okay?”

“Okay,” Alex sniffed, already sad to let her babies go, even if it was just for a few moments. But even as the nurses took Charlie and Spencer, Harry stayed with her, too in love and amazed by his wife to think of leaving her side at that moment.

“Do we have full names for them?” A nurse asked, a pen in her hand as she recorded information in the babies charts.

“We do,” Harry confirmed. “Though we’d like to keep that to ourselves for just a bit longer. If that’s okay?”

“Of course,” the nurse nodded and smiled.

“Everything looks really amazing and healthy,” Dr. Setchell said, watching the nurses and then turned a smile back to Harry and Alex. “Charlie weighed in at five pounds, two ounces and Spencer was slightly bigger at five pounds, five ounces. That’s a great birth weight for twins. Very healthy babies.”

“Thank God,” Alex sighed as Harry let out a whoop of pride, his excitement at breaking point and unable to be contained.

“I’m so proud of you,” he grinned, leaning in to kiss her full on the lips. “So fucking proud.”

“Yeah?” She laughed against his lips.

“Oh yes,” he grinned and pulled back to look at her, love and happiness radiating from every inch of him. “More than I could ever put into words.”

**************

“Are you tired?”

“Exhausted,” Alex sighed as she cradled one of her sons in her arms. Harry was sitting on the hospital bed with her, his legs stretched out beside her as he held the other baby in his arms. Spencer stirred in his mother’s arms a bit when Alex had spoken, letting out a small cry before he settled back in, while Charlie remained asleep and content in his father’s warm embrace. “But I couldn’t sleep. Not without getting to know them a little bit,” Alex continued softly, her fingers stroking softly over the red hair that covered Spencer’s head.

For the first time since their babies had been born a little over an hour before, the air around them was quiet and calm. The nurses had gotten them settled back in their private room and had left the babies in the care of their parents for the time being. Harry had made the phone calls they needed to make -- letting their families know that the babies were there and were happy and healthy. And then he’d climbed right into the bed with her, intent on not wasting a minute of their time together before they had to let everyone else -- the _world_ \-- in on the news.

“I can’t believe they’re actually ours,” Harry whispered, the reverence still thick in his voice. “That we’ve actually met these little people we’ve made.”

“Mhmmm…” Alex turned warm eyes to her husband and then down to the tiny baby wrapped up in his arms. “It’s strange, isn’t it? But wonderful.”

“Amazing,” Harry agreed. “Isn’t it amazing, Charlie?”

“Charles Matthew Philip,” Alex said, her voice catching as she said her little boy’s full name for the first time out loud since he’d come into the world.

“And Spencer William Michael,” Harry returned, his eyes moving to the baby in Alex’s arms.

Alex sighed, “I love them so much. And oh God, Emma. Emma’s going to be so in love.”

“She’s going to be such an amazing big sister,” Harry murmured. “I can’t wait for her to meet them in the morning.”

“She has to be the first one,” Alex said. “She has to meet them before anyone else.”

“Of course she does,” Harry replied in absolute agreement as he leaned in to kiss his baby son’s soft head. “First thing in the morning. I’ll go get her and bring her up to meet her brothers.”

_To be continued…._


	123. Epilogue - A Royal Wedding

_A/N: Yes. You read that right. Epilogue. As in... **the end**._

_After a lot of soul searching, I’ve decided that I need to round this story out. It’s been nearly four years since I started this journey with Harry, Alex, and Emma and while I love them more than I could ever express, there are other things I want to do that I simply can’t commit to all the way without closing this story out and letting my beloved characters live their lives._

_I know that some of you were looking forward to seeing Harry with the babies (and seeing Emma with her baby brothers), but I think that every one of you can imagine that without my help. You all know Harry and you know Emma and you know just how amazing each of them would be with Charlie and Spencer...and with the other children Alex and Harry will have._

_I hope that this finale gives you a good glimpse of how everything turns out with the Sussexes. I hope that it leaves you with a sense of peace and allows you to say good-bye to them._

_And most importantly, I want you -- my readers, my supporters, my friends -- to know how much I love you. I want you to know how much you’ve inspired me and how I just couldn’t have written as much of this story as I did without you. So thank you. From the absolute bottom of my heart. You are amazing._

_Now...enjoy :)_

************

She took a deep breath as she stared at her reflection in the full length mirror placed in this room especially for _this_ day. The reflection that stared back was one that no doubt matched her surroundings; formal, ornate, and incredibly classic and beautiful. From the tips of her Louboutin clad feet, up through her pristine Alexander McQueen designed gown, and ending in the tiara that meant so much to her, sitting delicately on top of the elegant updo holding together her thick blonde hair -- for the first time she felt every inch the princess that she had come to be nearly twenty years before..

“Bet you never thought you’d end up _here_ ,” she whispered to the reflection, afraid that if she tried to speak any louder, the emotions bubbling right under the surface might break free. “In fact, I _know_ you didn’t think you’d end up _here_.”

Her mind began to wander then, back over the years since her royal life began. Over her parents wedding, growing up in the spotlight, being a teenager and learning how to deal with the intense focus on her, even as she was testing limits and trying to figure out exactly who she was herself. A faint smirk crossed her lips as she thought of her first young love, whom she thought had understood the intense focus on her life, but in the end hadn’t really understood the ties that held her to her responsibilities that her life entailed. 

And then...her mind drifted to her next love; her current love. Her always love.

He had always been her friend; one of her best friends. She had never really thought twice about it. Until an occasion much like the one today brought the possibility crashing to the forefront of her mind…

*************

_**SIX YEARS BEFORE** _

“Whatcha doing out here?”

Emma smiled before she even looked up to see Christian, she would know his voice anywhere.

“Getting some air,” she sighed. “And taking a break from getting my toes stepped on out on the dance floor.”

“Ha!” Christian laughed as he moved in to set next to her on the bench. He held out a champagne glass for her, she happily took it, and he poured them each a glass from the bottle he’d snuck out before he set it on the ground and turned to smile at her. “I know I didn’t step on your toes.”

“No, you didn’t,” she shook her head. “But your father did. Seriously, how has your mother not taught him how to dance without destroying a woman’s feet?”

“I don’t know if she even notices anymore,” he chuckled. “I think she lost feeling in her toes a long time ago.”

Emma giggled, took a sip of her champagne and then settled back against the bench. She leaned into Christian, her friend whose steadiness and warmth was always such a comfort to her.

“Cold?” he asked, his arm moving around her and his hand rubbing up and down her arm to warm her up.

“Not really,” she shook her head. She settled against him, leaning her head on his shoulder. It was easy to settle into him, to relax with him. It always had been. 

“I can’t believe Bella is married,” she murmured.

“Me either,” he replied softly, chuckling a bit at the thought of his spunky, independent sister. “She’s still so young. I certainly never thought she would be the first out of the three of us to get married.”

“Nope,” Emma laughed. “Wait…who did you think would be the first?”

“You,” he smirked. “Of course I thought it would be you.”

She wrinkled her nose. “What?”

“Come on,” he chuckled as he turned down to look at her, finding her big blue eyes staring up at him with amusement. “You were with Cruz for what? Five years?”

“Six,” she corrected with a sigh. “We were together for six years.”

“And yet you wonder why I was sure you would get married first.”

“Hmmm…” she smiled and her eyes shifted back out to the expansive lawn in front of them. “You know that’s why it ended.”

“Because you wanted to get married?”

“No,” she laughed and shook her head. “Because we both didn’t.”

Christian’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “I’m confused.”

She turned her gaze back to his and she shrugged. “In the beginning we were what? Sixteen?” She paused to take a deep breath and a sip of champagne. “It was fun and new and…all the things that love is when you are sixteen. We grew up and things just stayed good. We were with the same people, we did the same things, and we went to the same parties and same social events…year after year after year. And it would have stayed that way forever. Cruz is…he likes that about that life and he didn’t want to marry me because he knew things would change. I’m an active working royal -- that’s my job and I love it and I always will. He knew he would have to take on some of that and that didn’t really have a life that meant having to miss whatever must attend social event was going on that weekend. And the truth is...I can’t marry someone who lacks the sense of adventure that my life requires.”

“Sounds like a bit of a relief,” Christian observed. “For you, not him.”

“Actually, it was a relief for both of us when it ended I think.”

Christian took a long, deep breath and his fingers squeezed her arm. “Well, he’s a dumbass.”

“Ha!” Emma laughed and shook her head against his shoulder. “It’s just who he is. And it was fun when we were younger, but at some point I had to grow up, you know?”

“I do know,” he nodded, his lips twisted up wryly, his own recent steps to becoming more of a responsible adult flashing across his mind. She leaned into him and he held her protectively against him as the comfortable silence they always seemed to be able to have with each other settled around them for a long moment.

“You know what wasn’t very grown up of us at all?” Emma said, a giggle slipping from her lips and breaking the silence.

“What?” he asked as he drained his glass of champagne and then reached for the bottle, refilling up his glass and topping off hers.

“Remember when we used to try to make Bella believe there was something going on between the two of us?”

“Oh God,” Christian groaned into a laugh, his chest rumbling with it. “She hated it. She could never decide if it was true or if we were fucking with her. I’m not sure which idea she hated more, that we could pull one over on her or that we had been fooling around.”

“Oh, the idea that we had been fooling around was absolutely worse for her,” Emma said, her lips curving up into a smile. “She used to get so mad at me when I wouldn’t tell her I was joking. One time, as much as it pained her, she even went so far as to ask me if I thought you were a good kisser. She was hoping I would break down and tell her I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t break down, did you?”

“Hell no,” Emma laughed. “I lied my ass off.”

“Good girl,” he grinned, moving to clink his champagne glass with hers. “I’m assuming you told her it was amazing.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Come on now, obviously I didn’t want to go overboard.”

“Ohhhhh,” he chuckled, his head tipping back with his laughter before he pulled forward and turned his gaze to her, leaning in a bit closer. “I’m sure you just relayed what it would have been like in the fantasies you had of me.”

“Jesus,” she snorted and then took a sip of champagne. “You fucking wish.”

“Ha,” he shook his head and when his eyes turned back to her,. “Maybe I do, Em.”

“Maybe you’re full of shit,” Emma retorted, her lips twitching with the banter.

“Well, you already knew that,” he said. His eyes were dancing with humor, but Emma sensed a subtle change in him somewhere. Something was softer; sweeter “But you can’t tell me you never thought about it.”

She smirked and shook her head and although she sensed the shift in the conversation, the slight shift in the air around them, it didn’t make her pause. It didn’t make her the least bit uncomfortable.

“Are you telling me that you’ve thought about it?” she teased.

“Of course I have,” he answered immediately and Emma’s eyes flashed wide for a moment. “Are you kidding? You were always so sassy and funny and let’s face it, incredibly pretty.”

“Were?”

“Sorry?”

“You said were,” she smiled, her head tilting to the side. “As in you don’t think those things anymore.”

He smiled then, sweet and soft and only a tiny bit smug and it made Emma’s breath catch. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned a bit closer. “Aw come on, Em. You know I still think all of those things.”

“Sure,” she sighed, relaxing back onto the bench with a smile and wink at him. “Just like you think those things about Bella and Josephine; sassy and pretty and very much like your kid sister you tolerate on occasion.”

Christian couldn’t help the surprise burst of laughter that fell from his lips. “No,” he shook his head and her eyes pulled right back to him. “No, no, no. No. The way I think of you is not at all how I think about my sisters.”

Emma blinked, her mind racing to wrap around those words, to try and make sense of the fact that the way he had said them made her heart race at the thought that he thought of her that way.

“But…” she stammered, not really knowing what to say.

“But what?” he chuckled. His eyes were bright but soft as he reached out to her, his fingers finding hers. He squeezed them gently before letting them go to trace his fingers up her arm, watching as her skin flushed and as her lips parted just slightly. “How could I not think of you that way? How could I not spend all that time with you and not wonder what it might be like to…”

“To what?” Emma pressed, her voice barely above a whisper. She was completely taken in by this moment, by the way his fingers traced electricity up her arm to her neck, by the way his eyes seemed to darken as they held steady with hers.

“To kiss you,” he murmured, his lips tipping up into a smile as his fingers curved around her jaw. “I’ve always wondered what it might be like to kiss you, Emma.”

Her breath sucked in at his words and at the way he was touching her, at how close he was to her. They were so close; if he just leaned forward and tilted his head just so, their lips would be touching.

And then it hit her; she wanted him to kiss her.

Like a jolt of lighting the realization flashed fire through her entire body, igniting a want – a need – in her that couldn’t be ignored. And in a moment that stunned Christian and sent his life careening into a direction he had only ever dreamed of, Emma reached up, curled her fingers into the lapel of his tuxedo jacket, and then with wide, innocent eyes and a deep breath, she tugged gently and brought his lips down to hers.

**************

**_PRESENT TIME_ **

A soft knock at the door interrupted her reverie and she started just a bit, blinking quickly before looking up to see the big, ornate door open in the reflection of the mirror in front of her.

“Mum,” she sighed, a feeling of calm, peacefulness settling over her at seeing the face she’d known longest of any in the world.

“Emma…” Alex’s smile pulled high and wide as she moved into the room, shutting the door softly behind her. “Look at you, my darling.”

“Ha!” Emma kissed her mother’s cheeks in greeting, hugged her gently, and then shook her head softly as she pulled back. “I clean up nicely sometimes.”

“You are stunning, Emma Rose. Absolutely stunning,” Alex said firmly, her eyes holding her daughters as she took her hands. “He’s going to fall over when he sees you.”

“Which ‘he’ are you talking about?” Emma’s eyes sparkled mischievously.

“Both of them,” her mother laughed, the same sparkle lighting up her own eyes. As always, Emma was amazed at just how much her mother looked the same now as she had for as long as Emma could remember. Sure, there were soft lines that marked her face and other subtle difference that had appeared through the years. But she still possessed those same wide blue eyes, pink cheeks, and brilliant smile that Emma knew were near mirror images of her own features.

“You look beautiful, Mum,” Emma said, her eyes sweeping over her mother’s own gown, a soft, light blue number that Emma had helped her select. The Strathmore Rose tiara sat on top of her perfectly styled updo and the tears nearly welled up again in Emma’s eyes, knowing that this was the first time that her mother had worn it since her own wedding two decades before.

“I had to,” Alex smiled, her fingers reaching up to gently brush against the diamonds and gold. “When he had the final piece of yours place, he had this one restored for me for today.”

“What a fantastic man,” Emma grinned. “Maybe you should keep him.”

“Ha! We’ll see, won’t we?” Alex laughed. “Now tell me, it’s about time for me to leave. Is there anything you need from me before I go?”

“I don’t think so,” Emma said as she took a deep breath. “Charlie and Spencer are already gone?”

“Unless they convinced their driver to detour to a pub along the way, they should be arriving at the cathedral right about now,” Alex sighed as she thought of her eighteen year old sons -- spitting images of their father and possessing his cheeky, try-anything-once qualities. “I wouldn’t actually be surprised if they did just that though.”

Emma rolled her eyes slightly and sighed. “I don’t know how you don’t have more grey hairs from raising those two.”

“Me either, luckily your sisters were easy. As easy as you always were,” Alex smiled as she laid her hand softly on her oldest daughter’s cheek. Emma’s smile matched Alex’s as she thought of her two younger sisters. Fifteen year old Princess Elizabeth of Sussex, whom everyone called Ellie -- resembled her older sister not only physically, but in personality as well -- though she had a quieter, softer side that Emma had never quite been able to master. Ten year old Princess Sydney had been quite the surprise when she came along, but an incredibly delightful one. With her father’s bright red hair, a fireball of a personality, and the biggest, kindest heart Emma had even seen, she was no doubt the treasured baby of the family.

“Speaking of your sisters, I need to go join them so we can head to the cathedral.”

“Okay,” Emma nodded, biting her lip as the emotions welled up again. “Mum? Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, darling. Is everything okay?”

“Yes. Of course. I just…” Emma took the tissue her mother produced seemingly from nowhere. “Were you...when you married Dad...were you nervous?”

“Yes,” Alex answered softly. “But not about marrying him. I wouldn’t have let anything stop me from marrying Harry.”

“What were you nervous about?”

“Mostly I was afraid I’d get to the Abbey and sprint down the aisle instead of walk in time with the music as I was supposed to.” When Emma laughed, Alex smiled and squeezed her daughter’s hands gently and her face grew serious. “It’s normal to be nervous about stepping into a life like the one you’re stepping into, Em. Of course it is.”

“But I’ve always…”

“This is bigger. The life you’re stepping into, the role you will eventually step into, it’s bigger. Especially being who you are. It’s going to be big. But you, my beautiful, strong little girl...you are going to be brilliant.”

“You have to say that,” Emma rolled her eyes slightly, even as they filled with more tears. “You’re my mother.”

“Except that you know they’re true, Emma Rose,” Alex smiled as Emma handed her the tissue and she dabbed quickly at the tear that escaped from one of her eyes. “And my God, Emma. Christian. He loves you. He loves you like Harry loves me. I knew it the first time you brought him home and I saw him look at you like he does. I recognize that look, my darling. And with a love like that, you can do anything. Absolutely anything. Trust me, baby. I know.”

“I know you do,” Emma agreed with a soft nod and a sweet smile. And as if he had known that was his cue, a swift knock at the door signaled his arrival and then he stepped inside, drawing big, bright smiles from both of the women standing inside of the room.

At fifty years old, The Duke of Sussex was still tall, fit, and as handsome as ever. The bright red of his hair had faded -- and receded a bit -- over the years, but it never diminished the appeal of him. Not to his wife and not to anyone else it had seemed. Dressed in his formal uniform, he reminded Alex so much of the man that had stood at the end of the aisle on her own wedding day nearly two decades before and it made her breath catch slightly as she watched him look at their daughter, his daughter, ready to become a bride herself.

“Don’t you dare cry,” Emma said, her own lips trembling as she pointing an accusatory finger at her father. “Mum is already trying to take me down in here and if you try too that will be so incredibly unfair.”

Harry’s lips quirked up at the sides and he glanced from his daughter to his wife, sharing an amused look with her before pulling himself together and walking further into the room. “As you wish, Your Royal Highness.”

“Ha! There you go,” Emma laughed, feeling the anxious feeling inside of her break just a bit.

“I’m very good at doing what I’m told. Just ask your mother,” Harry grinned as he moved to his wife’s side. Emma’s heart swelled as she watched the way her father looked at her mother, like he’d always looked at her. The way that she knew the man waiting on her at the cathedral looked at her.

“They’re waiting on you, love,” Harry said, his hand moving gently to Alex’s back. “I think someone is going to have a stroke if you don’t leave on time with Ellie and Sydney.”

“Okay. Okay, I’m going.” Alex turned and pulled her daughter into a tight, fierce hug before pulling back and sniffing at her own emotions. “I love you, darling. I am so proud of you.”

“I love you too, Mummy,” Emma whispered. She leaned in, kissed her mother once more, and then stepped back to let her father do the same -- watching as a look of love and absolute pride passed between them before her mother hurried from the room, leaving her alone with Harry for her final few moments before she left to find her future.

Harry shook his head slightly and then smiled at her, and managing to swallow back the emotion for the moment. “I have a surprise for you,” he finally said, he smile pulling wider.

“Okay,” she laughed, looking around. “Where is it?”

Harry chuckled. “Sorry, it's just down the hall. Care to accompany your dear old dad to the drawing room?”

Her head tilted to the side. “The drawing room?” she narrowed her eyes, trying to figure it out, but after a moment she just shrugged and took the arm Harry offered to her, curious to what her dad was up to. “We have to leave soon, Dad.”

“I promise I will not make you late. I wouldn’t dream of it.”

They made their way out of the room and quickly down the hall and when they reached the door Harry took a deep breath, smiled down at his daughter, and then pushed the door open.

“Dad!” Emma gasped as she stepped into the room, looking at the elaborate tea that was set up on the table in between the two ornate couches. “What is this?”

Harry stepped in behind her and shut the door softly as she took in the setup and then turned to him, a wide smile on her face.

“We haven’t had a tea party since you were much younger,” he said softly. “And I thought…maybe we should have one for old time’s sake before I give you away up at that altar today.”

“Daddy,” Emma whispered, her eyes welling up as she took in his words and then looked at the setup again.

“Don’t cry,” Harry shook his head and pulled a wide, happy smile. “Your mother will kill me dead if your makeup gets messed up.”

“I know, I know,” Emma laughed, blinking in an effort to hold the tears back. She smiled when Harry pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes, careful of her makeup, and then she took a deep breath. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“Well, it’s going to be a fast tea party,” Harry chuckled as he motioned for her to sit.

He handed Emma a large napkin as she sat, knowing she would want to be careful of the yards and yards of pristine white satin of her dress. She took it gratefully, spreading it over her lap and then taking the cup of tea he offered to her.

“I _am_ going to miss the constant tea breaks living in Denmark,” Emma sighed, enjoying the warmth of the tea as she sipped.

“Maybe you’ll find a way to make it a new national pastime,” Harry teased, biting into a small cookie.

“Maybe,” Emma’s lips twitched at the sides as she watched her father; the man she had adored and looked up to nearly the moment she met him. “I’m sorry that I have to leave England, Daddy.”

Harry’s eyes flew to hers and he blinked as her words hit his heart. “Emma,” he shook his head as he swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to find the right words. “I am going to miss having you so close, you know that. But as much as it may make me sad that you’re not living in London anymore, that we can’t just pop in and see you whenever we’d like, or that your children won’t be raised just down the road from us...I can’t help but be so incredibly proud of you. You’re going where your heart goes. You’re just like your mother when it comes to that. It’s something I’ve always loved about her. It’s something I’ve always loved about you.”

“I wouldn’t do it for anyone but Christian,” Emma whispered, leaning forward to set her teacup down so Harry wouldn’t see the way her hands shook just the slightest bit as she spoke. “You know that.”

“I do know that,” Harry said, smiling softly at his daughter; his little girl. “I think I knew that the first time you told me about him. Do you remember that?”

Emma’s smile slowly pulled wide and she nodded as her mind wandered back to that day. “Of course I do…”

***********

_**FIVE YEARS BEFORE** _

“Dad?”

Harry looked up from the notes he was reading over and a wide smile moved across his face. “Hey Em,” he called out. He tossed the notes on his desk and stood, moving around his desk to go greet her.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said, her smile matching his as she stepped into his office.

“You’re not,” he chuckled. He kissed her cheeks and pulled her into a tight hug. “You know you can interrupt me anytime.”

“I know,” she nodded. He had always dropped everything for her; had always been there for anything she needed.

“What’s up? Your mum is at a meeting but she should be back in a bit,” Harry offered. He hadn’t known Emma was coming by and he wasn’t sure if Alex had either.

“I know,” she smiled. “I was actually hoping to talk to you…and that you might have some ice cream in the freezer?”

His lips tilted up. “I always do.”

***************

“Okay,” Harry said as he slid into his seat at the table across from Emma. “Want to tell me what’s up? The last time you were so quiet before an ice cream session, you were about to tell me…”

“About that awful story that they ran in The Sun,” Emma groaned, rolling her eyes.

“You were shitfaced at a polo match,” Harry lifted his eyebrows and pulled a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

“Oh, I know,” Emma nodded, taking a bite of her own ice cream. “And so did the entire world.” She grimaced as she remembered the pictures that had run and how hard the press had come down on her. “Luckily this isn’t anything like that.”

“Okay…” Harry drawled, his head tilting to the side. “Then what is it, Em?”

She took a deep breath and then set her spoon down gently in her bowl. Her eyes lifted to his and something about the look in them made Harry pause and all of his attention was drawn directly to her.

“Dad…I’ve met someone. It’s actually been going on for a little while.”

“Yeah?” Harry’s voice was soft, encouraging her to keep going.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I think…I think we’re ready to stop hiding it, but I wanted you to know first. It’s going to be…it’s going to be a big story, Daddy.”

His head tilted to the side as he regarded her. “Who is it, Emma?”

“It’s Christian,” she said, clear and precise before she clarified further, “Crown Prince Christian of Denmark.”

Harry’s eyes widened and he set his spoon down in his bowl, letting it clink against the glass. He sat back in his chair, his gaze holding hers the entire time. “Wow.”

“Dad, it’s not just some fling,” she rushed to assure him. “It’s not a rebound from Cruz. Maybe at first when we saw each other at Bella’s wedding and it was just this casual fling, but…”

“Okay, okay. I get it,” Harry chuckled, holding his hand up to stop her.

“Sorry,” Emma bit her lip with a giggle.

He smirked and then took a deep breath, some definite questions on his mind about a relationship that had big potential to be an explosive news story – as well as big potential changes for his own family. “So, if it’s not a fling then I’m assuming it’s somewhat serious.” His eyes were wide interested and Emma relaxed, realizing he was genuinely interested.

“I…I’m in love with him,” she said softly, her voice catching as she spoke the words. “I tried so hard not to be. I tried to keep him at arms length. But damn it, I couldn’t help myself. He just…” She shrugged and the look in her eyes and on her face wasn’t even a little bit lost on Harry. “As much as I tried to insist that I wouldn’t, I went on ahead and fell in love with him anyway.”

Harry was quiet for a few moments, letting the information settle before leaning forward and meeting her gaze. “And does he love you?”

“Yes,” she answered immediately, her voice filled with such certainty and pride that Harry couldn’t but smile. He knew that look; that certainty in her voice. He’d had the same look, that same certainty once. When he’d met and fallen in love with her mother. And he knew; this was it. As much as she hadn’t been expected it, as much as she hadn’t gone looking for it, it had found her anyway.

“Well…” Harry said slowly, picking up his spoon again and scooping a bite of ice cream. “I suppose there is only one thing to do then.”

Emma’s eyes were only slightly wary. “What?”

“You’ve got to bring him home. It seems that Christian and I need to have a little talk.”

**************

“Your dad wants to talk to me?” Christian asked later that evening as he stood alone with Emma in the kitchen of the Sussex’s apartment at Kensington Palace. When Emma had called him earlier that day and asked him to join her family for a short notice dinner, he’d agreed right away. The truth was, he’d been delighted to do so. To take the opportunity to let Emma’s family in on what was happening between them.

Emma’s eyes swung to Christian’s and her lips twitched. “Yes. Are you scared?”

“No,” he shook his head with a chuckle as he leaned in to kiss her. “Dinner went well, at least I think so. So I’m not worried. I mean, I don’t think he wants to warn me about protecting your virtue or anything.”

“Ha!” Her head tilted back with her laughter. “I think he’s over that hurdle when it comes to me,” she giggled, remembering the fallout of that particular discovery when she was seventeen. “I’m sure he just wants…”

“Emma!” an adorable little voice called out, interrupting them, before Emma’s five year old sister Sydney came bouncing into the kitchen, her red head wet from her bath. “Emma, Mummy is making me go to bed.”

“She does that sometimes,” Emma teased.

“I know,” Sydney rolled her eyes. “But she said that I could ask you to read me my bedtime story.”

“She did?!” Emma grinned. She flashed a wink at Christian and then bent down to her baby sister, tickling her quick and drawing an adorable giggle from her. “Well Sydney, I don’t think there is any way that I could turn that opportunity down.”

“Me either,” Sydney shook her head and both Emma and Christian laughed. “Come on!” She reached out for Emma’s hand and tugged, turning to pull her from the kitchen.

Emma giggled and let her, turning to wink at Christian and to mouth, “Good luck,” as she rounded the corner out of the kitchen.

************

**_PRESENT TIME_ **

“You know, he’s never told me what you talked about that night,” Emma said, her expression just the slightest bit sly as she took a delicate bite of a small dessert.

“And he never will,” Harry grinned. “That’s between me and him, my darling.”

Yet another knock at the door sounded out, signaling that it was time. And though both of them were excited to move forward with this day, there was no denying that there was just a slight bit of disappointment that this special few minutes together was over.

“I wish we could spend more time here,” Emma sighed as she stood, making sure that there was no lingering crumbs on her immaculate dress.

“I think you have more important places to be,” Harry said with a smile as he stood to follow her from the room. He stopped in his tracks when she turned around to face him, her eyes filled with tears again. “Hey…no crying…” he murmured, even though he could feel his own eyes grow wetter. And then suddenly Emma was rushing forward, throwing her arms around him and hugging him incredibly tight. “Whoa…Em…are you okay?” he asked as he hugged her back.

“Daddy,” she said as she took a deep breath and then pulled back to look at him. “I just want you to know…that even though I’m getting married today, that the place you have in my heart is just as important as the place he has in mine. Just…don’t ever doubt how incredibly important you are to me. Don’t doubt that I’m so grateful for the day you walked into our lives, for how you’ve loved Mum and us kids over the years, for how happy our home was growing up. It’s been…” She choked up and even though she knew her makeup artist was going to have a fit, she let the tears fall. “It’s been everything to me.”

And despite his own tears, despite the way his heart beat furiously in his chest, Harry’s smile was so big he thought his face might split in two. “Me too, Emma Rose. Me too.”

****************

When Emma would look back on her wedding day, when she would sneak onto the computer and pull up the videos on YouTube to watch for herself, it would never fail to amuse her of how much she actually missed on that day. Though she _knew_ the order of the events that day, though she was aware in the back of her mind that despite the quiet, calm order about her that morning that the scene at the cathedral was anything but that, it didn’t change the slight amazement she always had when she went back to watch it for herself.

While she was having those private, heartfelt moments with her mother and her father before it was time for her to leave for the cathedral, her fiance was already there, standing at the end of that aisle as members of royal families from all over the world arrived. The media outside captured every moment as the crowds cheered for every arrival. Queen Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden along with Crown Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar. King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit of Norway joined by Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra. King Philippe of Belgium, whose wife had passed away only the year before, joined by his daughter Princess Elisabeth. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who was one of Emma’s personal favorites.

And then came her family, sending up a cheer from the crowds waiting outside that never failed to make Emma smile.

Her Poppy, Michael Emerson, walking proudly into the cathedral, gallantly escorting her Granny Molly on his arm. Though they had always been friendly, after Donna had lost her battle with cancer five years before, they had become closer friends and highly enjoyed each other’s company, though it made everyone in the family roll their eyes at the speculation that they had become more. Neither of them were interested in that particular scenario, and Emma knew that her Poppy still felt the loss of the love of his life right down to the very core of his soul. Just like she knew that Donna would have loved every moment of the day; would have loved watching her first grandchild marry the love of her life. At least, Emma always thought, Donna had been able to meet him before she had passed and though she had been sick and weak, Emma had known that her Mimi had approved of her choice, even if Emma hadn’t even know herself that he was going to be her choice all those years ago.

Her Uncle Matt and Aunt Charlotte entered with Michael and Molly, along with her cousins. Cooper, at nineteen years old, was a spitting image of his father at the same age and was usually up to no good with her brothers, the three of them having grown up together and remained a tight knit group. His seventeen year old younger sister, Blakely, shared not only her mother’s name and bold, straightforward personality, but also her dark hair and features, with the exception of her startling bright blue eyes -- which were all Emerson.

The King and Queen of the United Kingdom arrived next -- her Uncle Will and Aunt Kate, who had only become so just the year before, after the unexpected death of her grandfather, King Charles III. As regal and as poised as ever, they stepped from the car and stopped to wave to the crown; King William dressed in uniform and Queen Catherine in a lovely dark blue gown. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara sat atop her dark hair, now liberally streaked with grey. Prince Henry, the Prince of Wales and Princess Charlotte stepped out just behind them, just as tall and as good looking as their parents were.

And finally, the last to arrive were also her family; if in spirit if not by name...yet. Josephine stepped out of the car and then came Isabella and her husband Lucas. Bella had been and would forever be one of Emma’s closest friends, and it was her wedding to Lucas that had been ultimately responsible for bringing her and Christian together. Their young son, Jonas, was already at the cathedral, playing the role of pageboy for the wedding.

And then came the final guests to arrive, the guests who were stepping out of their car just as Emma and Harry had been stepping into their car at the Palace.

Fred and Mary as she called them -- otherwise known and King Fredrick and Queen Mary of Denmark. Their appearance always made her smile, she absolutely adored them and she knew that they felt the same of her. And from the shot of Christian’s face as he waited at the end of the aisle with his brother Vincent next to him as his best man, she knew he could see the same thing as she did as he looked at them enter the cathedral that day -- a couple that they hoped they could one day be; as adoring and as in love as they had been the day they married in that very same cathedral.

And then, after everyone had been seated, as the crowds lining the streets had reached a fever pitch, the car carrying The Duke of Sussex and Princess Emma of Sussex finally pulled around the corner and had slowed to a stop in front of Copenhagen Cathedral.

The roar of the crowd that went up as Emma stepped from the car made her heart beat fast and brought a wide, delighted smile to her face. She stopped to wave at those waiting while her father rounded the car to her. His smile was warm and proud as he reached her, his arm extended to take hers, ready to take her to escort her into the cathedral, to bring her right to the love of her life.

“Are you ready?” he whispered softly, his hand coming over to rest reassuringly over her where it rested on his other arm.

“Always,” she whispered back, bringing a quiet chuckle from his lips as his fingers patted hers gently. She let out a small, slightly nervous giggle, took a deep breath, and then...the doors opened.

The music was the first thing to hit her. The beautiful, nearly magical tune that her and Christian had spent hours and hours selecting for this moment filled her senses. While she breathed it in, her eyes scanned the cathedral, taking in the flowers, the candles, the people, and then finally... _Christian_.

He stood tall and proud and handsome and damn it, the tears that filled his eyes took the breath clean out of her chest. She nearly laughed as her own vision grew clouded with tears, understanding exactly what her mother had meant when she had said she was afraid that she had been nervous that she would sprint down the aisle to Harry instead of walk at the pace she was supposed to. Emma had never had an urge to run in her life like she did right in that very moment; the urge to run right into Christian’s arms.

But she took a deep breath, clutched onto her father’s arm, and somehow found the willpower to stay put, to walk down the long aisle of the cathedral as she had rehearsed seemingly hundreds of times. Her eyes held onto his as she made her way down and as she got closer, there was nothing on earth that could have forced her to look away. His eyes, still slightly damp, danced with happiness and excitement as he rocked on his heels, impatient for her to get there. That smile of his nearly split his face in two and in that moment, she couldn’t help but remember the first time she had seen that smile _that_ wide, that happy.

The day she had agreed to marry him.

*************

**_SIX MONTHS PRIOR_ **

“Tired?” she laughed, watching as he stretched out on his back across the bottom of his large bed. His eyes closed as he undid the knot on his tie, pulling it open and sighing at the relief of finally being done with it for the day.

“You have no idea,” he groaned. His eyes pulled open to her as she crawled onto the bed and up his legs, straddling his lap and looking down on him with a smile. “Sorry it took so long, Em. I couldn’t wait to get back here to you.”

“It’s okay,” she shook her head, a soft smile on her lips. “I know how that goes.”

“I know you do,” he smiled warmly. His hands moved to her hips, and just as he was going to pull her down to him he noticed she was hiding something in her hands. “What's that?” he nodded toward her hands.

Her lips tilted up at the corners, she took a deep breath, and then she opened her hands, unveiling the object she was hiding.

Christian’s eyes widened in surprise and snapped to hers. “Where did you find that?”

Emma laughed and turned the small, blue velvet box in her hands. “You know exactly where I found it. Your sock drawer? Come on, Christian. I thought you were original than that.”

“I…” he stuttered, all words seeming to elude him. He sat up then so he could be closer to her, so that he could look right in her eyes. “I’m...not sure what to say.”

“You’ve had this for quite a while,” Emma said softly. “I found it over a year ago.”

He blinked, his cheeks flushing a bit as he swallowed at the lump in his throat. “Wow. I…yes. I’ve had it for a long time.”

“How long?”

His eyes searched hers for a long moment before he decided to jump, to go for total honesty. “I bought it after the talk I had with your father five years ago.”

“Wow,” Emma blinked in surprise. “I mean...were you planning on giving it to me ever?”

He chuckled and reached for the box, his eyes narrowing at her playfully when she pulled it back, refusing to let him take it. “I didn’t have a set plan, no. I know it’s been hard for you sometimes...the idea of becoming more....well, more royal than you already are -- for lack of a better term. But I was hoping at some point you might be ready for…”

“Christian…” she whispered, watching as his eyes softened with the tone of her voice. “It hasn’t been as hard as you think it has.”

“No?” he asked, his voice hoarse and his blood starting to race in his veins with her admission.

“No,” she shook her head and bit her lower lip slightly. “And I think...I really think that you should give this to me.”

His lips parted and his heart slammed into his chest. “When?”.

“Now.”  She held the box out to him with steady fingers. She was sure. Absolutely sure. 

"Emma," Christian murmured, his eyes flashing down to the ring box and then back up to hers again.

"Unless you don't want to," she shrugged, her eyes dancing playfully.

"Give me that," he said with a chuckle, snatching the ring box from her fingers before his eyes turned serious. "Are you sure you want this?"

"Maybe you should ask me and find out," she teased, lifting an eyebrow and making him laugh.

"Maybe I should." His eyes held hers for a long beat, taking in everything about this moment. The way she looked, beautiful and happy with love shining in her big blue eyes. The way he suddenly wasn't anywhere close to tired anymore, how his body was alive with surprise and excitement and the hope that the things that he had wanted for so long were about to become his.

With the ring box held firmly in his fingers he shifted, moving to lift Emma from his lap and move off of the bed.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she stayed put and refused to let him out from under her.

His lips tugged up at one corner. "Getting down on one knee?"

"No." She shook her head gently. "Like this..." She waved a hand between them, at how they sat so close together. "I don't need the whole thing on one knee. I just want this. I want us."

“God I love you,” he murmured as he relaxed back onto the bed. His hands moved to her and he adjusted her legs around him. “I hope you know that, Emma. I hope you know just how much I love you, how amazing I think you are; how I consider myself the luckiest man in the world to have you in my life.”

Emma couldn’t help the way his words made a lump form in her throat. He hadn’t been planning this – there was no formulated speech for this moment. He hadn’t even hesitated when he spoke the words; they just flowed right out so naturally and it made her love him that much more.

“I do know that. And I love you too,” she whispered, her voice refusing to do anything other than that over the lump in her throat.

“I know,” he smiled. He reached up and brushed a piece of hair from her face. “Just as I know that there could never be anyone for me but you, Em. I could never want to spend my life with anyone but you. And if you had never wanted this – if you had wanted us to remain how we are – I would have still loved you forever. I would have been yours forever.”

“Christian…” She blinked at the tears in her eyes and her hands moved to his face, rubbing at his cheeks, pulling him closer.

A wide smile broke out on his face and his eyes crinkled up at the sides in that way she loved. “God. Do you know how happy you are making me right now?”

Yes,” Emma laughed and nodded her head, which only made his smile grow wider and his heart beat faster.

“Good,” he said, his voice growing soft. “And you know what would make me even happier?”

What’s that?” Her head tipped to the side and her eyes danced with excitement. Her hands slid from his face down to his shoulders as he pulled back from her and held the ring box up between them. Her breath held as he flipped it open and the beautiful diamond came into view.

“Emma my darling, it would make me beyond happy…if you would agree to marry me. Will you? Will you marry me? Be my wife?”

She leaned forward, her hands moving to his cheeks as she pressed her lips to his. She kissed him soft and sweet and then whispered the one simple word against his lips that made his entire life complete in an instant: “Yes.”

*************

Though Harry had thought it was be hard, though he thought he would feel a sense of loss when he gave away his daughter at the altar, it didn’t turn out to be either of those things. When he shook Christian’s hand and then passed Emma’s hand to the young man’s who obviously loved her more than anything else in the world, there was none of the sadness he had expected there to be. And as he turned and walked slowly towards the empty seat between his wife and their second eldest daughter Ellie, he didn’t feel at all like he had lost anything; instead he felt the most immense sense of happiness and absolute pride wash over him. When he took his seat, he sat tall and straight and without any hesitation whatsoever, he reached over and took his wife’s hand and wrapped it firmly up inside of his.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Alex whispered, her shining eyes turning up to her husband, watching him watch their daughter with such love and pride.

“She’s amazing,” Harry murmured back, his fingers squeezing hers. “We did so good, Alexandra. We did **_so_** good with her. I’m so proud I got to be part of who she is.”

“Oh no,” Alex breathed, already reaching up to dab at the corner of her eyes with the tissue in her free hand. “Now I’m really going to be a mess.”

“And just think, my love,” he leaned over and whispered softly. “She’s only the first one. You get to go through this with me four more times.”

Alex had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Her eyes cut to the side, throwing her husband an amused look. “Shush, Henry. Watch your daughter get married,” she whispered.

Harry grinned at her humor and pulled her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it softly before pulling it back down to his lap. Determined to just as she asked him to do. As he always would.

***********

“My darling...shall we dance?”

Alex turned at the low voice in her ear, smiling as she turned to find her husband and his damned cheeky grin standing behind her, his hand held out to her.

“I think that can be arranged,” Alex smirked, sliding her hand slowly into his and then letting him lead her out to the dance floor and take her into his arms. The music was slow and the mood was warm and romantic, lit by candles that bounced sparkling light off of the abundant amount of jewels and tiaras around the room.

“Have you seen any of our children lately?” Harry asked as he tightened his arm about her waist and pulled her other hand into his chest.

“Well...I think Ellie is with Blakely, admiring all of the young men in their tuxes.”

“Oh, yikes,” Harry grimaced. “I’m not ready for that I don’t think.”

“Ha! Neither is Matt, I’m sure. Though Charlotte finds it amusing.”

“Of course she does,” Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

“And Sydney took it upon herself to be the babysitter for the young pageboys and flower girls. I’m sure she’s currently plotting to use them as her army in a quest to take over the world somewhere.”

“Lord help us,” Harry grinned as he spun his wife and then brought her back to him.

“And…” Alex’s lips twitched up at the sides as she glanced quickly around. “I’m fairly certain I just saw one of your sons trying to hit on the daughter of a diplomat.”

Harry nearly stopped in his tracks on the dance floor. “Wait. Which one?”

“Which son?”

“No,” he shook his head and then looked around quickly. “Which diplomat? It doesn’t matter whether it’s Charlie or Spencer, I’m afraid that whomever it is is about to cause an international incident.”

Alex’s head tipped back as she laughed and then she tucked herself closer into her husband’s chest. “They’ll be fine. They’re just like you and _you_ never caused an international incident.”

His eyebrows lifted, his cheeks flushed slightly, and his lips curled up at the sides. “That _you_ know about anyway. I’m a very smooth talker.”

“Oh really now?” Alex giggled and shook her head.

Harry shrugged and then winked down at her. “Maybe I’ll tell you about it at the next wedding.”

“Maybe,” Alex sighed. “Though I think that maybe the next big event we’ll be attending will probably be a christening...judging by the way our daughter and her new husband are looking at each other right now.”

Harry’s eyes turned to where Alex was looking and he grinned, watching the Crown Prince of Denmark hold the new Crown Princess of Denmark close to him on the other side of the dance floor.

“You think so?” he asked, unable to help the way his face lit up at the idea.

“I know she wants to,” Alex said slowly. “And he does too. I wouldn’t be totally surprised if they got started right away.”

“I can’t say that I wouldn’t be over the moon if they did,” Harry grinned. “Though I can’t believe that it’s Emma that we’re talking about -- having babies. Sometimes she still an adorable little six year old in my mind. Watching Disney movies and eating macaroni and cheese on the couch in between us”

“Macaroni and cheese with cut up hot dogs,” Alex corrected with a grin before she sighed. “But I understand what you mean. Sometimes it surprises me that she’s a grown woman. And now a Crown Princess...a future Queen.”

“Ahhh...but you know…” Harry grinned as he dipped his wife unexpectedly and brought her back up to him, chuckling at the peal of laughter that left her lips. “I think she’s where she was meant to be. We all are. You, me, our babies. We’re all right where we were meant to be.”

“With each other?”

“Absolutely.”

“Awww, Henry Charles,” Alex sighed up at him. “You always were such a sap.”

“HA!” His laughter filled the air around them as the music changed, the tempo and the energy picking up around them. “Fair enough, my love.”

“Harry…” she said breathily, her eyes turning soft as she pressed herself closer.

“Alexandra…” he responded, his hands tightening on hers.

“Are you going to kiss me now?”

He smiled, surprised and amused at her -- just as he had been the very first time she had said those words so many years ago. “I think so, Alex. I mean, I’ve wanted to kiss you all night.” 

And then, he spoke words that she hadn’t heard in nearly twenty years. Words that made her breath catch right in her chest, made her want to cry but also made her want to rip the uniform he was wearing off without a second thought. 

“I don’t want to push you though. I know this is fast, we hardly know each other, but I want…”

“Harry,” she said, cutting him off.

“Hmmm?”

“Quit making excuses.”

He laughed. And then, because she was right, because she was _always_ right, he stopped making excuses.

The mood grew serious. The beautiful song played softly in the background, filling the air around them. He pulled her a little tighter against him, and she went, leaning into him. She tilted her head up, and as he leaned down to her upturned mouth, her eyes fluttered closed, followed by his.

And his lips met hers.


End file.
